ASHDOWN, Ark. (KTAL/KMSS) – The baseball team at Ashdown High School has found a new way to develop their skills using data collected by a computer science class.

The Margaret Daniel Educational Foundation gave a total of $13,000 in grant money to buy digital software called Rapsodo.

Rapsodo allows each player to enhance their skills by designing their own pitch and measuring the impact of a spin.

“When I present them with a problem or a task they’re own it. They’re excited about it and they go straight to finding solutions,” said Mrs. Ringgold, Computer Science Teacher.

Students are able to collect and analyze data during practice in an effort to predict how the team will play and how each player can improve throughout the season. Head Baseball Coach, Chuck Cross, said it’s an awesome tool that provides instant feedback and helps build confidence.

“As a coach, you tell your kid. You kinda tell them and they go from there. But now you have something to back-up what you’ve been telling them all these years,” Coach Sheppard, Assistant Baseball Coach.

Data analysis helps the players understand both sides of the game, athleticism, and statistics.

“Being able to see both perspectives. Like the process that we go through. And then what it actually comes out to is always helpful,” said Lee Isham, Computer Science Student.

The partnership between the baseball team and the computer science class is two-fold.

“It allows me to help the baseball team and then also allows me to learn skills for the career path I want to go in for,” said Dimiya Johnson, Computer Science Student.

The staff at Ashdown High School hopes the program will continue to grow.