Louisiana Tech Baseball has signed with Wilson Sporting Goods Co. and DeMarini Sports for 2004. In the agreement reached between Wilson, DeMarini and Bulldog Head Coach Wade Simoneaux, Louisiana Tech will use Wilson gear and exclusively swing DeMarini bats for 2004.

?Our players are developing an aggressive style of play using strong team discipline,? says Coach Simoneaux. ?DeMarini is equally aggressive and disciplined in creating the top bat technologies?a perfect fit for us.?

Brought to the Bulldogs from his assistant coaching position at Louisiana-Lafayette, Simoneaux has been part of five NCAA Regional teams, two NCAA Super Regional squads and the 2000 squad that finished 3rd at the College World Series. At Louisiana Tech, Simoneaux says he wants to revitalize the baseball program with new top-of-the-line equipment, restorations to the field and a new coaching philosophy.

?It makes us very proud that Louisiana Tech has partnered with us,? says Jim Hackett, Business Director for Wilson Baseball and Softball. ?Our bats have performed at the highest level of collegiate baseball, and the word is spreading about what has been accomplished by teams using our Half & Half bats.?

Under the agreement, Louisiana Tech will hit exclusively with DeMarini bats including the new Vexxum -3 Long Barrel. Known among players as ?the bat that bends,? the Vexxum is the first bat to combine a composite handle with an aluminum alloy barrel. Virtually indestructible, the Vexxum?s Half & Half? system flexes and recoils with a burst of ball-launching energy. The Vexxum?s two-piece construction also redistributes weight for optimal balance, allowing players to swing faster with less energy. In the comfort department, the Vexxum?s vibration-taming end cap works with the bat?s hybrid construction to absorb the energy that causes bat sting.

The Bulldogs will also choose from Wilson?s 2004 lineup of Pro-Stock? ball gloves, including models from the A2000? and A3000? series; uniforms; batting gloves; and other baseball accessories.

Established in 1989, 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.

Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Goods 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 their 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).