The NCAA Crack Down on Bat Rolling -1 Year Later

It has been a year since  Jim Paronto, the NCAA baseball rules secretary/guru sent out his memorandum on bat rolling -- that pesky compression process that "hardens" alloy and composite bats to deliver more distance -- and we were curious how many violations the organization has uncovered, and actions taken regarding individuals and school programs.

Here's the original memo:

VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL

MEMORANDUM

TO: Athletics Directors, Compliance Administrators and Head Baseball Coaches.

FROM: Jim Paronto, secretary-rules editor NCAA Baseball Rules Committee.

SUBJECT: Bat Alterations.

In an ongoing effort to provide an environment for fair and safe competition, the NCAA is sharing information it has received dealing with some non-wood baseball bats. It has come to the attention of the NCAA that there are several companies that offer to “roll” or “shave” non-wood bats in order to increase the performance of the bat. This type of alteration apparently improves the performance of the bat, in some cases considerably.

According to NCAA Baseball Rule 1-12-b: “Any bat that ... has been altered or flattened so as to affect the distance factor or cause an unusual reaction on the baseball shall be removed from the game.” During NCAA championship competition, any bat that is found to be in violation of Rule 1-12-b may subject the team and/or student-athlete to further sanctions under the NCAA’s championship misconduct policies.

Additionally, NCAA Bylaw 17.33 requires all member institutions to adhere to the playing rules of the sport in all contests. An institution’s failure to do so may subject it to penalties from the appropriate championship committee and may potentially constitute a violation of NCAA Bylaw 10.01.1 (Honesty and Sportsmanship) and 10.1 (Unethical Conduct).

The NCAA plans to collect and test bats at many sites of this year’s championships. Any bats found to be out of compliance or showing signs of altering may not be allowed in subsequent play.

Our email inquiry to Mr. Paronto has just been sent, so stay tuned for more info from his corner, and updates on our own inquiries around college baseball.