Less Juice, or Less Power?

Maybe the bats were juiced, after all.

Home runs, scoring, batting averages and earned-run averages are all down in NCAA Division I baseball this season. And the use of new modified aluminum bats may be the cause.

Home runs per game have dropped from an average of 1.03 to .93 at the halfway point this season compared with the same period last season. Batting averages have decreased from .305 to .301; scoring is down from 7.22 runs per game to 7.03, and ERAs have lowered from 6.14 to 5.93.

The final figures in all four categories from 1998 set Division I records, and the record nine homers in last year’s College World Series championship, combined with safety concerns, prompted officials to institute bat restrictions this season.

The modified bats were intended to make aluminum bats react more like wooden ones. The numbers appear to suggest the modifications have made a difference, but not all coaches agree.

“I personally have not seen a change this season,” USC Coach Mike Gillespie said. “Statistically on our team, there’s been a change in the numbers, but I probably would attribute that more to the players than the bats. However, I certainly would acknowledge that the bats could have an effect on teams.”

Miami Coach Jim Morris has noticed a change.

“There’s just a difference in the way the ball jumps off the bat. I don’t see as many balls being hit into orbit,” he said.

Despite the modified bats, this season has not lacked offensive outbursts.

Alabama tied the Division I record with 13 home runs in a 30-4 victory over Alabama Birmingham on April 14. New Mexico and New Mexico State combined for 16 homers--one shy of the NCAA record--on March 30. Nebraska set two NCAA scoring records in routing Chicago State, 50-3, on March 16.