It’s not unusual in the Majors Leagues (or the Minor Leagues) to see a bat break in half on an inside pitch that jams the hitter.

But broken bats just about never happen in college, for one simple reason: the bats are made of aluminum, not wood.

That makes what Florida catcher J.J. Schwarz did Saturday so absurd. In the third inning of the Gators’ game against Vanderbilt, Schwarz muscled an inside fastball into center field for a single… as his bat shattered in two.

Is this a testament to Schwarz’s strength? To the pitcher’s stuff? To the flimsiness or the bats Florida uses? It’s hard to really know. But what’s clear is that this is not something you see every day in college baseball. Even Schwarz looked kind of baffled, holding onto the bat handle while running down the first-base line as if unsure what to do.

It’s worth noting that Schwarz is not some random player. He’s one of the best college players in the country and a potential top pick in June’s MLB Draft. He was once thought to be a surefire first-round prospect, but even after a down year last year, he’ll still come off the board pretty early. 

And based on this highlight alone, it’s unlikely any MLB scout will dare question his strength.

About Alex Putterman

Alex is a writer and editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. He has written for The Atlantic, VICE Sports, MLB.com, SI.com and more. He is a proud alum of Northwestern University and The Daily Northwestern. You can find him on Twitter @AlexPutterman.