MILWAUKEE • Before he learned his bat had enough pop to go pro, Paul DeJong considered changing majors at Illinois State from biochemistry to physics, even if it meant adding a year of classes. As the scouts started to arrive and his slugging percentage started to rise, DeJong realized he might not have that extra year of school, after all.
That fondness for physics, however, helped him understand one reason why his swing was in demand.
Each winter, Illinois State baseball coach Bo Durkac clocks the velocity of the baseball off his hitters’ bats. It’s an imperfect measure because the ball is on a tee, and Durkac said not all of the swings are game-ready.