Broken Composite Bat?

I'm not a pro at determining if it is damaged/broken, but call the manufacturer. I had success returning a broken bat within ONE YEAR of purchase (you need to have your receipt).  I had originally purchased it new off eBay. It was replaced with the newer version, which keewartson was thrilled to be the first with the new bat.   Good luck!   (1 1/2 years seems be about when we have to replace bats, in our experience.)

Demarini will replace a broken bat once (per purchased bat) up to one year after it was bought. Sounds like your son had a good run, but may be time to buy a new one. Just remember, you have one year to replace. This is fairly standard across the board. Wood bats are becoming more popular with younger players, and learning to hit with them takes time. I assume the companies understand this as well.

My son had a team mate snap off an Easton S1 just above the grip, completely. Never saw that before.

This is typical of the S1 model. Son has snapped 2 so far.

Yup. S1 is a two-piece bat that shaps at the CXN (connection) point fequently...

If the barrel cracks, you will see a line that feels more like a ripple than a paint chip or scrape. It feels raised whereas paint chips and scrapes are more like grooves. If a composite bat has a small crack, it is usually not a big deal and will possibly increase the hotness of the bat. When the crack starts to get bigger, it will typically make shark tooth zigzags along the barrel. When you see the zigzag cracks, the bat is done. I don't know how long the warranty return is on a Demarini composite, but most allow for a replacement from a year from initial purchase. Easton has 400 day policy on their composites.