Your take on the "softened" alum. bats

Heard all the talk on TV games and have seen the offensive #'s that are down across the board.
You folks that are seeing a lot of college games or getting feedback from the players and coaches, what are you seeing and hearing? pro's and con's? assuming these toned down sticks are here to stay? I bet the guys that are accustomed to jacking HR's in the past have gone through a lot of frustration this season. Changes in strategies, pitching and hitting?

and any comment on the 20 second pitch rule? are any violations of this rule actually enforced?

 

Strongly disagree with 20 sec and 1:30 rule. Most teams don't even come close to this and it's really not as big of a problem with teams I've seen that it's been made out to be. There is always a discussion about pace of play at the meetings. From what I've heard, the teams out west are the biggest problems when it comes to pace of play. I know some guys that have worked Omaha and they said that it is predominantly teams from out west that make it difficult. Again, hearsay but I think it's reliable insight.

The bats definitely change the game. The guys that can hit homeruns still hit them and the guys that hit one once and a while have had to change their game a bit. Bunting is more important than ever and you can sense the frustration from coaches and players when they have a sacrifice situation and can't get a bunt down.

I've heard a rumor that if the Peach Belt decides to go to wood bats next year than you may see all wood in DII...again...just a rumor...can't substantiate it.

 

Metrics

The numbers say it all really, http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/baseball_RB/reports/2011MidTrends.pdf All offensive statistics are down, but as usual, the high scoring leagues are the same (usually mid-major) and the leagues with the best pitching remain the same (BCS conferences). A couple interesting things from the data, Shutouts are way way way up, I assume thats because the random homerun on a pitcher's best day has become so much less likely. Stolen bases per game are down as well, despite coaches talking about a greater need to bunt, hit and run and steal. I assume this is more due to lack of baserunners with lower AVGs across the board then due to lack of trying. But it does make me think that no one actually changed their game plan in one years time. I see more significant adjustments to coaching approach coming in a couple more years. The programs I've been watching didn't really change games approaches from what I can tell, despite putting emphasis on small ball stuff in practices, it's all relative and you can't change who you've recruited. ------------ Omaha will be exciting, new ball park, but same dimensions for the new bats. Which, I find interesting since they kept pushing out the wall at Rosenblatt. Guess thats a product of the groundbreaking before the new bats came out. I expect less late inning game changers (unfortunately).

 

There seems to have been a shift in pro ball to more dominance towards the pitching side of the game. A few years back with expansion we all heard how the pitching was "watered down" due to the need to fill rosters with arms that were marginal and/or not quite ready for the big leagues. This resulted, it seems, to more emphasis on kids becoming pitchers verses position players as there appeared to be more opportunities for guys on the bump.

A side result of all that should be better pitching at the collegiate level. Combine this with the new bats and there's no wonder that numbers are down offensively.

 

Gman...I'll have to say...after Friday's incident, I for one am glad about the new bats. If it was the old bats, I don't know if Ryan even throws that ball to second....

 

I found this entire statement quite interesting, a pondering I hadn't considered. There's something to be said about the fact that the Division 3 level has been much less affected by the new bat change. A level with a decent number of D1 type hitters (slip through because they only have a couple tools), but generally the only D1 type pitchers that slip through are guys that matured late. We are definitely seeing a focus on pitching come into fruition. I'm curious where college baseball will be at in 5 years, with the entire league filled with kids that have received private instruction since they first picked up a bat.