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By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022
The 2015 Louisville Slugger 915 NCAA bat is now released and we think it will be a smashing (waka waka) success this year.
It was already featured at the Junior Home Run Derby, was hit by Ozzie smith in the Stars and Celebrities Softball game, and was a feature at the perfect game all star classic in San Diego. The bat also made several notable appearances in the 2014 NCAA tournament.
For 2015 there are really only two other two piece composite bats. That is the Easton Mako and DeMarini’s CF7. Time has proven the CF7 to be the far and away winner in the USSSA space. Both the Mako and the CF7 were fantastic BBCOR bats too. The 915, at this point in its existence, was just a wee lad fighting for scraps. Today, with its 919 Prime, it is officially a big boy.
First, it is an updated version of the 2014 Attack–which we thought was the best bat Slugger had made to date. If it turns out to be a real improvement it will, indeed, be the best bat they’ve ever made. Based on feedback from elite travel ball players about the 2014 Attack, Slugger tightened up the connective piece between the composite barrel and handle. As well, the 915 has some improved durability at the Tru3 connective piece when compared to the 2014 Attack. This should give players a bit better feel through contact.
The 915 Prime is a two piece composite bat with a Tru3 connective piece. This is the same connective piece they used on the 2014 Attack (which we actually really liked). Expect a pretty good feel at contact and a light swing. Durability at the connection point got this bat a few bad ratings online. But, on the whole, especially for the prices you can find it now, it is a steal.
The overall rating uses seven different weighted metrics to determine our overall score. Half of total rating comes from the player and our exit speed tests (Player Rating: 25%, Performance: 25%).The other categories are Relevance (20%), Demand (10%), Durability (10%), Resell Score (5%), and Tech Specs (5%).
*: When a bat is denoted by a star (*) it is a preliminary rating. Expect it to be updated as we learn more about the bat and gather more data.
(PlaRa) Player Rating: We measure player rating from user reviews. Those users include our own hitters that we test at the lab as well as reviews we find online.
(ExVe) Performance: Performance measures the exit speeds and distances we capture in our hitting lab with HitTrax using these bats.
(Relv) Relevance: We measure the number of sizes and the MOI of the bat. Bats with a wider range of options get a better score.
(Dmnd) Demand: Demand is measured by consumer sentiment and the buzz around the bat.
(Drb) Durability: A bat’s durability is measured by user reviews as well as feedback from manufacturers.
(ReSl) Resell Score: Based on the price the bats go for used. Higher prices mean greater user demand which means, generally, a better bat. A resell value closer to its original price means a higher score.
(Tech) Tech Specs: We rate the bat on its technological advancements from previous years and compared to the industry at large. This is our chance to reward companies who are trying to innovate.
MOI
MOI or Mass Moment of Inertia is a measurement of bat swing weight. This quantifies how difficult it is to swing a bat. The industry often refers to this as things like End Load or Balanced but those words have been overused to the point of meaninglessness. We measure the actual swing weights of each bat we test using the industry-standard pendulum period, balance point, and scale weight. You can read more about that here.
Price
The price is the original MSRP price of the bat.
Type
The types of bats are single-piece alloy (SPA), two-piece composite (TPC), single-piece composite (SPC), hybrid (Hyb.), and wood (Wood). Hybrid bats are made of composite handles and alloy barrles.
Date
The estimated date the bat began distribution.
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