National Collegiate Athletic Association

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The NCAA News -- November 23, 1998

Committee endorses new bat standards for 1999 tournament

Proposal awaits approval of cabinet

The NCAA Division I Baseball Committee has voted to recommend the use of bats that meet new performance standards for the 1999 Division I Baseball Championship.

The new standards, which originally were recommended by the Baseball Rules Committee and approved by the NCAA Executive Committee for implementation beginning August 1, 1999, are designed to make nonwood bats perform more like wood bats.

The recommendation is likely to be considered later this month by the Division I Championships/
Competition Cabinet.

The Baseball Committee made its recommendation during a November 8-11 meeting in Kansas City, Missouri.

Under the new standard, a maximum batted-ball exit velocity of 93 miles per hour, plus one mile per hour deviation for test variance, would be required for all bats used in the championship. In addition, the maximum allowable diameter of the bat was decreased from 23/4 inches to 25/8 inches and the length-to-weight unit differential was reduced from five to three, without the grip (that is, a 33-inch-long bat can weigh no less than 30 ounces without the grip).

In August, the Executive Committee approved the rules changes but delayed the implementation until August 1, 1999 -- essentially for the 2000 season. At that time, the rule will go into effect for regular-season, as well as championship competition. Because the current rule sets broader maximum standards than the new rule, the Division I Baseball Committee has the authority to select the more restrictive rule for the championship it administers.

"After reviewing the available data, it was the consensus of the committee that the use of the current higher performance bats may place the student-athletes at risk," said Richard Rockwell, director of athletics at Le Moyne College and chair of the committee.

"The committee also has a concern with the impact the higher performance bats have had on the way the game is played. One telling statistic is that there were 62 home runs hit during the 1998 College World Series compared to the previous record of 48, which was set just two years before."

Rockwell noted that the committee considered whether nonwood bats that meet the new standards would be available in time for the championship and concluded that manufacturers are moving toward development and testing of new models. The committee also noted that wood bats that meet the standards already are available.

"The committee also discussed the fact that member schools may decide to use bats that meet the new standards for regular-season competition in order to adequately prepare their teams for possible competition in the championship," Rockwell said. "But the committee agreed it should base its decision on what is in the best interest of the tournament."

In another action, the committee recommended to move the beginning of the College World Series to the fourth Friday after Memorial Day, beginning in 2001. The effect of the change would be to extend by two weeks the period during which the 22 weeks of regular-season competition can be conducted. If approved, the 2001 College World Series would be played June 22-30.

Other highlights

Division I Baseball Committee
November 8-11/Kansas City, Missouri

  • Voted to conduct this year's 16 four-team regionals over a three-day span from May 28-30. The format calls for two games to be played the first day, three the second day and two on the final day. The eight super regionals will be a best two-of-three format with three days scheduled (June 4-6) to complete the competition. The eight winners of the super regionals will advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. The CWS will be played June 11-19. The committee noted that facilities with lights are preferred but not required for regional and super-regional competition.

  • Voted to establish a seeding process to select the top 16 teams and seed the top eight. The next eight teams will be placed in the bracket geographically; however, teams from the same conference that are in the top 16 will be separated so they do not meet in the regionals or super regionals. Teams from the same conference will be separated at the regionals; however, teams that are not in the top 16 may meet a team from the same conference at the super regionals. The second-, third- and fourth-seeded teams will be placed in the bracket geographically.

  • Voted to recommend that automatic qualification be contingent on a conference employing a supervisor of umpires who will assign conference, nonconference and conference tournament competition. The conference also must sign an agreement stating that it will not utilize redlining or scratch procedures against umpires, effective with the 2000 season.

  • Voted to recommend a new team travel policy requiring teams to fly into hub airports and then drive from the hub airport to the site of competition if the drive is less than 250 miles.

  • Approved a list of 96 umpires who will work regionals, 32 who will work super regionals and six who will officiate the College World Series.

  • Voted to resolicit potential host agencies (not institutions) that might be interested in hosting a predetermined regional site. The deadline for host agencies to submit proposed budgets is December 15.