Babe Ruth BAT REQUIREMENTS

First, we apologize for the mix-up tonight.  The school forgot to tell us there would be a book fair in the gym this evening.  Tables of books and flying baseballs seemed like a bad idea.  Wednesday night, however, we are good to go.  Hope to see you all there!

We have had a few people ask about bat requirements for Babe Ruth Baseball.

Bat length:  not to exceed 34"
Bat barrel diameter:  not to exceed 2-5/8"

All aluminum/alloy bats are allowed
All bats that have aluminum/alloy barrels and composite handles are allowed.
All-composite bats are only allowed if they are marked BBCOR .50 (It must be an intrinsic part of the bat paint, not a sticker)

Although there are a lot of good ones available, we do not recommend all-composite bats for Babe Ruth baseball in Idaho for the following reasons: 

• Composite bats should not be use below 65° F and really prefer 70° or higher - they can shatter at lower temperatures.  Most baseball in Idaho is played at lower temperatures.  
• An alloy bat is game ready immediately, but a composite bat must be broken in before being used in a game.  To properly break in a composite bat, you should take 200 swings soft toss or off of a tee using regulation game baseballs.  Begin swinging at about 40-50% power for the first 150 swings.  Then work your way up to a full strength swing as you get closer to 200.  It is important to rotate the bat 1/4" after each swing to ensure complete coverage of the barrel.  Never go to a batting cage to break in a composite bat.  Those balls are dense and can damage your bat. 
• Composite bats are all -3 bats. [bat length in inches minus bat weight in ounces = 3.  For example, a 32" bat weighing 29 ounces is a -3 or drop 3 bat]   While a -3 bat is required in high school, they are typically too heavy for a younger player to successfully get around on a fast pitch.  A -5 or -8 bat is more appropriate for 13-14 year old players.

If you have your heart set on a composite bat, bring it out when it gets warm, break it in correctly, and be aware that Coach may still require you to swing a lighter bat during games if the heavier bat is affecting hitting ability.

We encourage all players to have their own bats so they can practice their swing every day.  However, we also understand that bats can be expensive, so players are not required to own their own bats.  We have a variety of team bats that any player may use and we strongly encourage players to share their bats during games and practices.  Boys may also check out team bats for extra practice.