Wildcats of McMinnville, Oregon, will swing Axe Bats exclusively next season
RENTON, Wash. (Sept. 12, 2019) – Axe™ Bat and Linfield College today announced a multiyear partnership making Axe Bat the exclusive bat supplier and swing partner of the Wildcats’ baseball program.
Linfield, one of the winningest small-college programs in the Pacific Northwest, will swing Axe Bats exclusively in games, starting with the 2020 season.
The Wildcats also will use Axe Bat’s full line of weighted training bats for improving bat speed, barrel awareness, and swing path, in their player development program.
New head coach Dan Spencer said the partnership gives his program an important competitive advantage and reflects his confidence in Axe Bat’s product quality and performance.
“Axe Bat clearly puts the hitter first in all aspects of product design and development, and that appealed to me as a coach during the selection process,” said Spencer, who spent the past two decades coaching at the Division I level. “We loved the performance of the new bats, and it didn’t take long for our players to feel and see how swinging an Axe Bat could help them achieve their best swing, more often.”
The Wildcats of McMinnville, Oregon, have won three national championships – most recently, the NCAA Division III title in 2013 – 41 conference championships, and produced more than 30 All-Americans.
In partnering with Axe Bat, Linfield will also have the opportunity 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. Additionally, players will be able to test new Axe Bat technologies, as well as products and handle types still in development.
Linfield is the second Northwest college baseball program to partner with Axe Bat this year, joining Boise State.
“We’re excited to be growing our presence in the Northwest with such a storied program as Linfield,” said Jay Helmick, Senior Vice President of Axe Bat, based in Renton, Washington. “Coach Spencer and his staff are building for long-term success. We’re honored to have the opportunity to support their efforts with bats that fulfill our mission of being the world’s best for their players’ swings.”
College baseball teams swinging Axe Bats exclusively have won three national championships, including the Division III and NAIA titles in 2017.
Axe Bat’s main 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. Learn more at www.axebat.com.