Typically, aluminum bats substantially outperform traditional wooden bats and other metal bats. The circuit court granted the respondents motion and the appellant appeals. The respondents filed a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction. The appellant also alleges negligence, recklessness, and fraudulent concealment against the respondents. The appellant, Ryans father, brought this action alleging products liability, negligence, breach of warranties, and fraudulent concealment against Hillerich negligence and negligent misrepresentation against the National Federation of High Schools and negligence against the South Carolina High School League. The respondents, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell Baseball Research Center ( Research Center) and James Sherwood (Sherwood), a mechanical engineering professor and the Director of the Research Center, certified the bat as meeting certain National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regulations. The bat was an aluminum bat manufactured by defendant Hillerich & Bradsby Company d/b/a Louisville Slugger (Hillerich). A line drive ball off the bat of an opposing player hit Ryan in the head causing severe injuries. On March 16, 2002, Ryan Cockrell, a thirteen-year old seventh grader, was pitching in a Greenwood High School junior varsity baseball game. JUSTICE WALLER: This is a products liability and negligence case in which the circuit court granted the respondents motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction. McMillan, of Greenville, both of Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough, L.L.P., for Respondents. Mitchell Brown, of Columbia, and Elizabeth M. Poston, both of McDonald, Patrick, Tinsley, Baggett & Poston, of Greenwood, for Appellant.Ĭ. Kendall Few, P.A., of Greer and Stephen D. Ernest Kinard, Jr., Circuit Court JudgeĬharles W. Sherwood and University of Massachusetts at Lowell Baseball Research Center are Respondents. Sherwood, University of Massachusetts at Lowell Baseball Research Center, the National Federation of State High School Associations, and the South Carolina High School League, Defendants,

Hillerich & Bradsby Company d/b/a Louisville Slugger, James A.

Norman Jeffrey Cockrell, as Guardian ad litem for Ryan Jeffrey Cockrell, Appellant, opinions/HTMLFiles/SC/25964.htm Cockrell v.

South carolina motion to dismiss