
Men's College World Series 2022: ESPN To Deploy Top-Tier Technology for Championship Series in Omaha Corner cams, drone, UmpCam capture the action in hard-to-see places By Kristian Hern ndez, Associate Editor
Friday, June 24, 2022 - 9:00 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The 2022 Men's College World Series (MCWS) has been defined by two themes: programs that fulfilled the public's preseason hopes by clinching a spot as a ranked team and those that have shocked the college-baseball world as an unranked squad. With the final best-of-three series between Ole Miss and Oklahoma this weekend, ESPN will showcase the National Championship matchup with a handful of top-tier technologies, including Corner Cams, UmpCam, an aerial drone, and Technocrane.
Corner Cams in left field and right field shoot balls hit down the line.
Covering the Field: Corner Cams, UmpCam, Drone Seek Out the Nooks and Crannies Baseball fields come in all shapes and sizes, and, for any production, it's sometimes difficult to track balls hit into the odd nooks and crannies of a ballpark. Balls hit to dead center field and the power alleys in left center-field and right center-field gaps are easier to follow, but those shot into the corners are a much harder task.
UmpCam is made possible by DreamChip Technologies and RF connectivity from 3G Wireless. (Photo: Bob Flanagan/ESPN Images)
With this in mind, ESPN has deployed a pair of Corner Cams: two C360 cameras positioned at where the outfield and foul-line walls meet. These cameras can capture balls that are hit down the line and rattle up against either wall, leaping catches made at the fence, and plays that go into foul territory. A third C360 camera, similar to the two Corner Cams, has been installed at a position 8-10 ft. high on the third-base side with a direct shot of the first-base line.
They have a really good view of the entire field, says Phil Orlins, VP, production, ESPN. The upside of these cameras is the ability to get the exact framing and composition that we want after a play is over.
A DJI Inspire 2 drone with a DJI Zenmuse X7 camera is flying overhead in Omaha.
Mounted on the helmet of each home-plate umpire, UmpCam will take viewers behind the dish and into the shoes of the officials making the crucial calls during each nine-inning game. A staple at previous Men's College World Series, the device comprises a DreamChip Technologies camera and RF connectivity through 3G Wireless. Although incapable of withstanding blunt force created by a foul ball from close range, the UmpCam is designed to handle inclement weather and remain in its desired position even with the umpire's head movement. Offering unique angles for the main linear broadcast and an alternative viewing option for the ESPN app, UmpCam is built to last for the drawn-out nature of baseball.
We have a close receive site that allows us to ride on low power and gives us more than two hours of life on a single battery, adds Orlins. It also eliminates the heat [emanating from the camera], which is significant with the summer weather that we have here.
A Technocrane is positioned in the left-field concourse. (Photo: Bob Flanagan/ESPN Images)
In the air, the broadcaster will once again fly a drone during certain moments of the game. Piloted by camera operator Mike Shea, a DJI Inspire 2 drone equipped with a DJI Zenmuse X7 camera and connected to the compound via TVU will be flown from three specific locations: rooftops of surrounding hotels, in and around the parking lot of the stadium, and next to the exterior rim of the ballpark. This ESPN-owned and -operated drone will be used live coming in and out of commercials for beauty shots of downtown Omaha.
Best of the Rest: Technocrane, Onfield Mics Round Out the Onsite Tech Corner Cams, UmpCam, and a drone may be stealing the technological headlines, but ESPN will highlight the activity at Charles Schwab Field in a big way. Stationed in the left-field concourse, a Technocrane will add another angle to each matchup. In a deployment similar to its use for the Women's College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City, the ultra-extended jib will showcase slow-moving and sweeping views of the field and the energy of each game near the left-field foul pole.
Two RF handhelds are in use, including one shallow-depth-of-field camera.
Aside from these high-profile cameras, the production team will tap other notable tech for the series. Rounding out the 20-camera show are four super-slo-mos, two RF handhelds (including one shallow-depth-of-field), three active robos, and various Marshall POVs dispersed throughout the playing field and behind-the-scenes areas.
On the audio side, ESPN's presentation of the MCWS final will include nearly 100 microphones. The complement of 75 effects mics will be deployed on umpires, on bases, and in the dirt near critical areas, such as the pitcher's mound and home plate.
Near the Technocrane in the left-field concourse, the SEC Network has a presence to represent its schools in the tournament. During the earlier rounds of the MCWS, SEC Now with Alyssa Lang, Peter Burns, and Todd Walker set up shop in an onsite studio. Following the elimination of No. 14 Auburn, Arkansas, and No. 5 Texas A&M, Ole Miss is the last SEC team in the competition, which means that SEC Now with Dari Nowkhah, David Dellucci, and Walker will be in Omaha for pre/postgame coverage.
We'll also be using [the set] for our preview show before the finals on Friday, says Orlins.
Inside the Compound: NEP Parks Multiple Trucks at Charles Schwab Field The compound in Omaha houses a full onsite crew. For the main production, NEP Supershooter 6, Supershooter 22B, Supershooter 16, and ST6 are on hand. Because of logistics and Supershooter 6's proximity to the main stage in Omaha, the first of
More from Sports Video Group
04/09/2026
Eluvio will demonstrate updates to its Content Fabric platform at IBC2026 (Hall 8, Stand 8.MS5, and Future Tech Zone, Hall 14, Stand 14.A58, September 11-14). C...
04/09/2026
LiveU has joined the IBC Accelerator's Smart Stories consortium, a multi-vendor initiative developing an open standard for Story Context interoperability in...
04/09/2026
Telos Alliance will demonstrate new audio observability capabilities at IBC2026 (Stand 8.D37, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-14), covering monitoring of audio heal...
04/09/2026
World Team Tennis (WTT) has announced a broadcast partnership with USA Sports, the sports division of Versant. USA Sports will air all six of WTT's live mat...
04/09/2026
Gravity Media has appointed Alex Pannell as Chief Business Officer. Pannell joins from Appear, where he served as Chief Commercial Officer. He will be based in ...
04/09/2026
Dalet has announced new agentic workflow capabilities for Dalia, its AI platform for media organizations, ahead of IBC2026. The updates extend Dalia from an AI ...
04/09/2026
L-Acoustics has achieved EN 54 certification across a portfolio of loudspeakers,...
04/09/2026
EVS and Matrox Video have announced a technology partnership integrating Matrox ...
04/09/2026
NEP Group will exhibit at IBC2026 (Hall 7, Stand 7.B55, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-14), demonstrating software-defined production capabilities across NEP Platf...
04/09/2026
The Television Academy has awarded an Engineering Emmy to Dr. Roman Foltyn, Chief Engineer of FoMaSystems, and Curt O. Schaller for the development of the ARRI ...
04/09/2026
InSync Technology will exhibit at IBC2026 (Stand 1.A55, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-14), demonstrating its FrameFormer and NOVA conversion platforms for frame r...
04/09/2026
The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) has signed a multi-year agreemen...
04/09/2026
Accedo and MediaKind have announced a white-label, end-to-end streaming solution for operators, combining Accedo's native application framework and cloud-ba...
04/09/2026
TAG Video Systems has announced TAG Blue, a cloud platform for shared monitoring visibility across video delivery chains, with AI-powered root-cause analysis. T...
04/09/2026
TwelveLabs has launched a video compliance platform for media organizations, inc...
04/09/2026
The Television Academy and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences ha...
03/09/2026
NEP Group has announced leadership changes at Creative Technology Group. Founder and CEO Graham Andrews will step away from day-to-day leadership at the end of ...
03/09/2026
The NFL and TikTok have announced a multi-year partnership renewal expanding the league's presence on the platform. NFL posts on TikTok increased more than ...
03/09/2026
Grass Valley has appointed Ronny Van Geel as Vice President, Cameras. Van Geel began his career in 1999 at Philips DVS and moved into product management in 2005...
03/09/2026
Telestream has announced Vantage Super Resolution, an AI-powered upscaling capability for the Vantage media workflow platform, developed in collaboration with N...
03/09/2026
Solid State Logic (SSL) will debut the TCA Tour at IBC2026 (Hall 8, Stand 8.B45), a portable production system built from System T components in a desktop frame...
03/09/2026
DPA Microphones has announced the 6388 CORE Headset Microphone, making its debut at IBC2026 (Hall 8, Stand D60). The supercardioid headset features a physicall...
03/09/2026
Qvest will present a multi-vendor Dynamic Media Facility (DMF) showcase at IBC2026 (Booth 10.C24), demonstrating how the EBU's DMF architecture can be imple...
03/09/2026
Imagine Communications will showcase the Magellan PanelFlex control surface and other control portfolio updates at IBC2026 (Stand 1.B73, RAI Amsterdam, Septembe...
03/09/2026
Bridge Technologies will announce at IBC2026 (Booth 1.A71) that its VB440 production probe is now available as a software-based solution, deployable on commerci...
03/09/2026
Audio-Technica has unveiled the BP350ST MS (mid-side) microphone in two versions: the camera-mount BP350ST-UL and the boundary or gooseneck-mountable BP350ST-UB...
03/09/2026
Telos Alliance will introduce updates to the J nger Audio flexAI audio processin...
03/09/2026
DUNKMAN, the professional dunk league founded by Shaquille O'Neal in partner...
03/09/2026
Orlando's WRDQ TV 27, WFTV Channel 9 previously named over-the-air broadcast...
03/09/2026
EverPass Media has announced a multi-year commercial distribution agreement with Netflix, expanding on an existing partnership that has delivered NFL Christmas ...
03/09/2026
Yahoo Sports and Apple TV have announced a partnership to deliver alternate broadcasts of select Friday Night Baseball and MLS games on the Yahoo Sports website...
03/09/2026
With another academic year underway, college athletic departments across the cou...
03/09/2026
Facility becomes permanent home of NFL Live on Sept. 9; centerpiece studio for c...
02/09/2026
Professional and collegiate clubs, leading vendors discuss current trends in stadium production
On. Aug. 12, the 2026 SVG Venues & Teams Summit explored the ev...
02/09/2026
SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theater, and Hollywood Park have completed an infrastructure upgrade expanding game presentation and broadcast production capabilities acr...
02/09/2026
Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) has announced a suite of AI-powered workflow applications for broadcasters, content owners, and operators, built on its Video...
02/09/2026
The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) and the Association of Professional Wireless Production Technologies (APWPT) have announced a partnership to ...
02/09/2026
Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minneso...
02/09/2026
New LED provides enhanced quality control, quicker show prep, detailed productio...
01/09/2026
Bridge Technologies will announce at IBC2026 (Booth 1.A71) that its VB440 produc...
01/09/2026
DAZN has announced an agreement to acquire EverPass Media, a commercial sports distribution platform serving bars, restaurants, hotels, and other venues in the ...
01/09/2026
The USTA and Kalshi have announced a multi-year partnership making Kalshi the Official Prediction Market Partner of the US Open, beginning with the 2026 US Open...
01/09/2026
MASV will exhibit at IBC2026 (Booth 5.B40, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-14). CTO Majed Alhajry will appear on a panel session, A Tale of Two Feeds: Automation o...
01/09/2026
FingerWorks Telestrators has announced a partnership with Broadcast Rental to ex...
01/09/2026
FOR-A has announced the expansion of viztrick AiDi into two dedicated products: Go Vertical! AiDi and AiDi Sports Hub. Developed by Nippon TV and delivered glob...
01/09/2026
Sony Pictures Television has launched Live TV on PS5, a free ad-supported streaming experience available to PS5 players in the United States. The service is acc...
01/09/2026
Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin has installed a Riedel production infrastructure spanning video, intercom, control, and I/O across the venue, implemented in col...
01/09/2026
Arkona technologies GmbH has announced an OEM partnership with BFE Studio und Medien Systeme GmbH to offer arkona-branded control panels for its SDI-IP routing ...
01/09/2026
Cricket Australia has launched Cricket TV, a direct-to-consumer streaming service built on Eluvio's Content Fabric platform. The service is currently in ear...
01/09/2026
Eluvio has announced it was selected to power Pasifika , a new direct-to-consume...