EVANSVILLE — Chris Schaefer finds the scenario humorous now.
Memorial High School was playing a baseball game at Braun Stadium this spring when Schaefer, an assistant coach, left the dugout for one of his three allowed mound visits. Did he need to calm his pitcher in a tough spot? No, rather the communication device for his catcher wasn’t responding.
“We used a mound visit to go plug it in,” Schaefer said.
Not only would this scenario be hypothetical in the past but illegal. Welcome to a new normal for baseball programs at the high school level across the country.
The 2024 season marks the beginning of one-way communication devices between a coach in the dugout and a team’s catcher, mainly to call pitches. The change was approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) at its June meeting last summer and subsequently approved for use this year.
Not every program in Southwestern Indiana has adopted it. More do than one may realize.
What is PitchCom? How does it work in high school?
PitchCom is the name of the wireless communication system used in Major League Baseball since the start of the 2022 season. It was approved to stop sign stealing and quicker pace of play.
The highest level of the game involves a nine-button keypad and as many as five wireless receivers among infielders. The rules adopted by the NFHS are different, prohibiting coaches from communicating with any other player besides the catcher on defense and with any player while batting. The coach must also be in the dugout when using the device.
The catcher has a packet attached to the back of his chest protector with a wired earpiece. The coach uses a walkie-talkie to relay a pitch or defensive formation. Simple as that. It's a one-way device meaning the player can't respond.
"There's no confusion," said North coach Jeremy Jones. "It’s just easier instead of yelling the numbers. I know people want quicker baseball games and that’s a way to speed up the game. It also makes things clear. You’re not going to mess it up and hear exactly what we’re going to say."
Why do Southwestern Indiana baseball teams agree to use it?
One word was repeated when speaking with a handful of coaches who made the change: simplicity.
In the past, they would use hand signals from the entrance to the dugout to relay pitches to the catcher who then relayed to the pitcher. Did opponents attempt to decipher for an advantage? Absolutely.
This eliminates extra steps and makes sign stealing, at least those meant for pitching, "impossible to pick up."
"This makes it a lot easier," said Schaefer. "We can give location and defensive calls to him. I’ve told him go talk to the pitcher. I can tell things to Thomas (Lynch) now that we never really could say unless someone went to the mound for a visit. It’s really nice and makes things a lot simpler."
Among the teams seen using it by the Courier & Press include North, Memorial, Mater Dei, Princeton and Bedford North Lawrence. There are others. Mater Dei coach Steve Ricketts knew his catchers would lack experience compared to previous years and determined to call pitches from the dugout. He called the same company the school uses for football headsets.
Zero complaints beyond the minor inconvenience of charging the device after every game.
“It’s so simple," said Ricketts. "Instead of giving a sign, I can just tell him what our defense is or I want him to throw it to first. The only problem I have is taking home every night and charging it. It’s a simple thing. You could probably get a couple games out of it. We love it."
What about the catchers? Remember, it's a one-way device. No responding to coaches. And if something does go wrong, they'll simply motion to repeat the message. Lynch, the Memorial starting catcher, says the benefits outweigh minor nuisances.
"It's basically a walkie-talkie," he said. "At times, it’s a little uncomfortable because (the earpiece) falls out of my ears. Other than that, I don’t really notice it. He's allowed to talk to me whenever. Mainly, it's just for calling pitches. Definitely (a benefit)."
Are there any negatives?
The Courier & Press has not spoken to every team using the device. One possible deterrent among those reluctant or refusing to make the change is the cost. The issue is there is no unanimous price point.
The low end was $400 with one school receiving a deal for 50 percent off. Another brought their device brand new for over $1000. CoachComm, a telecommunications equipment supplier in Alabama that sells such devices, lists one Coach to Catcher system package on its website for $1850.
Those numbers are not insignificant considering other costs associated with high school baseball. Coaches have noted the rising prices of baseballs in recent years. The supporters do note it is a one-time purchase.
"The cost is going to be prohibitive," said Jones. "At the same time, you can use it forever. (We thought) bite the bullet now and get it done. It really benefits us and helps with pace of play."
Follow Courier & Press sports reporter Kyle Sokeland on X, formerly Twitter, @kylesokeland.
Share:
How Maryland baseball uses PitchCom to streamline communication
Taking PitchCom to the Next Level in MLB The Show