College players using Xeno over Meta and LXT

[Suzanne74]

Watching a lot of college games this year and those that have:

Easton sponsors are all form of Ghosts
Rawlings sponsors are Mantra and some Quatro (but Quatro was discontinued)
Mizuno sponsors all swing CRBN

So I mean you are looking at basically one type of bat for each sponsor.

But so many have Louisville sponsors and they are know for have 3 quality bats and at one point everyone thought the Xeno was going to be discontinued and then the 2022 came out of nowhere after the Meta was released.

I would say of all the teams that use Louisville, 90% of the girls use Xeno (mainly 2021 Xenos but I see a lot of 2020 and 2022 too.) Even the top of the line-up slappers. The other 9% use LXT, and even less than 1% use the Meta.

I guess I thought the Meta was going to be hot and I am shocked how many college girls pick the Xeno over it. It was always my daughter's favorite too and her 2016 Xeno is still hot. I am just curious why no one is using the Meta or the slappers/bunters aren't using the LXT more.

 

[_MIA_]

It would be interesting to see how many were using Xenos before they got to college. Don't fix what isn't broke..

 

[Lance Steckler]

some could also be xeno's are avail in -8 and -9 moreso than others.

and since they are sponsored by these brands, i'd wager that there is bunch of exit velo testing being done for diff bats for each player and they are using the most forgiving, highest exit velo model offered by their sponsoring school.

 

[reagansdaddy]

DD has always preferred the Xeno over the LXT based exclusively on feel. Now that she is at a LS/Wilson school, she tried out the Meta but still chose a Xeno.

 

[Suzanne74]

some could also be xeno's are avail in -8 and -9 moreso than others.

and since they are sponsored by these brands, i'd wager that there is bunch of exit velo testing being done for diff bats for each player and they are using the most forgiving, highest exit velo model offered by their sponsoring school.

True. They probably do testing prior to the season.

The Meta comes in -9 but not sure about -8. The Xenos are so heavy as it is, those -8's have gotta be -7's. I guess that helps the power girls.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Many Mizzou players use the LXT, and I've seen more than a few using the Meta. I suspect it has more to do with what they've been using for a while, and with the Meta X being new in the last year, not as many girls have had the chance to use it yet. Also, when a team is sponsored, many girls are forced to switch bats from something they've always used.

The same can be said of DeMarini bats. Most girls use the CF, with a few using the FNX. I don't think I have seen one college girl using a Prism.

 

[DryHeat]

Being comfortable is a big factor. Many players have used a Xeno in the past and it hasn't changed much. They know what they are going to get. Meta is new. Hard to switch without a compelling reason. The Ghost was compelling compared to its predecessors.

On a very anecdotal note, one of DD's friends (D1 committed junior) switched from Ghost to Meta hoping to not go through a bat every 3 months. She said her Meta was white hot in a very small sweet spot, but the sweet spot wasn't nearly as big as a GA. I have no other experience with them, so who knows. Sometimes the sweet spot is more about feel than actual game performance, but it can get in a kid's head.

 

[Westwind]

Dd is at a Louisville school.

You are correct, a lot of players use Xeno. They are good bats, especially for a player that likes a little heavier feel than LXT.

The thing about testing exit velocity made me giggle to myself. It isn’t that scientific, at least at her school... No one on the team tried the Meta because none of them ever swung one before.

Dd currently has an LXT for a game bat and a Xeno for a practice bat because… they didn’t have another LXT for her when she broke her practice bat which was so worn out looking it wouldn’t sell for $50 on eBay which is saying something.

She told me last week that she hit the 3 longest balls she ever hit with a Xeno in live on the field practice. Said they hit behind the berm in left center.

People greatly overestimate college softball. It isn’t what you think it is. More like hs softball with a really big budget.

ETA: It’s dads that fret about every aspect of the bat dd is swinging. I don’t think college coaches could care any less. When you hit as much as a college player does, it’s almost like “any old bat will work fine.”

 

[LEsoftballdad]

I just watched the LSU/Florida game in which an LSU player snapped her Xeno at the handle. The barrel went flying toward where the third baseman had been before she pursued the ball. Thankfully, she didn't get hit.

The most frustrating part was hearing the male announcer say she broke her "aluminum bat" several times.

 

[Chad504boy]

College players hit the bats they loved during their travel ball prime. Meta is new. Xeno being heavy also geared to the older girls as well