USSSA Slowpitch Softball Bat Stamp Change

After much uncertainty and deliberation, USSSA and GSL have officially announced they will “grandfather” current 1.20 BPF “Thumbprint” stamps for slowpitch softball bats.  What this means is the currently legal USSSA 1.20 bats models will remain legal indefinitely…. yes, indefinitely! The only exception to this is Conference Major teams must use the new 240 stamps effective 2021.  

Important Dates to Remember: 

September 1, 2020:    Bat Manufacturers must STOP MAKING the current USSSA models
December 31, 2020:   Bat Manufacturers must STOP SELLING the current USSSA models to dealers – Although bat dealers, like us, Smash It Sports can continue to sell them until they are sold out.  

These current models have a compression rating of 220, while the new models will have a rating of 240.  Considering this number is the pounds of compression required to compress the bat barrel, it becomes quite obvious the current lower compression models will be hotter and have more trampoline effect than the new models.  How much hotter?  Initial testing has shown an approximate average of 20-30 feet!  And if you have paid any attention to the 2021 Major series softball games, there are a lot less home runs getting hit this year compared to last year.  

Our advice?  Buy and buy now…before they are gone! 

 

Smash It Sports Joins the USA Patriots Mission to Inspire, Educate, and Enhance

 

Rochester, NY – Smash It Sports is proud to announce a landmark sponsorship with The USA Patriots, formerly known as the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team (WWAST), a 501(c)(3) public charity whose mission is to bring athletic and like-minded veteran amputees together to promote the benefits of inclusive sport and therapeutic recreational activities, to inspire and motivate communities of people, to support children with physical challenges, and to operate as a vehicle that offers national opportunities for continued service to our country. Smash It Sports will serve as the exclusive supplier of Officially Licensed USA Patriot Apparel as well as produce exclusive, limited edition slowpitch softball bats to help fund the team.

America’s Amputee Softball Team is comprised of competitive, athletic veterans who have lost limbs in combat and non-combat related accidents who travel the country playing able-bodied teams in competitive and exhibition softball games, bringing our unique brand of softball, courage, and inspiration to communities nationwide. While some are still in the service, others are attending college thanks to the Post-9/11 GI Bill and others have moved on to new careers. These individuals continue to push the limits of modern prosthetics to inspire, motivate and offer a place for camaraderie and healing on and off the field of play and to continue Serving Beyond the Uniform.

The sponsorship is part of Smash It Sports ongoing commitment to Military and Veteran organizations around the country. Rick Schiffhauer, President of Smash It Sports explains, “The USA Patriots team plays an important role in pushing the limits of our sport and showing others around the nation that life without a limb is limitless. We are extremely excited to offer exclusive USA Patriot slowpitch softball bats, and to be traveling with the team to many of their special events to sell officially licensed USA Patriots Apparel.”

USA Patriots Executive Director, Desiree Ellison says: “We’re thrilled to be working with Smash It Sports. The contacts and expertise they have throughout the diamond sports industry will help take the USA Patriots team to the next level.”
The first event of the year for the USA Patriots is the Tour of VA kicking off in Johnson City, TN at the TVA Credit Union Ballpark on April 27th. With several thousand fans expected in attendance it will surely be an electrifying atmosphere for players and fans. Check back with Smash It Sports (www.smashitsports.com/usa-patriots/) or the USA Patriots Website (www.usapatriotsamputeesoftball.org) for full listings of events, limited edition exclusive USA Patriot slowpitch softball bats, and Officially Licensed Apparel as they become available.

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Smash It Sports Now Offers Military Discount Program

Rochester, NY – April 5, 2019 – Smash It Sports announces today a 10% military discount program in partnership with VerifyPass. To receive a coupon code, customers should visit www.smashitsports.com/military-discount. This discount may not combine with all promotional offers. The discount is online-only. Please reach out if you need any assistance or if you have any questions. 585-465-3167

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Smash It Sports Significantly Enhances Custom Uniform Capabilities with Acquisition of OA Apparel

Rochester, NY – June 19, 2018 – Smash It Sports, announced that it has acquired OA Apparel, a custom uniform and apparel company. The purchase will better serve the needs of Smash It Sports custom uniform customers in the diamond sports community, by giving them direct access to the BEST uniform company in the marketplace, as well as the knowledgeable and professional employees of OA Apparel.

The purchase of OA Apparel fits into Smash It Sports strategy to be an industry leader in custom uniforms, sports apparel, and wearable accessories for the diamond sports industry. “Our acquisition of OA Apparel complements our overall custom uniform offering so we can now provide better customer service, fast production times, and overall better quality product.” said Rick Schiffhauer, Owner/President of Smash It Sports. With this acquisition OA Apparel aims to be the single source provider of custom uniform services required to handle the diamond sports industry’s high demand of apparel ranging from shirts, hoodies, pants, hats and more.

About Smash It Sports

Smash It Sports, based in Rochester, NY, is the leading provider of diamond sports apparel, accessories and equipment in the world. To learn more information about Smash It Sports visit www.smashitsports.com.

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D-BAT TEAMS UP WITH SMASH IT SPORTS

OFFERING BETTER BAT DEALS FOR PLAYERS, TEAMS, AND COACHES

www.dbat.net
CONTACT: Eli Mahan, 972-398-1000
[email protected]

www.smashitsports.com
CONTACT: Gary Rector, 585-465-3167
[email protected]

Dallas, TX – June 20, 2018 D-BAT and Smash It Sports, two powerhouses in baseball and softball, are teaming up to provide a rich assortment of bats, baseball and softball gear, and apparel, to meet the needs of players, teams, and coaches.

D-BAT www.dbat.net is the world’s premier baseball and softball training franchise business. Smash It Sports www.smashitsports.com is the world’s largest online slow pitch retailer, and ranks in the top 5 for overall baseball/softball sales.

“D-BAT is huge on the academy side. Smash It Sports is huge on the retail side,” said Rick Schiffhauer, owner of Smash It Sports. “Together we are monsters in the industry and we plan to grow together to take the retail to a new level.”

“We are excited to leverage Smash It Sports market knowledge and experience to help us achieve our goal of providing the best retail experience and value to our customers,” said Kyle Griffis, Executive VP of D-BAT. “Our corporate cultures are perfectly aligned, and we will be an unbeatable team.”

D-BAT will continue to carry its own name brand bats, gloves, gear, and apparel in its D-BAT Academy pro shops. Smash it Sports (SIS) will supply D-BAT with its own brands of softball and baseball bats, along with baseball and softball gear produced by Easton, Rawlings, Miken, Worth, and the Anarchy Bat Company. Smash It Sports will also sell D-BAT’s wood bats on its website. The deal could boost retail sales $10 million a year.

“This will definitely boost our retail sales, and Smash It Sports will benefit from being in our D-BAT Academy stores all over the country,” said D-BAT’s Griffis. “You can’t go anywhere in the slow pitch world and not know about Smash It Sports.”

“We’ll be pushing a lot of softball players to hit at D-BAT, and we will offer some exclusive bat deals specifically for D-BAT. I’m excited to partner with such a strong operator with a proven track record for success,” said SIS’s Schiffhauer. “I’ve got a lot of respect for their operation.”

About Smash It Sports

Smash It Sports operates out of a 38,000 sq ft warehouse in Rochester, New York, with another 20,000 sq ft warehouse under construction. SIS is considering another expansion south and central, possibly to Texas or Arkansas. SIS is a national sponsor for the GSL and WSL Softball Associations. Its slow pitch team won the 2016 and 2017 USSSA Men’s Major World Series in Orlando, FL, which is the highest level of professional softball in the world.

About D-BAT

D-BAT, based in Carrollton, TX, currently operates 52 D-BAT Academies, each with a pro shop, with an additional 16 academies under construction, and 84 other territories sold and scheduled to open by the end of 2019, including 10 international locations opening in China.

D-BAT’s mission is to provide a quality, teaching environment with professional instruction to enhance the baseball and softball experience for players of all ages at all levels to help them reach their goals.

For more information please visit:

http://www.dbat.net contact: Eli Mahan, 972-398-1000, [email protected]
https://www.smashitsports.com/ contact: Gary Rector, 585-465-3167, [email protected]

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Marieo Foster Joins Smash It Sports

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rochester, NY, November 15th, 2017 – Marieo Foster has more than 26 years of Public Service to the United States. This includes being a US Army Veteran, and duty at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier. He will lead our efforts for the military, fire fighter, law enforcement and other first responded programs. Marieo will also serve as a Smash It Sports Brand Ambassador. Smash It Sports could not be more excited to bring on Marieo in these roles.

Not only is Marieo an advocate of all the service above, he’s also a huge softball advocate. He’s played many years of competitive softball through military softball, police softball, and civilian softball at all levels including Conference USSSA. Through softball, he’s coined the nickname, Agent 23. Through his persona, Marieo connects some of the most important aspects of his life. His love for his career and his love for softball.

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Smash it Sports announces charitable contribution to family of Joel Davis

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Smash it Sports/Miken Sports Announce Ohio 9/11 Heroes Mission Tournament to Benefit Tuesday’s Children Organization

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 15, 2016

CONTACT:
Lisa Bahnub
Director, Brand/Sports Marketing
Miken Sports/Worth Sports
[email protected]

ST LOUIS, MO – Miken Sports/Worth Sports is proud to include Tuesday’s Children among the list of benefactors of their ongoing Heroes Initiative. Miken introduced the Heroes Mission in November 2015, and has continued to expand support of 501C3 organizations with charity tournaments providing 100% of net profits to those in need.

2017 will mark the first launch of a specific 9/11 Tribute bat, the Freakadelic, exclusively available through Smash It Sports. Rick Schiffhauer, Smash it Sports owner stated “Being a life long New Yorker, I am proud to be able to help with this important cause and honor the memory of everyone affected by the 9/11 tragedy.” An immediate cash donation is being made to Tuesdays’s Children in support of 9/11 programs and First Responders, to be followed by a large charity slowpitch softball tournmanent providing additional funds to those in need.

Berliner Sports Park, Columbus OH will host the SIS/Miken Sports Heroes Tournament to be held on 16 fields April 8-9, 2017. Tournament details including Divisions, Homerun Derbies, and prize packages will be announced by Miken on December 19.

Founded in the aftermath of the September 11 2001 tragedy, Tuesday’s Children promotes long term healing through Health and Wellness; Youth Support; Adult/Family Programming and Community Service. Serving Military, First Responders and communities, over 12,000 victims directly impacted by the tragedy have been supported by the New York City based Non Profit Organization.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

2017 MIKEN/WORTH/SIS/ALBICOCCO FLAGSHIP MAJOR TEAM ANNOUNCED WITH ROSTER

Caledonia, MN – November 15, 2016 – Miken/Worth Sports/Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, subsidiary Newell Brands (NYSE:NWL), announced today the final roster for the flagship Major Team sponsored by Rick Schiffhauer of Smash It Sports (Rochester, NY), Tony Albicocco of The Scene (Huntington, NY) and Miken/Worth Sports (Caledonia, MN).

Rick Schiffhauer stated, “Smash It Sports is very excited to be one of the lead sponsors of the Smash It Sports/Albicocco/Miken/Worth men’s major softball team. We feel this positions us to have a strong chance at back-to-back Major world titles. We are also excited to be teamed up with one of the best sponsors in the game, Tony Albicocco. In addition, having the great partners Miken Sports and Worth Sports involved in our team brings winning tradition, technology, performance and instant credibility”.

The Miken/Worth Super Team will be comprised of some of the game’s leading players, 7 players representing the Miken brand and 7 players representing the Worth brand, to include USSSA Hall of Famers Don DeDonatis JR, Andy Purcell, Dennis Rulli and former MLB First round draft pick (#6 pick overall) Ryan Harvey. The roster will consist of several veteran leaders like the Hall of Famers mentioned above, Jason Branch, Brandon Dillon, Jeff Graus and Long Haul Bomber champion Kevin Filby. A good mix of youth and defense will be brought to the table with players like Nic Santana, Luis Reyna, Andrew Collins, Lee Payne, Erik Kanaby and Cory Briggs.

The team will be managed and coached by USSSA National Hall of Famers John Rector (Manager) and Jason Kendrick (role player/coach). George Phillips will coach as well and serve as the team statistician.

Limited Edition Smash it 7 Tony Albicocco player model bats will release March 2017 and the team will begin their USSSA Conference schedule in Las Vegas.

7 WORTH PLAYERS
Jason Branch
Andy Purcell
Dennis Rulli
Luis Reyna
Nic Santana
Ryan Harvey
Don DeDonatis

7 MIKEN PLAYERS
Cory Briggs
Erik Kanaby
Andrew Collins
Brandon Dillon
Kevin Filby
Lee Payne
Jeff Graus

About Miken
Miken Sports is a leading composite sporting goods manufacturer having held the position as the premier innovator and technology leader for over a decade. With the introduction of the Ultra, Miken reinvented the game of slowpitch softball by developing the first high performance composite slowpitch bat.

About Worth
Worth Sports has been an industry leader in Diamond Sports for over 50 years, dominating the slowpitch bat category as an original power brand. Worth introduced the premier poly core softball four decades ago and continues to lead the industry in the ball category.

About Caledonia MN Manufacturing
The Caledonia MN facility develops and produces product that elevates the performance of serious athletes ranging from youth to professional, including composite softball bats; composite fastpitch bats; composite baseball bats; and composite batter’s helmets.

About Rawlings
Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. is an innovative manufacturer and marketer of sporting goods worldwide. Founded in 1887, Rawlings is an authentic global sports brand, trusted by generations of athletes of all skill levels. Rawlings’ unparalleled quality and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings. Rawlings is the Official Ball Supplier and Batting Helmet of Major League Baseball®, the official baseball of Minor League Baseball™ and the NCAA®, and the approved baseball, basketball, football and softball of the National High School Federation®.

About Newell Brands
Newell Brands (NYSE: NWL) is a leading global consumer goods company with a strong portfolio of well-known brands, including Paper Mate®, Sharpie®, Dymo®, EXPO®, Parker®, Elmer’s®, Coleman®, Jostens®, Marmot®, Rawlings®, Oster®, Sunbeam®, FoodSaver®, Mr. Coffee®, Rubbermaid Commercial Products®, Graco®, Baby Jogger®, NUK®, Calphalon®, Rubbermaid®, Contigo®, First Alert®, Waddington and Yankee Candle®. For hundreds of millions of consumers, Newell Brands makes life better every day, where they live, learn, work and play. Additional information about Newell Brands are available on the company’s website, www.newellbrands.com.

For those interested in pre-ordering the new “Smash It 7” player model bats, keep an eye on our Facebook page and/or web site for more details to come soon!