At Louisiana State University, a partnership between the softball team and the Department of Mathematics is giving players and coaches new ways to analyze performance and make strategic decisions. The collaboration began when Zach Jermain, director of player performance and analytics for LSU Softball, saw potential in using TrackMan technology—a Doppler radar system that records detailed pitch and batted ball data—to improve the team’s competitive edge.
Jermain, who holds advanced degrees in mathematics from LSU, reached out to faculty in the math department to help interpret the large volumes of data generated by TrackMan. With support from Head Coach Beth Torina, they formed a partnership with the Math Consultation Clinic, where students work on real-world data projects as part of their coursework.
“Softball is like playing a game of chess,” said Tatum Clopton, an LSU softball pitcher and graduate student. “You’re always trying to outsmart the opponent. You’re always trying to think 10 steps ahead. You’re always trying to position each player for the most success.”
Assistant professor Nadia Drenska serves as one of two faculty advisors for the clinic’s projects. She described how her students use machine-learning models to help coaches with player preparation and game strategy. “First, these projects contain serious math and train students in machine-learning algorithms, which are crucial in the modern workforce,” Drenska said. “Second, they are impactful, involving a real-world application. The students know that they are helping our LSU softball team win—something we can all celebrate. Lastly, the projects are fun!”
Students involved in the project say it offers valuable experience outside traditional classroom settings. Charles Bloss, an industrial engineering major with a minor in math, noted: “I saw that this class was available, and I said, well, why not take it? This seems like something fun. This seems like something I can sink my teeth into. And ultimately, this project was a ton of fun to work on.”
Austin Louque, a senior studying computer science and mathematics who helped start the project with Jermain’s guidance, added: “Zach was part of our little team. We met with him at least once a week. He knows that data better than anybody.” Louque worked extensively on automating pitch tagging so coaches could spend more time instructing players rather than entering data manually.
The group also developed an expected statistics model for batters that uses variables such as exit velocity and launch angle to assess quality of contact—helping distinguish skill from luck over time. Junior math major Thomas Emerick explained: “This really adds the context,” noting that it can reveal whether a hitter is making strong contact even when results don’t show it.
For undergraduate Madden Gleason—who played softball at LSU-Alexandria before graduating with a degree in math—the project allowed her to connect athletics with academics while working again with Jermain as an advisor.
“Zach is incredibly helpful and insightful,” Gleason said. “He’s the perfect bridge between analytics and coaching. So just coming to him with any question, he is able to guide us in the right direction.”
Emerick reflected on how participating in sports analytics research fulfilled his academic goals at LSU: “I really wanted to do something in the field of sports analytics…So it’s really wrapped in perfectly for why I chose to be here.”
Clopton highlighted how integrating mathematics into daily practice benefits athletes directly: “I think it’s really just capitalizing on the technologies and tools that we have…the fact that we can use all of these to become the best athletes…using real science and data and math to back that up—I think it’s just an incredible opportunity.”
The initiative demonstrates how interdisciplinary efforts at LSU provide practical experience for students while offering tangible benefits for athletic programs.
