SCN1b Easton Synergy -- prices way up now-- alternative?

[DunninLA]

Hey guys, been a long time. I mostly post on the college board these days.

My 18U Rec daughter has a teammate needing a new bat. I stopped looking two years ago when my daughter loved the used Demarini Phenix I got her on ebay, and we haven't thought about bats since.

This past weekend at Rec Western Nationals in Prescott I recommended to the teammate's Dad to just get a used SCN1B silver/blue Synergy for about $200... well, goes to show you I have lost touch with current pricing... there aren't any 33/23 anywhere near that price anymore. Most are about $350. To me the Synergy is the 2nd best legal bat of all time, behind the Phenix of course for a batter of average physical strength and size.

Alternatives? I suppose the easiest route is a Demarini CF4, or whatever model they're on now, but are the newest Eastons good again?

The bat will be used for Varsity softball at Samo High, and for Rec Fallball and possibly Rec All-stars.

[DunninLA]

OK, after searching a little here on the Bucket, and on ebay, here are options in the 33/23 size:

- 2011 Xeno $175 on closeout
- 2012 Xeno $299
- Demarini CF4 Insane (yellow) $229
- Easton Synergy 2006 SCN1b $270 or $288, both pretty beat up-
- I found Demarini Phenix -10 on ebay at over $500, but I cannot recommend any bat at that price to my daughter's teammate's Dad.

To be honest I don't even want to consider the re-born Eastons. They made such crappy two by fours two years ago that they lost my confidence forever on 2009 and forward bats.

[balou]

I have a lightly used SCN1B 33 drop 10 that I have been too lazy to put on Ebay, but if you want to buy this bat let me know how to reach you and I will. Asking $275 I guess since an abused one goes for that.

[Joe Dirt]

My kids both have Phenix's that they like. My older dd also has one of the orignial Synergys. I believe it is the one you are referring to. I also just picked up a new Speed Stealth as she has been using a friends and loves it. I hear they are very good. We will see. I know a lot of people that swore by the purple and white Easton's of a couple years ago (I can't remember the model) even though they always broke. They have told me this bat is as good with the breaking problem solved.

[DunninLA]

Thanks Joe... how's your daughter doing? Marisa from your school, who was our #2 pitcher, couldn't make the trip to Class B Western Nationals, so our #1 got pretty tired and wild and we finished 9th.

I bought my daughter the Purple/White Stealth and the Phenix at the same time, both 32/22 two years ago, and the Stealth went back on ebay a week later. Demarini seems to be sized slightly small (perhaps half a size) for its listed length/weight, I found. She has topped out at 5'4" and 110 lbs. so she'll stick with the 32/22 forever, I think. Her size makes other teams think they can steal on her, but, you know, we're a religious family when it comes to catching, and THOU SHALT NOT STEAL! prevails between the lines. Most people say bat speed is more important than bat weight, but there is still the issue of reaching an outside curve with a 32" bat I'm going to suggest she try a 33/23 next year... Pali High actually has a 33/23 SCN1B in the bat bag.

As for the Easton, even though my Bruins swing Easton (not the terrible ones from 2009), I just don't want to support a company that would put that bad a product (those pea soup green bats) on the market and still charge $249 for it. It would have been one thing if they had admitted they royally screwed up and charged $99 for them, but a lot of people wasted good money on those bats.... bad Karma.

Balou --
This bat is not for us, so the offer of the Synergy would be a little complicated to explain to our friend... I'll just direct him to the ebay page and let him deal with it.

Re: Xeno vs. CF4 -- is there any current feedback on this comparison, as well as the difference between the 2011 Xeno and the 2012 Xeno?

[dodgerblue]

Re: Xeno vs. CF4 -- is there any current feedback on this comparison, as well as the difference between the 2011 Xeno and the 2012 Xeno?

Good feedback from both of these bats. The Xeno sounds like the bat is broken but that's kind of their signature sound for a Louisville Slugger bat. Me personally I've never paid more than $200 for a bat ever and this is my DD last year in Gold. I find it funny when people are buying an old bats for $375 on ebay. Either your DD can hit or not the bat isn't going to make her a better hitter. I've seen Demarini, Worth, Easton and Xeno bats all used with plenty of success.

[americandad]

If you can find the dark blue (almost black ) Nike Aero Athena they are very hot,the older the better,the are no longer legal in college ,balanced and swing like the scn1b which is also not legal in college

[Joe Dirt]

Hey Dunn

Hope all is well. My dd is doing well. She is heading off to school in New York next Thursday. She is very excited. She loves the area. After this post we were packing some of her stuff and she was deciding which bats to bring. The school uses Demarini but she can use what she likes. She will take her Phenix, her old Synergy and the bat that she prefers to swing, a Worth Mutant.

Marisa is awesome, nice kid. Her and my dd get along well. And that girl can hit. But...volleyball is her sport of choice as far as I know.

Good luck to you guys.

[94redz]

I have a 33/23 Stealth NIR that i will make a great deal on for a so cal kid. PM me.

[DunninLA]

Nice to hear Joe

My wife and I are doing the same. Leaving Monday noon for 22 hours on the freeways in the old Explorer we bought her for college -- to Baylor University in the middle of no-where Texas. She fell in love with the school and the friendly atmosphere there, and picked it over UCLA, Berkeley, Wake Forest, and a bunch of other schools she got into. Because of an historic relationship with Baylor Medical, they have a pretty strong NeuroScience program, which is her current interest... oh, and she'll be doing ROTC too. And no softball unless it's with the Sorority slowpitch Intramurals