Harford County Travel Baseball League

The HCTB Board of Directors have reviewed the new guidelines made by USA Baseball for age groups 12U and below for the spring 2018 season. The USA Baseball Press Release can be viewed at http://web.usabaseball.com/article.jsp?ymd=20150807&content_id=141742668

In conjunction with USA Baseball and its other participating national member organizations (AABC, AAU, Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken, Dixie, Little League, and Pony), HCTB has adopted the new USA Baseball bat standard (USABat). Effective January 1, 2018, with the exception of -3 (BBCOR certified), all other minus factor bats (-5, -7, -9, etc.), must be USABat certified with the USABat licensing stamp on the bat in order to be used for 12U and under HCTB league play. Minus factor bats -5, -7, -9, etc. used in 2017 will be illegal to use in 12U and under HCTB league play in 2018.

Other notes in regards to the change:

• Players will be allowed to use 2 ¼” or 2 5/8” barrel diameter, as long as it bears the new USABat stamp, in the 8U to 13U divisions in 2018.
• Bats with the new USABat stamp will be available for purchase on September 1, 2017.
• USABat, BPF 1.15 stamp, and BBCOR will be allowed in the 13U division for 2018 only.  In 2019, 13U will be USABat and BBCOR only.
• BBCOR will continue to be the only bats allowed for 14U and older in 2018.