The Evo uses the same “Half & Half” technology as DeMairni’s slow pitch Evo AX, but is designed for fast pitch with a specially modified handle that makes hitting a faster pitch easier to do.
The 100% composite Evo consists of two distinct pieces: a barrel and separate handle fused together at the top of the taper. By creating the bat in two pieces, DeMarini is able to use different materials, formulas and processes that allow for the best characteristics for each piece. While the Evo has a composite barrel and composite handle, they are not the same: the barrel is designed to flex and rebound at impact, propelling the ball; the handle is stiffer, “Flex Tuned” to get the barrel through the hitting zone quickly and get the most performance out of the barrel.
The barrel is designed to react to a ball thrown at speeds of 70 mph and more with a larger sweet spot than is possible with aluminum while the handle has the proper stiffness to perform best at those pitch speeds. The Flex-Tuned composite handle flexes before and after impact, recoiling with a burst of energy at impact. The result is a bat that comes through the hitting zone faster with no extra force exerted on the batter’s part.
The Evo comes in minus-8 or minus-9 ounces and 34” or 33” only.
It features DeMarini’s bat rotation index on the barrel and Wilson’s Positack textured grip. It is blue and white with white, black and silver graphics.
We hit the 33” version.
The color of this bat bears immediate comment, as it elicited a response at each hitting session that has so far been unique: when the blue and white Evo was pulled out of the bat bag and put in the rack, each group of girls – from 16U select players to Division 1AA collegians – gathered around it and oohed and aahed over its appearance. A ridiculous number of our test group said they wanted to buy the bat on sight, not even having hit it yet.
But we made them hit it anyway.
The results were impressive on many of the first swings. Now, these girls were very good hitters – some of the best in their age groups – and they hit some pretty long balls with little effort. Two of them used it in a National tournament game without swinging it previous: the first made a check-swing fly to deep center field; the second hit a double off the 220-foot fence on her first swing and a home run to left center on her second swing. Another tester who plays for a college in Texas asked her coach to switch the school’s bat contract after hitting the Evo in practice.
The bat swings easy and being balanced it isn’t too heavy for normal sized girls, even though it is only available in 24 or 25 ounces. There was no sting at contact.
Most of the barrel seems pretty live, though balls hit off the end do tend to sound terrible and float softly. Shots through the infield are fine, same as with most top-of-the-line composite fast pitch bats. The real difference seems to be distance, which these girls say they have not found in other bats.
The only negative comments came from smaller girls who couldn’t comfortably swing the long and heavy bat. They are waiting for this bat in their size.
Still, the Evo got one of the highest scores in the history of our fast pitch reviews for its large sweet spot, measurably superior pop, and likely for its brilliant color.
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