Combat's First USSSA Bat Is Coming: What We Know About the Spec C1 (Including a Rare -6.5)

By Ground Up Baseball · Published Oct 20, 2026 · Last updated Oct 20, 2026

Status: not officially announced. Combat hasn't posted a product page, specs, price or release date for the Spec C1. Everything below comes from early testing and retailer reporting. We'll update this page when Combat makes it official.

Combat built its name on big-barrel composite bats, then went quiet for years. Since it relaunched under Rawlings, every Combat baseball bat has been BBCOR. That looks about to change: a 2027 Combat Spec C1, a two-piece composite USSSA bat, showed up in testing this past weekend.

What we know so far

What it is: a 2027 two-piece composite bat built for USSSA travel ball. Combat is now owned by Rawlings, the same company behind the Rawlings Icon and Easton Hype Fire.
Who has swung it: The Baseball Bat Bros posted a first look on Oct 17, 2026 and a full HitTrax test on Oct 18, swinging -10, -6.5 and -5 versions.
How it did: the barrel looked and sounded a lot like the Rawlings Icon. Per Longball Bats, the -6.5 topped out around 124 mph exit speed and the -5 around 122. The -6.5 finished the session with no cracks. The -10 and -5 test bats cracked, but these were unreleased bats swung by grown men with hard balls, not a 12-year-old in a game.
The -6.5 drop: this is the headline. Almost nobody makes a USSSA bat between -5 and -8. The testers said the -6.5 is the main reason they'd pick this bat.

What's not confirmed yet

Price, release date, lengths and barrel specs.
Unconfirmed: a -8 version. Longball Bats says one is rumored, but nobody has shown one.
Unconfirmed: whether the C1 is its own design or shares a barrel with the Icon. Combat hasn't said.

Why the -6.5 matters at 12U

Perfect Game's official 12U bat rules say: "Effective August 15th, 2024, Perfect Game will not allow the use of any (-5) USSSA BPF 1.15 Certified bat in a 12U event." (Perfect Game 2026 12U event rules) That leaves a strong 12-year-old who has outgrown a -8 with nowhere heavier to go in USSSA bats. A -6.5 sits right in that gap.

One caution: PG's 12U drop list names -12, -10, -8, -6 and -3, and a -6.5 is brand new. Ask your tournament director before you buy one for a PG event. Other organizations set their own drop rules, so check your league on BatRules.

Who should swing it

-10: 9 to 11 year olds who need bat speed and barrel control.
-6.5: the step between -10 and -5. Think of a strong 11U or 12U hitter who has outgrown a -8 or -10, especially at Perfect Game 12U events where a -5 isn't allowed. It can also suit a 13-year-old who isn't ready for a full -5, but many 13U events require a -5, so check first.
-5: 13U and 14U hitters getting ready for -3 BBCOR in high school.

Only move up if your player can still control the swing. A heavier bat that slows the swing down doesn't help.

Look for the USSSA 1.15 BPF stamp

As a USSSA bat, the Spec C1 should carry the USSSA 1.15 BPF stamp on the taper. That stamp is what USSSA and most travel events, including Perfect Game, require. It does not make a bat legal for Little League, Cal Ripken, Babe Ruth or PONY (those need the USA Baseball stamp), or for high school (BBCOR). Check the stamp and your league's rules before you buy. You can compare other USSSA bats on BatCode and see which bats each league allows on BatRules.

Shop current Combat bats

Combat doesn't sell a USSSA baseball bat yet, so these are its current bats, which are BBCOR (-3) for high school-age players. If you need a USSSA bat today, the Rawlings Icon is the closest match to what the testers swung.