Date of Award

5-31-2026

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Physics, Applied

First Advisor

Stephen Arnason

Second Advisor

Bala Sundaram

Third Advisor

Steven Ackerman

Abstract

The orientation of the seams on a baseball may seem arbitrary in nature; however, they play an enormous role in the aerodynamics of the ball during its short flight to home plate. This thesis aims to model the movement of a four-seam fastball as accurately as possible using the fourth order Runge-Kutta method. The model incorporates the effect of the seams on the path of the ball by utilizing the oscillating cross-sectional area, which varies for each angle of rotation. The simulated results demonstrate a strong agreement with the observed pitch trajectories, accurately reproducing both induced vertical break and horizontal break as measured by Hawk-Eye systems in Major League Baseball games.

Comments

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