Composite Bats, Baseball Bats, Softball Bats, Little League, ASA and USSSA

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR CONSUMERS (FAQ)

Q:           Will Marucci replace my 33×30 Cat5² BBCOR?
A:            Yes.  We Marucci stands behind their products and will replace your 33×30 Cat5² BBCOR with another Marucci bat.

Q:           What are my options in replacing my bat?

A:            You can find out more details on Marucci’s return program for the 33-inch CAT5² BBCOR bat at www.maruccisports.com/returns.

PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR BATS TO THE STORE YOU BOUGHT IT FROM. THEY ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO TAKE THEM BACK – THEY MUST BE RETURNED TO MARUCCI ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS FOUND AT www.maruccisports.com/returns.

Q:           When can I expect to receive my replacement bat?

A:            Marucci will process returns in the order that they are received and anticipates sending out the first replacement bats in March.  For those opting to upgrade to the Marucci Black or choosing the Professional-Cut Wood bats, Marucci will begin fulfilling returns immediately.

Q:           Why was the 33-inch CAT5² banned?

A:            A very small sample of three bats was tested and those results were assumed to apply to the thousands of bats in the field.

The 33″/30 ounce Marucci Cat 5 BBCOR has been decertified by the NCAA.

No other sizes or models are affected by this ruling. No word on what Marucci will do to compensated customers who purchased 33 inch Cat 5 BBCOR bats for NCAA play.

Below is the NCAA release regarding the ruling.

VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL
MEMORANDUM
February 17, 2012
TO: Head Baseball Coaches, Conference Commissioners, Compliance Officers
and Coordinators of Umpires.
FROM: Jeff Hurd, chair
Baseball Rules Committee.
SUBJECT: Decertification of 33-inch Marucci CAT5 bat.
This memo serves as the NCAA’s official notice that the decertification process
has been triggered for the Marucci CAT5 33-inch model. Effective immediately
and until further notice, these bats will not be allowed for use in any NCAA
baseball competition.
For ease of reference, a photo of the bat is below:
Team representatives are asked to check your team’s stock of bats and withhold
these bats if your team is in possession of any. Conference administrators are
asked to share this information with your umpires as well. If this bat is attempted
to be used during competition, it should be considered an illegal bat and subject to
NCAA Baseball Rule 1-12-b, (see the penalty section for procedures).
For any questions on this decision, please contact Ty Halpin (Playing Rules,
thalpin@ncaa.org) or Cameron Schuh (Public and Media Relations,
cschuh@ncaa.org) at the NCAA.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
TYH:jjr
cc: Mr. Gene McArtor
Baseball Rules Committee
Selected NCAA Staff Members