Baseball

A Guide to College Baseball Bats By Jason Gluckman

In the mid 1850s, when baseball was in its infancy, players made their own bats. They experimented with flat bats, round bats, and heavy bats. They ultimately discovered that the barrel shaped bat was the most effective. Today, college baseball bats have taken this technology to a new, powerful level upon the introduction of aluminum bats in the mid 1970s. Too many wooden bats were being broken, so due to budget crunches suffered by many college athletic programs, collegiate baseball made the switch from wood to aluminum bats. This sparked a debate that rages today.

Many purists want to do away with the high tech aluminum/alloy bats and return to the days where they claim hitters had to be much better in order to rack up those high batting averages. On the other hand, a many people believe that the aluminum college baseball bats elevate the game to an exciting level, with more home runs and a faster pace. Colleges still prefer the aluminum bats due to their durability, their cost effectiveness, and their lightweight swinging power.

College players can pay as little as $50 for a used bat or up to several hundreds of dollars for ultra-light, specialized alloy bats. College players usually have a good feel for what kind of bat they need. They should consider personal height in relation to the length of the bat, and of course barrel size and weight. One advantage of current college baseball bats is that the batter can capitalize on the inside edge of the strike zone. So when a pitcher is trying to jam the batter, a base hit can be ripped out with a good aluminum bat.

College baseball bats are available online, in sporting goods stores, and at used equipment outlets. Always ask the coach for guidance, and test bats for free at a batting cage so that you may more effectively judge the bat’s power and fit before making your selection.