From: Benjamin
Will Coach Tanner change his style? That is a large question looming over the 2011 reigning National Champions. Why change when you just won the College World Series? Well. the bat rules have significantly changed for college and high school in 2011. Coach Tanner believed that his squad led the nation in home runs for the fall, and they did it with six. Bat rules changed initially a few years ago with the allowable difference between length and weight was decreased from five to three. The new rule is much more complex. In summary, the bats have been severely weakened and this will put a greater emphasis on bunting and stealing. Coach Holbrook brought a hitting behind the ball style last season, a stark contrast to the wait for the 3-run bomb style of Tanner's previous squads. The 2011 team will have to rely more on the stolen base than ever before, a fact we know will make Coach Tanner's blood pressure rise.
Here are some pieces of a summary article on Rebelgrove.com about the rule changes:
After an overly offensive 1998 CWS, NCAA baseball began to adopt a testing standard called BESR (ball exit speed ratio). BESR testing introduced bats that were heavier than previous standards and had smaller barrels. Also, BESR measured the exit speed of baseballs after bat contact using a controlled scenario.
The test was supposed to make bats extremely similar to wood bats in "liveliness," but the testing has its flaws. BESR certification requires a maximum baseball exit speed of 97 miles per hour (the same as top-of-the-line wood bats), but that measurement is determined using a 70 mph pitch, a 34-inch, 31-ounce bat and a 66 mph swing speed - much slower than any live scenario at the collegiate level.
Also, aluminum bats are hollow, meaning properties other than weight and length contribute to the power produced. Aluminum bats compress upon impact, resulting in a "trampoline effect" that adds distance and speed to the baseballs when hit.
Thus, a new testing system is in place for 2011- BBCOR (ball-bat coefficient of restitution). It doesn't measure exit speed, but rather what the bat & ball do upon impact. The "trampoline effect is thus minimized, and BBCOR- certified aluminum bats and wood bats of the same size should act in extremely similar manners. It also takes into account the different bat lengths and how that changes the equation.
The following is from a newsletter the NCAA sent out on the issue.
"The standard sets the performance line slightly higher than the best available wood bats in our database. This will ensure that all wood bats continue to be legal under the new standard."
Supporters of the old bat specifications point to why aluminum is used in the college game to begin with. Other than cost, it's an equalizer and it allows a larger group of players to be successful at the collegiate level.
