Gemstone Media, Inc. produced the 2024 American Baseball Championship tournament in Clearwater, Florida. Gemstone’s crew covered every pitch of 14 games over six days at BayCare Ballpark, broadcasting on ESPN+, with Tulane’s championship win over Wichita State also airing on ESPNews.
“In representing Gemstone, and working alongside the incredible staff from the American Athletic Conference, we have strived to provide high quality, informative and insightful coverage of many intercollegiate sporting events over the past few years,” explains Tom Piero, Producer. “The ESPN+ platform has given many students and professionals an opportunity to fine tune their individual television craft in an educational setting and give the AAC exceptional programming for its member institutions. The 2024 American Baseball Championship was another example of this teamwork in action.”
For this tournament, Gemstone deployed XMO super slow motion technology. “The addition of the CFT Camera/XMO stole the show and provided a fresh look that added a new dimension to the broadcast, as highlighted by many viewers,” comments Kauri Black, Associate Commissioner, Broadcasting and Digital Programming of the American Athletic Conference.
Every fraction of a second–here, 240 frames per second–can have an effect on the game, so we were eager to bring this extra feature to the AAC viewers. “How amazing is it to be able to see, in detail, the strings on a baseball as it spins at over 100 miles per hour crossing the home plate? This is the highest quality slow motion currently available for live broadcasts,” says George Birnbaum, Gemstone Media CEO & Founder.
Birnbaum adds, “Kudos to the entire team on a smooth and successful event, providing a great experience for players, coaches and fans alike. The organization and execution of this high visibility tournament required immense effort, coordination, and commitment, and the Gemstone Media team delivered spectacularly.”
Black concludes, “Working with the Gemstone team for our baseball championship was an outstanding experience. Their professionalism, creativity, and dedication to enhancing our coverage brought the championship to life in a way that exceeded all expectations. We deeply appreciate Gemstone’s exceptional work and partnership in enhancing our student-athlete championship experience.”
