Clearly this is a high performance bat made for players looking for the absolute most out of their fastpitch softball bat. Its price point ($299 retail) puts it in some serious company but it's hard to say any player would go wrong choosing the 2015 Mizuno Nighthawk. It's a performance two piece composite bat in the fastpitch space with improved technology for butter smooth bombs.
Models Overview
One of the bat's unique features sits in the transition point between the barrel and handle. Mizuno refers to this as their patented 2 PC LINK connection. Between the handle and barrel sits a composite material that decreases vibration and does not affect power transfer to the ball. In theory, this decreases hand stings on mishits and gives a smoother feel on contact. We found the feel at contact to be as smooth as Romeo.
Another performance feature worth pointing out is the double-walled barrel. Double-walled barrels tend to have longer sweet spots (and the Nighthawk definitely has a gigantic one) with increased durability. Further, the barrel doesn't require a break-in period. The power was another feature we quickly noticed, the bat really is a top-shelf piece.
Performance Comparison
The swing weights on the bat increase as the drop goes down (obviously). But overall the swing weight is very well balanced on the side of light. Our swing weight calculator measured it out on the lighter side of balanced.
The aesthetic side of the bat is real gem. Black, yellow and white look fantastic and the multicolored grip is a perfect touch. The grip is a synthetic leather that feels right.
Expert Recommendations
The 2015 Mizuno Nighthawk (Amazon @ $299, Ebay, Baseball Express @ $299) is a fast-pitch softball bat built for elite players. The bat is:
- Two piece composite
- Double wall barrel with a stiff handle
- A drop 8, 9 or 10
- 32, 33 or 34 inches
- USSSA Certified at 1.20 BPF, ASA, ISA, ISP and NSA certified