In First Year with DeMarini, Returning Players from '05 Squad Increase Stats in all Major Hitting Categories; Wilson Helps OSU Finish CWS with Fielding Percentage of .987

OMAHA, Neb. (June 28, 2006) -- In 2004-05, Oregon State's Cole Gillespie had 30 hits, but no homers.

This season, the Beavers switched bat manufacturers, going with DeMarini Sports. Using the company's Voodoo bat -- engineered for the power hitter -- Gillespie hit an astonishing 13 homers, leading the nation in runs per game with 1.4.

With Demarini's latest bats in hand, OSU earned its first College World Series title on Monday, putting the spotlight on a company that's quickly become the sport's fastest-growing bat maker. In 2003, DeMarini held just two percent of the market. Today, it's the industry's No. 3 manufacturer.

The 2007 Voodoo (MSRP $289) and Vexxum ($249) -- the latter designed for speed -- hit retail sporting goods shelves earlier this month.

"Three years ago, most college players weren't thinking about OSU or DeMarini; today, they're thinking of nothing else," said Jim Hackett, baseball general manager for Wilson.

"The Beavers played with determination and courage -- and with an amazing focus through the most challenging situations," Hackett continued. "It's only through the hard work of these players all season long that DeMarini can today highlight the success of its product."

Taking into account the 10 returning players from last year's OSU squad who used another manufacturer's bats in 2004-05, their hitting statistics improved in every major category with DeMarini: average, homeruns, runs per game, RBI and slugging percentage. Alone, Gillespie's average increased more than .060 points, finishing at .386.

In addition to the Voodoo and Vexxum DeMarini bats, the Beavers played near-flawless defense with Wilson ball gloves and protective gear in Omaha, completing the series with a .987 fielding percentage. It was the best for a champion since the University of Miami in 2001.

A Record Five Bat Manufacturers Represented at CWS; DeMarini vs. Nike in Title Series
This year in Omaha marked the first time in the tournament's 60-year history that five different bat manufacturers had different teams utilizing their bats in the final eight: DeMarini, Easton, Nike, Louisville Slugger and Worth.

Underlining its superior technology against the competition, OSU and its DeMarini bats dominated the Nike-sponsored North Carolina in the final series. In it, OSU had more total runs (17), homeruns (2), RBI (13) -- and a better team batting average (.326 versus .292).

DeMarini History; OSU Not Only NCAA Champ to Play Company's Bats
Established in 1989 -- creating its first bat in the corner of an Oregon barn -- DeMarini Sports took the bat industry by storm with the world's first high-tech softball bat. Acquired by Wilson Sporting Goods in 2000, DeMarini continues to research, design and build high-performance softball and baseball bats in its state-of-the-art Hillsboro, Oregon facility -- coincidentally, a 90-minute drive from OSU's campus.

In the summer of 2002, Wilson and DeMarini began aggressively courting NCAA Division I programs with a new line of high-performance bats and an unusual promise: to respect the hard work and dedication of all teams at all levels with unsurpassed service.

The approach paid off, with DeMarini's college representation growing from four to 70-plus teams in two seasons. In 2006, more than 100 college programs swing DeMarini including NCAA Division I champion Oregon State, Arizona State, Vanderbilt, Winthrop and College of Charleston.

OSU is not the only NCAA champion among DiMarini's sponsored teams. Tampa University won the Division II title on June 3.

About Wilson Sporting Goods
Chicago-based Wilson Team Sports Company, a division of Amer Sports, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sports equipment. The company designs, manufactures and distributes advanced equipment that helps players improve performance. Wilson’s core categories include Football, Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Bats, Volleyball, Soccer, Youth Sports, Uniforms/Apparel, Golf, Footwear, and Racquet Sports (Tennis, Racquetball, Squash, Badminton and Platform Tennis).

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