College Sports

College baseball is getting ready to crack down on composite-barrel bats.

The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee this week proposed an indefinite ban on the bats after anecdotal evidence and research conducted during this year's Division I national tournament, which culminated with the College World Series, indicated many of the bats didn't comply with NCAA standards.

The beef is with the barrel, which softens over time, creating a trampoline effect. This doesn't happen to factory-fresh bats -- it's what happens later, after repeated use or after the bat is put through a process known as "rolling." Composite-barrel bats that are broken in or "rolled" tend to have more pop and often violate NCAA limitations on the allowable speed at which the ball comes off the bat. The NCAA requires that this so-called "exit speed" be no greater than that of its wooden counterpart, lest it become a safety hazard for infielders and pitchers.

The committee said the ban should remain in place until manufacturers and the baseball community suggest ways that would allow composite-barrel bats to be used within NCAA guidelines.