The Illinois High School Association announced last month a partnership with SportsCom, making the Illinois-based company the official baseball coach-to-player electronic communication device of the IHSA.

“SportsCom is excited to partner with the IHSA in their vision for the future of high school athletics,” SportsCom President Daryl Ludvik said in a news release. 

In July 2023, the National Federation of State High School Associations approved the usage of “one-way electronic communication devices from the dugout to the catcher for the purpose of calling pitches” in high school baseball. 

The use of electronic communication devices will be utilized beginning with the 2024 IHSA baseball season.

“Electronic pitch-calling devices in high school baseball is just the latest example of the intersection between sports and technology,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said. “We believe it will have a positive impact on the game, but it’s important that our schools feel confident in the implementation process.”

SportsCom was created “to solve the need for immediate in-game communication while bypassing hand signals or wrist bands that can cause confusion and slow down the pace of the game.” 

SportsCom is similar to the PitchCom technology that has been used in Major League Baseball since the 2022 season. 

PitchCom differs in that it is a wearable device that transmits signals from catcher to pitcher, eliminating the need for a catcher’s traditional finger signals.