Kiewit Luminarium unveils ‘Science of Baseball’ exhibit for CWS
June 12, 2024
Article originally published by KETV and Sean McKinnon.View original story here(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab).
OMAHA, Neb. — As fans gear up to watch baseball these next two weeks, not far from the field, the Kiewit Luminarium is breaking down the science behind the sport.
They’re partnering with UNO’s pitching lab to put skills to the test and explain the physics of the game.
The lab is bringing a baseball flight monitor Rapsodo machine to the Luminarium. It gives real time analysis of every throw.
“We have the ball velocity, we have the ball spin rate, we have how much the ball actually breaks toward the plate,” UNO Professor and Co-Director of the program Dr. Adam Rosen said.
Back at the lab on campus, the same students who are using the machine will be the ones teaching kids about it.
Dr. Rosen says it’s rare for a college to have this technology.
“It’s actually still pretty unique,” he said.
20 cameras capture hundreds of data points per second measuring athletes within less than a millimeter of accuracy.
They say there’s no guess work here- it’s science.
“We don’t just serve our UNO athletes, we serve anyone who wants to come to us in the community. We have people fly in from all over the country to utilize our services and evaluate pitchers,” Rosen said.
The kinesiology of baseball will also go under the microscope.
A small version of an ultrasound machine will show guests their UCL-the main ligament that stabilizes the elbow during pitching.
“We’re going to look at UCLs. We’re going to look how they measure up against other athletes and other guests,” Z Long with the Luminarium said.
And in the ‘anatomy’ section, baseball ‘dissections’ challenge kids to touch, feel and think.
Dr. Rosen says what they’re bringing to the Luminarium only scratches the surface of the pitching lab’s capabilities.
Just a short walk from Charles Schwab Field, the Luminarium hopes to see kids, adults, baseball fans and science nerds alike.
The ‘Science of Baseball’ is included with the price of admission. The Rapsodo baseball flight monitor to test your skills, grip strength machine and the ultrasound machine will only be at the Luminarium for two days.
Those days are Thursday June 13 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the adults-only Night Light event (drinks available for purchase 21+) and on Saturday June 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. during family friendly hours.
The other parts of the ‘Science of Baseball’ exhibit will be around for the whole College World Series. Those include a pitching lane, base running area, baseball dissections and bats and balls in the Colored Shadows room.
