Smokeball

Thanks for the responses. Though I wish my Rebels were in Omaha I want to wish you guys the best of luck. I'm watching the game today on a delayed basis. In the bottom of the fifth there was a definite bad call. The ball hit the bat before hitting the ASU batter in the face. I'll not check back until I've seen the final result ... don't want to miss the exciting finish.

Is the pine tar put on the helmets on purpose? Does it serve any function?

What is the story behind the burned looking area on the front of some of the batting helmets?