The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has announced Marucci Sports of Baton Rouge, LA, as an official sponsorship partner beginning July 1, 2013. The three-year agreement names Marucci the official baseball and softball bat of the NJCAA.
Nearly 17,000 student-athletes compete on approximately 400 baseball and 360 softball teams in the NJCAA each year. Under the terms of the agreement, NJCAA baseball and softball programs will be able to purchase Marucci baseball (BBCOR certified) and softball bats (ASA/NCAA certified) and related products at special discounted prices negotiated by the NJCAA.
Special team packages will be presented to member colleges by Marucci, including deals on their famous hand-crafted wood bats, as many NJCAA regions and conferences use wood bats for league play in baseball. Many players also practice with wood bats to prepare themselves for their professional careers.
The NJCAA is focused on pursuing partnerships with companies that produce high-quality products and those willing to provide relief to our colleges with pricing, said NJCAA Executive Director Mary Ellen Leicht. Marucci has stepped up to the plate in both areas. We are very excited about this partnership and to be working with the dedicated staff at Marucci.
In addition to offering discounted pricing to NJCAA colleges, Marucci will sponsor an Elite Hitter Award that will be presented to NJCAA baseball and softball players with the highest batting average in each district of play (Divisions I, II and III) at the conclusion of each season, beginning in 2014. Marucci will also be the title sponsor of the NJCAA baseball and softball weekly rankings during the three-year span of the agreement.
Marucci Sports is dedicated to providing players at all levels with the best products for the field, said Marucci Sports CEO Brett Stohlton. We are very familiar with the NJCAA and its history of producing the next generation of big league talent. This agreement is the first national sponsorship for Marucci and our entire team is committed to servicing the players, coaches and administrators of this great organization.
Marucci was founded in 2002 and is the fastest growing baseball company in the United States. Over one-third of Major League Baseball players use Marucci bats, including two very successful former NJCAA players-Albert Pujols (Los Angeles Angels) and Jose Bautista (Toronto Blue Jays). Pujols was a 1999 NJCAA All-American at MCC-Maple Woods (Mo.), while Bautista starred at Chipola College (Fla.) in 2000.
The unique story of Marucci bats and their rise as the preferred bat for hundreds of big leaguers has translated into similar success with metal bats in the amateur ranks. Marucci offers several variations of metal bats that have been crafted with the same precision and attention to detail as their legendary wood models. The company recently launched a softball division and will be unveiling new product lines in the near future.
Started in a 6×9 tool shed by Jack Marucci and two former big leaguers, Kurt Ainsworth and Joe Lawrence, Marucci is majority owned by professional players and uses its player
advisory board to design the games most innovative product line-up,
which includes wood and aluminum bats, batting gloves and protective
equipment. Today more than 300 big leaguers use Marucci bats, including Albert Pujols, Andrew McCutchen, José Bautista, and David Ortiz.
