ST. LOUIS, Feb. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rapsodo, a leader in sports technology known for analyzing real-time metrics for athletes to further player development, today announces the addition of D1 collegiate softball players, Elizabeth Hightower and Tiare Jennings, to its list of strategic partners. This partnership will strengthen Rapsodo’s mission to provide data to collegiate level athletes by gaining ambassadors that can help educate the softball community about Rapsodo’s technology and its benefits.
Named to the 2021 All-SEC Second Team and 2021 NFCA All-American Third Team, Hightower is a senior pitcher at the University of Florida (UF). Last season her 1.61 ERA led the Gator pitching staff, including 11 complete-games and seven complete-game shutouts. Hightower was the only pitcher on the UF staff to record more than 100 strikeouts with 121, and held opposing batters to a .177 average at the plate.
Over the course of her career she has garnered the titles of SEC Pitcher of the Week, NFCA All-Southeast Region First Team, NFCA Scholar Athlete and SEC All Freshman Team. Hightower brings three years of collegiate softball experience at the highest level to the Rapsodo team, and has been a user of its training devices since joining the UF Gators softball program.
“I’m thrilled to work with Rapsodo to continue to grow the game of softball,” said Hightower. “Rapsodo’s data analytics have helped me develop my pitches and understand my progress throughout my collegiate softball career, and I look forward to working with the team to help educate the next generation of players.”
Hightower is joined by University of Oklahoma sophomore infielder, Tiare Jennings. Jennings, the 2021 NFCA/Schutt Sports Division I National Freshman of the Year, finished second nationally in 2021 with 27 home runs, totaled an NCAA-leading 25 doubles, and set an NCAA single-season freshman record with 92 RBIs. Her previous accolades include 2021 Unanimous First Team All American, 2021 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, NFCA National Player of the Week and four-time Big 12 Player of the Week.
“I’ve gained a lot of insight from Rapsodo’s data and instant feedback that the hitting monitor provides – it has helped me improve my hitting game immensely,” said Jennings. “I look forward to working with Rapsodo to continue tracking my progress and finding ways I can improve my game.”
The Rapsodo HITTING 2.0 monitor tracks launch angle, exit velocity, spin rate and more. It delivers instant results captured by its cutting edge camera and radar technology so athletes can monitor and adjust their hitting game. Rapsodo’s PITCHING 2.0 utilizes the same camera and radar technology to track and analyze velocity, spin, break, trajectory, release, and more for pitches. Rapsodo also offers Rapsodo Certified Assessments, standardized and scripted sessions that provide each player with verified data, videos and a performance report that can be used as a player development and evaluation tool.
Rapsodo’s partnership with Hightower and Jennings comes as a result of the NCAA’s latest development in athlete’s name, image and likeness (NIL). As athletes have the opportunity to profit off of their NIL’s they offer fans a look into their practice techniques and tools that help them better develop their game. This partnership brings to attention the benefits of Rapsodo’s HITTING 2.0 and PITCHING 2.0 monitors and how they can be used in game improvement, ultimately strengthening Rapsodo’s relationship with the softball community.
To learn more about Rapsodo’s partnership with these athletes, visit: rapsodo.com/elizabeth-hightower-tiare-jennings. To purchase these devices and learn about additional offerings, visit: rapsodo.com/softball/.
About Rapsodo:
Rapsodo develops data-driven sports technologies designed to empower athletes and coaches to cost-effectively analyze and improve their game, which is used by thousands of professional and collegiate teams, including all 30 MLB teams. Founded in 2010, the company developed the first affordable golf personal launch monitor, distributed in the USA under SkyTrak. In 2019, Rapsodo released its Mobile Launch Monitor which has since received many accolades, including MyGolfSpy’s 2021 Best Personal Launch Monitor. The company continues to focus on delivering a variety of sport training and simulation technologies that allow users to better understand performance through reliable statistics. This ultimately translates into Rapsodo's motto of "Measure to Master." Devoted to growing its business and customer base, Rapsodo was recognized as part of the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in 2021. To learn more, visit Rapsodo.com.
Media Contact:
Brittany Zoet
Uproar PR for Rapsodo
bzoet@uproarpr.com
310-598-8774
