Cocalo, a designer of moderately priced crib bedding since the late 1990's, first became popular for its crib bedding collections sold under the Baby Martex, OshKosh, and Kimberly Grant brand names. Priding itself on creative and fashionable designs, Cocalo has had substantial success in the category, apparently giving them the confidence to introduce new patterns under the Cocalo brand. Batters Up crib bedding is one of these new Cocalo collections, first made available for sale in late 2005. This latest addition to the widely popular sports themed nursery dcor category features baseball.

Batters Up crib bedding is sold as a four-piece set, consisting of a comforter, four-sided crib bumper, dust ruffle, and fitted sheet. Consumers should be pleased to see that Cocalo sells this pattern in the four-piece set. Cocalo, following the lead of other manufacturers, is increasingly introducing new patterns in six-piece sets which include a diaper stacker and valance. The smaller sets, combined with the availability of the other items as separate accessories, provides the consumer with the most flexibility. Unfortunately, none of the pieces of the Batters Up four-piece set is available separately, thereby reducing consumer choices. In particular, an extra fitted sheet, frequently desired by consumers, is not available for Batters Up.

Cocalo provides a relatively standard selection of coordinating Batters Up decorating accessories to assist new moms in dressing up the baby's room. Creatively combining many of the same fabrics and decorative features used in the bedding set, they make available: musical mobiles, valances, diaper stackers, lamp shades, rugs, pillows, wall border, wall decorations, and blankets. All of the accessories coordinate perfectly with the Batters Up crib bedding set. Detailed images of the bedding set and accessories can be seen here: Batters Up Bedding. You will also see that the bedding pattern will work very nicely in the nursery with different combinations of blue, tan, or green wall colors, providing consumers with a wide variety of decorating options.

Cocalo uses a creative combination of plaids, stripes, and corduroys in all of the major set pieces, along with embroidered appliqus of various baseball features. I was impressed to see that a number of the plaid fabrics were of the higher quality woven variety. In woven fabrics, differently dyed or colored threads are woven together in a manner to create the desired pattern. Contrast this with printed fabrics, where a pattern is imprinted on the surface of a solid colored fabric. Woven fabrics are superior to, and more expensive than, printed fabrics, being more vibrant, durable, and color-fast. All embroidery on the set appears of high quality, with thick and smooth stitching and no discernible "bleed through" of the underlying appliqud fabrics. All patchwork sewing appears well done, assuring durability.

Sports theme crib bedding is very popular among consumers looking for something for their baby boys. Almost every major manufacturer has at least one in their lineup. Consumers should take the time to review a few of them before settling on Batters Up, including the following baseball bedding collections: American Pastime by Glenna Jean, if you are seeking a more sophisticated look for the nursery; Baby League by Lambs & Ivy; and Home Run by Kidsline.