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.
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