CWS: Quick note about bats

By Eric Sorenson - June 22, 2006

You know how after the season is over you always see those ads in Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America and other similar publications about how "our bat just dominated again" because (fill in the blank) team used our bat? Well the always heated competition of bat manufacturers reaches it's highest point here in Omaha.

In case you guys are wondering, here's the breakdown of the eight teams and their bats:

Clemson - Easton
G-Tech - Rawlings/Worth
CS Full - TPX
UNC - Nike
Rice - TPX
UGA - Nike
Miami - Nike
OSU - Wilson/DeMarini

Which bats are best? Well, just between you and me, Easton always seems to be ahead of the curve in the technology department (remember those Gorilla-ball teams at LSU?). Easton also has the coolest television ads too, but that's just my humble, but correct, opinion.

Never-the-less, the last three manufacturers/teams left are Nike (UNC), TPX (Rice) and DeMarini (OSU).

Nike seems to be throwing its considerable monies around as it is trying to supply not only individual teams, but by signing on complete athletic departments. For example, North Carolina is now completely a Nike school, in every sport. Oregon State just recently switched from Easton to Portland-based DeMarini (which is owned by Wilson).

I will say, one of the most interesting Emails I received this season was from a Little Leaguer mother who asked me after the Regionals, "Which bat is it that was hitting all those home runs in Athens?"

Lady, the team was South Carolina and their bat contract is through Easton.