It didn’t take coaches long this spring to recognize the difference in the new baseball bats mandated by the National Federation of State High School Association.

“The sound, No. 1,” Cony coach Don Plourde said. “No. 2, the ball’s just not jumping off the bat.”

The new BBCOR bats — the acronym stands for batted ball coefficient of restitution — make a dull thud instead of the distinctive ping of bats from years past. They’re designed to limit the trampoline effect of the ball coming off the bat in order to protect defensive players, primarily pitchers who are less than 60 feet away by the time they complete their delivery to home plate.

As tested, BBCOR bats make balls five percent slower coming off the bat. This means a ball that traveled 400 feet last season would only travel 375 off a BBCOR bat. Some players have noticed the difference so far while others have not. In most cases, manufacturers have made the walls of existing aluminum bats thicker to reduce the trampoline effect. In other cases, they insert a block behind the sweet spot so it won’t flex so much.

“From what I’ve used so far, it doesn’t go as far,” Erskine senior Ryan Pulver said. “The sweet spot seems to be a lot smaller and a lot less forgiving. Those gappers aren’t always there. I don’t think you’ll see too many home runs this year, honestly.”

Pulver is right about the sweet spot, which has shrunk from five inches to three. Last season, the senior shortstop belted three home runs, but he estimates only one of those would have cleared the fence with a BBCOR bat.

“I don’t think those (others) would have come close this year,” he said.

There is precedent for the perceived power outage. The NCAA mandated the BBCOR bats for colleges last season and home runs dropped by 45 percent according to a mid-season study conducted by the organization. Conversely, earned run averages dropped from 5.83 to 4.672 per game and shutouts increased from 277 to 444.

“I think it’s going to bring small ball into play a lot more,” Plourde said. “Outfielders aren’t going to be playing as deep. I think the game is going to be shortened and quickened. It’s a good thing.”

Waterville senior J.T. Whitten has definitely noticed the difference in the sound of the ball hitting the bat, but is less convinced of the distance.

“If you get it in a nice spot, they still go far,” said Whitten, who batted .390 with two homers last season. “If you’re a really good hitter, you can still get base hits.”

Whitten has not purchased a BBCOR bat but is using a couple of his friend’s which sold for $300 and $250. The cost is similar to last season’s bats which ranged in price from $100 to $400. Hall-Dale coach Tim Johnson said he bought two for $69 and a couple more last year in anticipation of the rule change. Two of the new bats, 33-inch models — the Reebok Vector TLS and the Marucci CATS — have been decertified recently because they didn’t meet standards.

The cost and the negligible difference in power figures have brought wood bats back into play. Winslow coach Jesse LaCasse makes wooden bats and has sold several to at least six high schools, including Mt. Blue, Nokomis and Skowhegan.

“For me, I can definitely hit the ball farther with a wood bat,” said LaCasse, who set several hitting records at St. Joseph’s College. “Younger kids might have a little bit of an advantage with a BBCOR.”

The entire Winslow lineup is using wood bats, LaCasse said. Cost is a factor. LaCasse sells ash bats for $45 while a maple bat goes for $55. LaCasse is selling packages of 10 to high schools for $400. Wood bats are more likely to break, although LaCasse said his team has only broken three in three weeks.

Responsibility for bats and other equipment will fall to the coaches this season. In the past, bats and helmets have been checked by umpires before the game.

“In the pregame conference we have to ask ‘is your equipment legal?’ ” umpire Joe Mertzel said.

Mertzel added umpires won’t look for illegal equipment “but if it’s brought to our attention we’ll look at it.”

Gary Hawkins — 621-5638

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