The rise and fall of scoring at the College World Series.

When the College World Series began in 1947, the wooden bat was the only weapon in the batter's arsenal. Scores were typical of the times with scoring for the two teams averaging about eight to eleven runs per game. By 1972 and 1973, that average had dipped to seven runs per game, a number that was soon history as the NCAA made some changes.

In 1974, the NCAA decided to allow hitters to use aluminum bats during the season and in the CWS. The ostensible reason was saving money: metal bats were much more expensive, but they outlasted their wooden counterparts ten times over. The metal monsters didn't break and they were only pulled when they developed flat spots. The NCAA also decided that year to implement the designated hitter rule like that used in the American League. Pitchers would no longer be ...