re: *** The Pre-season Baseball Thread ***

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Have they changed the bats/balls from last season? I remember a lot of people complaining about them.

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No -- they passed legislation to change the balls -- but will do so slowly to protect schools that have already ordered tens of thousands of dollars worth of the current balls. The first time the new ball will be used, I believe, is Omaha 2015.

The BBCOR bat standard is here to stay. That said, MSU dropped or 25+ year relationship with Easton this year and will be using Adidas bats -- and we're the only team in the country that I've been able to confirm has got them -- which is, I believe, kinda cementing our role as Adidas' flagship baseball school. The Adidas bats are on the ragged edge of the standard and are MUCH "hotter" than the Easton or Louisville Slugger versions.

Obviously, they can afford to push the boundary, because they aren't mass-producing them yet and a failed certification wouldn't really be a big deal -- whereas the major companies have to play it safe, since a failed certification could potentially really damage them with a recall...