Broncos’ first varsity baseball team in 40 years will debut next season swinging Axe Bats
RENTON, Wash. (April 16, 2019) – Axe™ Bat and Boise State University today announced a multiyear training and development collaboration making Axe Bat the exclusive swing partner of the Broncos’ newly revived baseball program.
Boise State recently reinstated baseball as a varsity sport and will begin playing games in 2020 for the first time in 40 years. The Broncos welcomed their first 12 recruits to campus last fall, forming the core of what will be the only NCAA Division I baseball program in Idaho.
In partnering with Axe Bat, Boise State will be among the first college programs to participate in Axe Bat’s newly developed bat-fitting process, which uses sensors and data-capture systems to fit each hitter to his optimal bat and handle type.
New head coach Gary Van Tol said the opportunity to partner with Axe Bat beyond the traditional product relationship appealed to his interest in building a program that’s ahead of the curve.
“We loved the performance and feel of the new bats, but equally important, we felt Axe Bat was committed to growing a successful long-term program with us,” said Van Tol, who spent 10 seasons in professional baseball before returning to college coaching. “Axe Bat’s approach to building the best bat for a player’s swing aligns with the direction the game is headed and will be an important competitive advantage for us as we bring Boise State back to Division I baseball.”
Axe Bat’s partnership with Boise State extends to wood bats and includes the opportunity for the Broncos to be among the first to test new Axe Bat technologies, as well as products and handle types still in development.
The Broncos also will use Axe Bat’s weighted bats with overload-underload training programs developed by Driveline Baseball to improve bat speed teamwide entering their first season.
“We’re looking for coaches and programs who aren’t afraid to do something different, or try new ideas when it comes to understanding the role of the bat in influencing a player’s swing,” said Jay Helmick, Senior Vice President of Axe Bat. “In Coach Van Tol and his staff, we found true partners. We share their energy, drive, and passion and look forward to working with them as they lay the foundation for a winning culture and program.”
Boise State will compete in the Mountain West Conference next spring, joining seven other member institutions sponsoring baseball.
College baseball teams swinging Axe Bats exclusively have won three national championships since 2012, including two in 2017. The Axe Handle is becoming increasingly popular among Big Leaguers, as well, led by MVPs Mookie Betts and George Springer.
Axe Bat’s key performance benefits come from the patented handle, which is designed to support the biomechanics of the swing, giving players better bat control with maximum bat speed, and leading to harder hits, more often.