Even though the "ping" of aluminum bats has been resonating around ballparks since about 1973, wooden bats still "crack" with clout in some arenas.

Besides its manufactured sound, the knock against metal has been that it is more dangerous, too hitter-friendly and didn't develop players as effectively for the professional ranks.

The NCAA took notice.

Quietly, the NCAA conducted tests and took measures to regulate metal bats: Since the 2003 season, rules have been in place to make the ping bats more wood-like, standards that cover weight, length, barrel size -- and limit the exit velocity of the batted ball to a maximum of 97 mph to mimic wood.

The result has been unmistakable. From 2003 through 2007 in Division I, the overall batting average, runs scored and home runs per game have declined, compared with the five-season span between 1998 and 2002.

"The bat had become a bigger part of the game than other pieces," said Ty Halpin, the NCAA's associate director for playing rules. "There was a bigger difference between offense and defense.

"The idea was for wood bats and non-wood bats to perform at about the same level. In terms of test, we feel we are very close [to achieving that]. Before a bat is produced, it is sent to a certification lab."

Concerned about the safety of using metal bats in 1998, the NCAA also did a five-year study regarding safety, Halpin said, gathering information from athletic trainers on incidents of pitchers hit with batted balls.

The conclusion was that hits from metal bats are comparable to hits off the wooden bat, Halpin said.

"There's such a misconception from a safety standpoint and the nature of the game itself," said Jim Darby, a former University of California Berkeley pitcher and current vice president of promotions for Easton Sports.

Darby noted that in the history of Little League, which uses metal and wooden bats, there have been eight fatalities from hit balls -- with six from wooden bats.

"I also hear people talk about non-wooden bats not being good for development of players," Darby noted. "Every player in the major leagues today grew up using metal bats."

Still, the bat debate goes on.

N.C. State associate head coach Tom Holliday says the metal bats are "the worst thing to happen to baseball."

"It's hard to judge hitting talent," said Holliday, who contends the wood bat is safer. "It's made the game longer and probably hurt some pitching careers. But the aluminum bat is here to stay."

The Wolfpack's Jeremy Synan has hit with both bats, the aluminum at State and the wood in the Cape Cod League last summer.

His preference?

"I'd rather hit with the wood bat," said Synan, who batted .388 in the Cape Cod League. "You can feel the barrel more, and I believe there's more flex. There's probably a smaller sweet spot, but that sound. There's no better sound than that [crack]."

Like Synan, UNC assistant coach Scott Forbes revels in that wooden sound, but he also likes the ping. He says the metal bat has given college baseball a certain distinction, a unique ring, and doesn't see any reason to tamper with a game enjoying soaring interest.

Forbes takes that position, despite noting that the metal bat makes it more challenging for his pitchers.

"Guys can get a chink hit, but that's part of it," he says. "The game is at an all-time high."

UNC hitters Kyle Seager (.382) and Chad Flack (.286) aren't about to trade in their metal for wood.

"They have less pop than they used to," Seager said. "[But] you can mis-hit and still get a hit. Aluminum is a definite advantage for the hitter."

Flack concurs.

"Anybody would tell you that you'd use metal over wood, because it has a better sweet spot," Flack explained. "You can definitely tell a difference between the two. ... If you hit each pitch perfectly, it will go farther with metal."

(Staff writer Robbi Pickeral contributed to this report.)

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