The Automatic Ball-Strike system is coming to college baseball for the first time at the SEC Baseball Tournament.
ABS, which is making its debut in MLB this season, will be adopted by the SEC in the conference tournament this season from May 19-24, the league announced on May 4.
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Pitchers, catchers and hitters can challenge balls and strikes throughout the game with ABS. While MLB teams are granted two challenges per game and get to retain their challenge if they're successful, SEC teams will be allowed three ABS challenges, according to the announcement.
D1 Baseball's Kendall Rogers, who first reported the news, reported challenges must be made within 2-3 seconds of the pitch, or the challenge won't be accepted. Each team will also get one extra challenge in extra innings.
“The introduction of this challenge system at the SEC Tournament reflects our continued commitment to innovation,” SEC 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.”
The conference also confirmed the pitch location on the electronic strike zone will be displayed on the video board at Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, where the tournament is being held.
It's not the first time the SEC has experimented with rules changes at the SEC Baseball Tournament. The league introduced a double first base at the conference tournament in 2024, giving runners and fielders extra room to avoid potential collisions.
The ABS has received mostly strong reviews since being introduced in MLB this season. Should it be equally as well-regarded at the college level, ABS could potentially find its way into more than just the SEC Baseball Tournament at the college level.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ABS challenge system coming to SEC Baseball Tournament