Sentence Correction

Hello all,

I cannot understand this sentence (came across a similar one in Kaplan book):


Unlike other boys on the team, who are given bats to play, Timmie has not received a bat.

Now, is it wrong to say "a bat" instead of "bats"? Which one is correct? The answer in Kaplan is saying it's better if it's "a bat" but didn't say why. I was wondering if the meaning of the sentence would be difference if it's "bats" instead of "a bat"?

Thanks.