LuckyMatthews
#SelfProclaimedEastonGuru
For those of you who have followed my review threads in the past, this is the same one but I had to divide the ASA and the USSSA into two different threads due to space. Feel free to send me any questions or find me on facebook as Chris Matthews in Wisconsin, or search for my Heavy Hitters page which can be found on my outdated, never used, website at www.heavyhittersllc.com. Enjoy!
SCN17BH
OMG, I’m in love. My USSSA experience is limited, but this is my favorite bat so far. The 2 piece, smaller barrel is just what I always wanted. These bats are more end loaded. The heavier ounce bat you buy, the more noticeable the end load will be. These bats take about 300 hits before it will start to surprise you. After 800 you will be in lust, and after 1,200 you will be in love! The barrel is a little softer than traditional CNT barrels, and the design of the bat takes all negative feedback out of the bat IMO, meaning miss-hits still feel like you just missed it lol.
SCN18
This is the ultimate BP bat that I have found so far. It is stiff as a steel rod, 1 piece big barrel. The bat literally feels like a log for the first several hundred, but it will deliver good results. After you lose track of how many hundreds of hit you have on it, the bat will start to deliver the noise. I don’t figure most people have the patience to truly break in this bat. But if you needed a BP bat to become a gamer in a year or two, this is a great choice right here. Balanced swing weight.
SCN18BH
This is my favorite 1 piece USSSA stick so far. Again, lots of BP needed, but after just a few hundred cuts it will be bringing some heat. With the smaller barrel, this bat can be hard to square up one after another. If you can get into a groove and consistently hit the spot, this bat is insane. Mine developed a rattle at about 700 or so hits, now it’s up to the 1,200 hit mark give or take. No cracks and still dropping bombs. This is an EL stick. It is more noticeable the higher up in weight you go.
SCN19
This bat pleasantly surprised me. Maybe it was the bigger barrel that saved me, or the fact I seem to prefer a balanced bat? Either way, this 2 piece keeps up with anything else I have. The sweet spot is huge and the bat breaks in quickly. Within 300 hits it’s already dropping panties for you. I don’t know why it never really took off on the boards, but I can assure you that people have been missing out on a great bat. I only have 500 swings on mine, but no rattle or any durability issues yet.
SCN20BW
This is a 1 piece short barrel bat. Very similar to the SCN18BH, but a different type of composite all together. Many people have had issues with paint flaking, but durability outside of that has been solid. The new composite has a much softer feel for an Easton. Not as soft as a Combat or Demarini, but soft when compared to a SCN18BH. The end load increases as the weight of the bat increases on this model as well. (all EL Easton’s actually) I would have to give the edge to the 18BH for overall distance and pop, but the BW is definitely more forgiving IMO.
SP12SY100W
This is the follow up to the SCN20BW. The SY100W is the Brian Wegman player’s model. It has the 12” barrel and an endload to it. The durability is absolute top notch and performance out of the wrapper is stiff but good. After lots of break in BP the barrel gets extremely soft and the performance will hit another level. Too many people gave up on this bat too early, or rushed off for the slightly hotter out of the wrapper next best thing, but I say they missed out big time. People who have owned one from start to finish will tell you just how good this bat really gets before it starts to fail compression testing(thousands of hard hits later).
SP12SY100
The big 13.5” barrel, very balanced, one piece fire stick. Here again we have an undervalued, under hyped, ridiculously good bat that too many people passed up on. The swing weight is that of an SRV4 but with USSSA performance! Again, this bat can handle some abuse. It will hit the hard balls well, even in the cooler temps and it only gets hotter and hotter. If you have the patience to break this beast in to its full potential, you will be rewarded greatly!
SP12ST100H
Brett Helmer put on some amazing HR Derby shows in the LHB with this stick! This is the 12” barrel, two piece, endloaded fire spitter! Hot right out of the wrapper and it gets much better the more hits you put on it. I find the sweetspot a bit small for the first 500 swings, but then it opens up and almost feels like the big barrel bats I’m accustomed to. Very durable, and highly sought after, the hype on this bat boosted sales. I feel the 100W is just as good performance wise if it is the small barrel or endload you are after.
SP12ST100
Last of the USSSA Stealth series bats is the ST100. It has the 13.5” big barrel, swings balanced, and is a two piece stick. I can honestly say the durability is almost shocking to me. Living in Wisconsin, I will BP as long as there is not snow on the ground and this bat has held up to the test. Many times I have been out below 20°F and hitting frozen stones again and again. It wasn’t until after a couple thousand hits that the paint started flaking. A couple thousand more and I still have no cracks in the barrel. The feel and the tone of the bat have dramatically changed from the beginning up till now. It has become much softer with a much deeper tone on impact. This bat will forever be one of my favorites that I have ever had the pleasure of owning.
SP12SV100
This is the USSSA Salvo. It is a 12" barrel with a noticeable endload. Right out of the wrapper I was not impressed with this bat. It stung my hands up if I missed just by a little, and when I did square it up the pop just wasn't there. Even my ASA bats were out hitting the SV100. After about 300 swings the Salvo started to come around. The barrel softened up a little bit, and the pop was starting to show up. By the 500 hit mark, the Salvo was out hitting my best ASA bats and was right there with my fully broken in SCN19. The sound does change on this bat too. The tone will get deeper, and the hits off the sweet spot really start to feel good. After 800 swings the bat is in great shape, no real wear marks of any kind. It does not feel like it is fully opened up, but it is catching up to the ST100.
SP13B1
Next in line from my ST100 Stealth that I love so much is the B1. I was skeptical because the swing weight does not feel quite as balanced, so immediately I thought I liked my ST100 more. Same deal with the B1, 13.5” barrel, two-piece, balanced. I will admit I was surprised at how hot the B1 is right out of the wrapper. It was almost scary to think what this bat can do at full potential! My ST100 must be getting close to the end after 5,000+ swings over 2 seasons now, but at the 1,000 hit mark, my B1 is just as good as the ST100 when I tag it on the sweetspot. The only difference in feel between the two is the ST100 sweetspot has become the entire barrel after so many hits and the B1 feels much stiffer yet. I am excited to see if the B1 can outperform the ST100 and feel as awesome doing it. The challenge is just for the B1 sweetspot to continue to open up and become larger with more hits, and I have no doubt that it will.
SP13B2
With a 13.5” balanced barrel, this one piece bat has gone virtually unnoticed. This is a steal of a deal! The 26oz is the most balanced with heavier weights feeling ever slightly more endloaded the heavier you go. The bat starts out stiff but performance is there immediately. The performance gets better and the tone will deepen as this bat breaks in. The spider webbing found on the B2 is your indicator of how well each part of the barrel is breaking in, but the feel is when you really know. The bat will soften up and the enormous sweetspot will become even larger. It’s almost not fair, it makes me feel like I’m hitting a beach ball each time I hit.
SP13L1
Following the success of the ST100H is the L1 Brett Helmer signature player model. This bat has picked up right where the ST100H has left off. It seems while other companies have gone the way of hotter out of the wrapper and less durability, Easton has stayed with their philosophy of providing a superior product that lasts longer. The L1 still requires some hard work in BP to get lightening rod hot, but the durability is worth it. Once you find that special bat that makes you feel like you can do no wrong……you never want it to break. The L1 is that bat for many such players.
SP13L2
Brian Wegman’s bat this year comes as the L2. The 12”, endloaded one piece barrel is the theme he likes to stick with. Not too much new here except a cool new look, better endcap, and slightly faster break in times, in my opinion. I am not a consistent enough hitter to really love the small barrel bats, but when I square one up not much else feels as good! The performance only gets better with the more work you put into it.
SP13L5
This is the non-player’s model of the 12” endloaded one piece series for USSSA. I guess it would be considered the Salvo of the new model names. For what these bats sold for, it was an amazing deal for anyone who picked one up. What an awesome bat for around $100! The same as the others apply, get what you put in. BP only gets these bats hotter and they start out pretty darn hot!
SCN17BH
OMG, I’m in love. My USSSA experience is limited, but this is my favorite bat so far. The 2 piece, smaller barrel is just what I always wanted. These bats are more end loaded. The heavier ounce bat you buy, the more noticeable the end load will be. These bats take about 300 hits before it will start to surprise you. After 800 you will be in lust, and after 1,200 you will be in love! The barrel is a little softer than traditional CNT barrels, and the design of the bat takes all negative feedback out of the bat IMO, meaning miss-hits still feel like you just missed it lol.
SCN18
This is the ultimate BP bat that I have found so far. It is stiff as a steel rod, 1 piece big barrel. The bat literally feels like a log for the first several hundred, but it will deliver good results. After you lose track of how many hundreds of hit you have on it, the bat will start to deliver the noise. I don’t figure most people have the patience to truly break in this bat. But if you needed a BP bat to become a gamer in a year or two, this is a great choice right here. Balanced swing weight.
SCN18BH
This is my favorite 1 piece USSSA stick so far. Again, lots of BP needed, but after just a few hundred cuts it will be bringing some heat. With the smaller barrel, this bat can be hard to square up one after another. If you can get into a groove and consistently hit the spot, this bat is insane. Mine developed a rattle at about 700 or so hits, now it’s up to the 1,200 hit mark give or take. No cracks and still dropping bombs. This is an EL stick. It is more noticeable the higher up in weight you go.
SCN19
This bat pleasantly surprised me. Maybe it was the bigger barrel that saved me, or the fact I seem to prefer a balanced bat? Either way, this 2 piece keeps up with anything else I have. The sweet spot is huge and the bat breaks in quickly. Within 300 hits it’s already dropping panties for you. I don’t know why it never really took off on the boards, but I can assure you that people have been missing out on a great bat. I only have 500 swings on mine, but no rattle or any durability issues yet.
SCN20BW
This is a 1 piece short barrel bat. Very similar to the SCN18BH, but a different type of composite all together. Many people have had issues with paint flaking, but durability outside of that has been solid. The new composite has a much softer feel for an Easton. Not as soft as a Combat or Demarini, but soft when compared to a SCN18BH. The end load increases as the weight of the bat increases on this model as well. (all EL Easton’s actually) I would have to give the edge to the 18BH for overall distance and pop, but the BW is definitely more forgiving IMO.
SP12SY100W
This is the follow up to the SCN20BW. The SY100W is the Brian Wegman player’s model. It has the 12” barrel and an endload to it. The durability is absolute top notch and performance out of the wrapper is stiff but good. After lots of break in BP the barrel gets extremely soft and the performance will hit another level. Too many people gave up on this bat too early, or rushed off for the slightly hotter out of the wrapper next best thing, but I say they missed out big time. People who have owned one from start to finish will tell you just how good this bat really gets before it starts to fail compression testing(thousands of hard hits later).
SP12SY100
The big 13.5” barrel, very balanced, one piece fire stick. Here again we have an undervalued, under hyped, ridiculously good bat that too many people passed up on. The swing weight is that of an SRV4 but with USSSA performance! Again, this bat can handle some abuse. It will hit the hard balls well, even in the cooler temps and it only gets hotter and hotter. If you have the patience to break this beast in to its full potential, you will be rewarded greatly!
SP12ST100H
Brett Helmer put on some amazing HR Derby shows in the LHB with this stick! This is the 12” barrel, two piece, endloaded fire spitter! Hot right out of the wrapper and it gets much better the more hits you put on it. I find the sweetspot a bit small for the first 500 swings, but then it opens up and almost feels like the big barrel bats I’m accustomed to. Very durable, and highly sought after, the hype on this bat boosted sales. I feel the 100W is just as good performance wise if it is the small barrel or endload you are after.
SP12ST100
Last of the USSSA Stealth series bats is the ST100. It has the 13.5” big barrel, swings balanced, and is a two piece stick. I can honestly say the durability is almost shocking to me. Living in Wisconsin, I will BP as long as there is not snow on the ground and this bat has held up to the test. Many times I have been out below 20°F and hitting frozen stones again and again. It wasn’t until after a couple thousand hits that the paint started flaking. A couple thousand more and I still have no cracks in the barrel. The feel and the tone of the bat have dramatically changed from the beginning up till now. It has become much softer with a much deeper tone on impact. This bat will forever be one of my favorites that I have ever had the pleasure of owning.
SP12SV100
This is the USSSA Salvo. It is a 12" barrel with a noticeable endload. Right out of the wrapper I was not impressed with this bat. It stung my hands up if I missed just by a little, and when I did square it up the pop just wasn't there. Even my ASA bats were out hitting the SV100. After about 300 swings the Salvo started to come around. The barrel softened up a little bit, and the pop was starting to show up. By the 500 hit mark, the Salvo was out hitting my best ASA bats and was right there with my fully broken in SCN19. The sound does change on this bat too. The tone will get deeper, and the hits off the sweet spot really start to feel good. After 800 swings the bat is in great shape, no real wear marks of any kind. It does not feel like it is fully opened up, but it is catching up to the ST100.
SP13B1
Next in line from my ST100 Stealth that I love so much is the B1. I was skeptical because the swing weight does not feel quite as balanced, so immediately I thought I liked my ST100 more. Same deal with the B1, 13.5” barrel, two-piece, balanced. I will admit I was surprised at how hot the B1 is right out of the wrapper. It was almost scary to think what this bat can do at full potential! My ST100 must be getting close to the end after 5,000+ swings over 2 seasons now, but at the 1,000 hit mark, my B1 is just as good as the ST100 when I tag it on the sweetspot. The only difference in feel between the two is the ST100 sweetspot has become the entire barrel after so many hits and the B1 feels much stiffer yet. I am excited to see if the B1 can outperform the ST100 and feel as awesome doing it. The challenge is just for the B1 sweetspot to continue to open up and become larger with more hits, and I have no doubt that it will.
SP13B2
With a 13.5” balanced barrel, this one piece bat has gone virtually unnoticed. This is a steal of a deal! The 26oz is the most balanced with heavier weights feeling ever slightly more endloaded the heavier you go. The bat starts out stiff but performance is there immediately. The performance gets better and the tone will deepen as this bat breaks in. The spider webbing found on the B2 is your indicator of how well each part of the barrel is breaking in, but the feel is when you really know. The bat will soften up and the enormous sweetspot will become even larger. It’s almost not fair, it makes me feel like I’m hitting a beach ball each time I hit.
SP13L1
Following the success of the ST100H is the L1 Brett Helmer signature player model. This bat has picked up right where the ST100H has left off. It seems while other companies have gone the way of hotter out of the wrapper and less durability, Easton has stayed with their philosophy of providing a superior product that lasts longer. The L1 still requires some hard work in BP to get lightening rod hot, but the durability is worth it. Once you find that special bat that makes you feel like you can do no wrong……you never want it to break. The L1 is that bat for many such players.
SP13L2
Brian Wegman’s bat this year comes as the L2. The 12”, endloaded one piece barrel is the theme he likes to stick with. Not too much new here except a cool new look, better endcap, and slightly faster break in times, in my opinion. I am not a consistent enough hitter to really love the small barrel bats, but when I square one up not much else feels as good! The performance only gets better with the more work you put into it.
SP13L5
This is the non-player’s model of the 12” endloaded one piece series for USSSA. I guess it would be considered the Salvo of the new model names. For what these bats sold for, it was an amazing deal for anyone who picked one up. What an awesome bat for around $100! The same as the others apply, get what you put in. BP only gets these bats hotter and they start out pretty darn hot!
