Welcome to the wood bat club. My kids showcase team only hits with wood. Doesn't who or where we are playing we use wood. Over the years my kid has broken a few. It's annoying when you invest in a more expensive bat only to throw it in the fire pit the week after you get it. One bit of advice, make sure he is making contact with the ball with the label up. The manufactures place the label on the weakest part of the bat and you want to make sure you are not contacting the ball on the label. Run a google search on "bat label up" and you will find information. Also, might want to consider "boning" the bat before use as well. Most manufactures claim they bone the bats before shipping now a days, but doesn't hurt to do it again. Boning the bat will press in the fibers and make it a little more dense.