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Heh, nice timing as I was just looking through some bats yesterday as I'd like to pick up a good one that'll actually make a difference.
That said, seems like the consensus points towards the Miken Freak (this year's model is the 2004 Freak, with the 98 being released sometime soon as the next model). It would be wise to check out what bats are restricted, as there I believe the 2004 Freak wasn't approved by one body, but fine with the rest.
Other one's I ran across a lot were the Mizuno TechFire Crush and the Easton Synergy 2 SCX-22. The biggest slow pitch tourney in Canada just happened in Edson, and the bat of choice there was definitely the Synergy.
As far as the 98 mph test, that is supposed to be the fastest that a bat can propel a ball and be legal. If it goes above that, then it'll be blacklisted and illegal to use in most leagues. That said, most of the bats I've listed probably retail for somewhere between $200 and $300 american.
Also, rule of thumb for bat weight is to hold the bat in one hand (should be your bottom hand in your natural batting stance) and hold the bat out at shoulder height with your arm fully extended to your side (as if you were making half of a safe call as an umpire). If your arm begins to shake holding the bat out like that, it's too heavy, so drop down an ounce or two and try again. Don't drop down too light, as your bat speed won't necessarily increase with the bat being lighter, everybody has a maximum bat speed they can reach, so if you can hit that with a 28 ounce bat, no sense using a 26 ouncer as your swing speed stays the same, yet the mass you're hitting the ball with has decreased.
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