But you don't know the intent of an intruder, you need to stop the threat whether by baseball bat or gun. A gun is more effective.
I am constantly amazed when I see news stories of random violence committed against random people. It honestly worries me to think that at any moment me or my family could be on the receiving end of someone intent on doing something evil. The way I choose to combat that is to control what I can do and that is learning to use a firearm and mentally deciding that I would be okaying with taking someone else's life.
I recommend the blog of a man named Jim Fisher. He writes about true crime and murder throughout the country. Somethings he writes about make carrying a concealed firearm or using lethal force on home intruders a no-brainer.