Buy a Louisville Slugger Z-1000 BBCOR Baseball Bat, get a FREE Louisville M9 MLB Pro Maple Wood Bat

Like they say, the best things in life are free.

They must be right, because, for a limited time, you can get one of the most popular wood baseball bats on the market for free — nothing, zilch, nada. Zippo.

Through March 11, you’ll get a free Louisville M9 Maple Wood Baseball Bat when you purchase a Louisville 2012 Z-1000 -3 Adult Baseball Bat at Baseball Express. The package with your Z-1000 will include a mail-in form for the M9. Send it in, and your bat will be on its way quicker than you can say “professional-grade maple.”

The BBCOR certified Z-1000 features thinner, lightweight graphite fibers in the barrel, designed to help you bring the lumber. Thinner fibers also allow use of more layers in the barrel for added strength.

It includes two inner discs, positioned inside the barrel at the sweet spot to stop the barrel from flexing past the performance limit. That gives players the maximum allowable performance under the new BBCOR regulations.

The M9 is our most popular turning model, and it features a cupped end for superior balance.

Our reviewers have raved about its durability, some saying a single bat has lasted through several seasons, and praised its responsiveness. As a reviewer from Portland wrote, “I’m better with this bat than I am with my aluminum bats.”

It usually retails for about $80, but you can get it for free, when you get the Z-1000 for $369.99 at Baseball Express.

Related: Browse our entire selection of Louisville Slugger baseball bats.

Want to play with a wood bat next season? Here are some recommendations

As you probably already know, most high school and college baseball leagues will now require players to use BBCOR certified baseball bats in the coming year.

Compared to the bats that were legal in previous years, these bats perform more like wood bats.

Because there’s not as much of a performance difference between aluminum, composite and wood bats anymore, we’ve heard several folks mention that they plan to use wood bats in the coming baseball season. If that’s something you’d like to do, we’ve got a few recommendations for quality wood bats.

The All-Arounder: Louisville Slugger’s M9 Maple Wood Baseball Bat ($79.99)

Used by the Texas Rangers’ Josh Hamilton, the Louisville M9 is professional grade and made with dense maple for a tough, sturdy baseball bat. This bat has a cupped end, so it has a nice, evenly-balanced feel. ($79.99)

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The Bomb Dropper: Marucci’s AP5 A. Pujols Pro Maple Wood Baseball Bat ($119.99)

Custom made for Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols, the AP5 is cut and balanced to compliment a power hitter’s swing. The AP5 has a thin .90″ handle and 2 1/2″ barrel.
($119.99)

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Bang for your Buck: Louisville’s Pro Stock Ash Wood Baseball Bat ($49.99)

Louisville’s Pro Stock is one of the most popular bats in the big leagues. That’s because it’s got an even balance, a very large barrel and a comfortable 15/16″ handle. ($49.99)

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Power and Durability: DeMarini’s Pro Maple Composite Wood Baseball Bat ($129.99)

This maple bat is designed with a balance point in the barrel, designed to give power hitters even more power. The composite handle provides superior durability — and it comes with a three-month warranty. ($129.99)

Related: Shop our entire selection of wooden baseball bats.

Insignia headlines our newest selection of wooden baseball bats

Introducing the newest additions to our selection of wooden baseball bats.

Four of the five new bats are from Insignia. They run the gamut from the value-priced Valor Northern Ash bat to the professional-grade All Out Pro Maple bat.

These bats are great for wooden bat leagues and training. See more details below.

Insignia Valor Northern Ash Wood Baseball Bat ($69.99)

Made with premium northern ash stock. Features a 15/16″ handle and traditional 2″ knob. Available in 32″ and 33″. ($69.99)

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Insignia Guardian Rock Maple Wood Baseball Bat ($89.99)

Features maple construction, a walker finish and a natural 15/16″ handle. Traditional 2″ knob. ($89.99)

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Insignia Range Tiger Ash Wood Baseball Bat ($99.99)

Made from professional-grade tiger ash. Features a 2 1⁄2″, bone-rubbed and torch-hardened barrel and a 15/16″ handle. Available in 32″ and 33″. ($99.99)

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Insignia All Out Pro Maple Wood Baseball Bat ($119.99)

Insignia’s premium series of wooden baseball bat, made from professional, premium-grade maple. Features a 2 1/2″ barrel and a 15/16″ handle. Available in 32″ and 33″. ($119.99)

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M^Powered Select Maple Natural Wood Baseball Bat ($59.99)

These professional-grade sugar maple bats are made from prime maple stands in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. Designed with great balance, sweet spot and pop. Features a 7/8″ handle and a 2 19/32″ barrel. Available in 31″, 32″, 33″ and 34″. ($59.99)

Related: Shop our entire selection of wooden baseball bats.

Baseball tips: A two-minute guide to buying a wood baseball bat

Interested in trying out a wood baseball bat?

We made a short video explaining the basics of buying a wood baseball bat.

Related: Last week, we posted a video about buying aluminum and composite baseball bats.