NCAA 1-12 The Bat
The Bat
SECTION 12. a. Wood bat.
1) The bat must be a smooth, rounded stick not more than 2¾ inches in diameter at its thickest part nor more than 42 inches in length.
2) There must be a direct line from the center of the knob to the center of the large end.
3) Any material to improve the grip may be used for a distance not to exceed 18 inches from the end of the handle.
4) An indentation in the end of the bat up to 1 inch in depth is permitted (cupped bats).
5) All bats other than one-piece solid wood must be certified in accordance with the NCAA certification program.
b. Nonwood bat.
1) The entire hitting area of the bat must be round with a constant radius at any point and the finish of the hitting area must be smooth.
2) There must be a direct line from the center of the knob to the center of the large end.
3) The maximum length is 36 inches and the maximum diameter is 2 5/8 inches.
4) The knob and end plug (if applicable) must be firmly attached.
5) A bat may not weigh, numerically, more than three units less than the length of the bat (e.g., a 34-inch-long bat cannot weigh less than 31 ounces).
6) A nonwood bat must have an approved, coded certification mark on the barrel of the bat signifying the bat is legal for NCAA competition.
7) Beginning in the 2020 NCAA Championship segment, the bat barrel color must be of a predominantly contrasting color to the color of the baseball between the 18-inch mark to the end cap.
PENALTY for a. and b.—A bat that has been flattened or altered to improve performance is an illegal bat. If such an illegal bat is detected before the first pitch, the batter shall be called out and the bat shall be removed from the game. If an illegal bat is detected after the first pitch, legal or illegal, the batter shall be declared out, and base runners shall not advance as a result of a batted ball. The bat shall be removed from the contest.
c. There shall be no external attachment(s) to any part of the bat. A leather, rubber or taped grip is permitted to be placed on the bat handle.
d. There shall be no data collection or transmission devices externally attached or embedded within any part of the baseball bat.
e. It is mandatory that all bats have an identification mark 18 inches from the end of the handle. No foreign substance that will in any way discolor the ball may be added to the surface of the bat beyond 18 inches from the end of the handle.
f. For game and practice use, all nonwood bats must have a leather, rubber or taped grip securely attached to the bat handle.
PENALTY for e. and f.—If the bat is not marked 18 inches from the knob, or has pine tar or a foreign substance beyond the 18-inch mark, the bat must be removed from the game and the player warned. If the practice continues, the player is to be removed from the game. If a bat’s handle should become loose and the bat must be removed from the game, the same practice is to be followed. Neither of these infractions is cause for calling the batter out.
g. Beginning with the 2020 NCAA Championship segment for Division I and the 2021 NCAA Championship segment for Divisions II and III, baseball bat barrel compression testing will be conducted prior to each regular season series or single date of competition. All bats used in competition must pass the barrel ring test and barrel compression testing. Barrel compression minimum standards for bats produced with specific materials are developed by the certification laboratory and will be published with the list of approved baseball bats.