The robot umpire is coming to college baseball, at least on an experimental basis.
The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee on Monday approved the Southeastern Conference's request to implement a challenge system for balls and strikes for each game of the 2026 SEC Tournament. It will be similar to the system used in Major League Baseball.
Teams can challenge an umpire’s strike or ball call via an automated ball tracking system that monitors the exact location of each pitch, relative to the specific batter’s zone.
“The introduction of this challenge system at the SEC Tournament reflects our continued commitment to innovation,” Commissioner Greg Sankey said. “This addition represents a continued step forward for our game, aligns more closely with the professional level and supports the development of our student-athletes as they prepare for success at the next level.”
Each team will have three challenges to start the game. If a challenge is successful, the team will retain the challenge. If the original call is confirmed, the team will lose the challenge.
Upon a challenge, the pitch location will be compared against the electronic strike zone. The result will then be displayed on the stadium videoboard and broadcast.
The SEC baseball tournament will be played May 19-24 in Hoover, Alabama.
The Automatic Ball-Strike system would be allowed for other conference tournaments if a conference wanted to use it and followed the same protocols as the SEC.
AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
FILE - Arkansas' Jacob Nesbit (5) prepares to bat against Tennessee in the ninth inning of an NCAA college baseball championship game during the Southeastern Conference tournament Sunday, May 30, 2021, in Hoover, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill,File)
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Taylor Hall slipped the puck past Dan Vladar at 18:54 of overtime to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Monday night, taking a 2-0 lead in their second-round series in the NHL playoffs.
Hall took a short feed from Sean Walker and carried the puck in on the left side before being knocked to his knees near the top of the crease. But Hall hopped up as Jackson Blake battled for the loose puck, corralled it and beat Vladar to cap a night that saw the Hurricanes fall behind 2-0 quickly for their first deficit of the postseason.
The series shifts to Philadelphia for Thursday’s Game 3.
Seth Jarvis had the third-period goal that forced overtime for Carolina, while Nikolaj Ehlers also scored. Frederik Andersen finished with 34 saves to help the Hurricanes improve to 6-0 in the postseason.
Still, this one was anything but easy compared to the smothering first-period that paved the way to a 3-0 win in Monday's Game 1. Flyers coach Rick Tocchet had talked about the need for his players to react quicker against Carolina's aggression and speed, and carry the puck more into the tough areas of the ice.
The Flyers did that early, with Jamie Drysdale and Sean Couturier scoring in a 39-second span of the first period for the Flyers. And they outshot Carolina 15-8 in the overtime in a much more assertive showing, but the Flyers couldn't beat Andersen again after that flurry in the first 5 minutes.
Vladar had 40 saves, including twice stopping Carolina's Eric Robinson on second-period breakaways. He also got a timely bit of help in that period from Travis Sanheim, who cleared a loose puck that had slipped behind Vladar in the crease to deny Carolina a tying score.
Ehlers' one-timer on the power play got Carolina on the board in the first. Then Ehlers fed a trailing Jarvis to beat Vladar from the right side midway through the third period, ultimately forcing OT.
Philadelphia played a second straight game without regular-season goals leader Owen Tippett due to an undisclosed injury, while Carolina defenseman Alexander Nikishin took warmups but didn't play as he continues his recovery from a concussion suffered in the clinching game of the first-round sweep of Ottawa.
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Carolina Hurricanes' Logan Stankoven, right, collides with Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) during the third period of Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)
Carolina Hurricanes' Taylor Hall, left, celebrates after his winning overtime goal as Philadelphia Flyers' Travis Sanheim (6) looks on during Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)
Carolina Hurricanes' Nikolaj Ehlers celebrates after his goal during the first period of Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)
Philadelphia Flyers' Sean Couturier (14) talks with Jamie Drysdale (9) as Carl Grundstrom (91) looks on prior to a face-off during the second period of Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)
Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Staal (11) battles Philadelphia Flyers' Jamie Drysdale (9) for the puck during the second period of Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)
