Weird shift in my baseball world over past week. I think my 2021 has mentally shifted to a wood bat...a $26 Louisville Slugger to be precise. I bought it a couple of years ago as a fun gift and because our Coach liked the kids to warm up with heavier bats. 2021 was 10 at the time. This bat was cheap. Fun gift, more for that factor. Never used it because it was a 27ish ounce bat. But we did pull it out in the cage at first and he actually swung it quite well. Fast forward.
He is now swinging a 31/26 Combat. We have a wood bat tournament coming up. Love those tournaments but they are somewhat annoying as everyone is scrambling for a bat to use. Not me. I pulled out the Slugger and told him that, for one tournament, he can use his old friend. So we went out to practice with it and he responds by racking the ball. There is a noticeable difference in his batting and attitude. He was getting distance, as well. The hitting session was more fun and I noticed a little more bravado in his demeanor. Kid was just plain having fun. Calls me out of the blue the next day and asks me to take him out again to hit...with a $26 Ash Louisville Slugger.
So, of course, I start looking at Old Hickory and Chandler online and thinking about his name engraved on his own bat! 
Now that I have calmed down, I am researching good bang for the buck bats that he can use in games. He will use the one he has this weekend, but it has some chipping, etc and I thought I would buy him a pair of bats to have for game use. Probably stick with ash simply because he is loving it. He told me he likes wood better than his Combat (which has been a very good bat for him). I am just going to roll with it because it has ignited something in him.
This LS has a large barrel on it. Also a 32". Any suggestions from experience with your own children and wood bats? I think I could go a littler higher than $26 though.