Coastal Carolina University wants the NCAA to review umpire training protocols following the controversial first-inning ejections of head coach Kevin Schnall and assistant Matt Schilling in Sunday’s College World Series title game.
“The ejections ... in the bottom of the first inning drastically altered the trajectory of a must-win game for our team,” Chance Miller, vice president of intercollegiate athletics, said in a statement, as reported by CBS affiliate WBTW in Florence. “These decisions were made with an alarming level of haste, without an attempt at de-escalation.”
Coastal Carolina University wants the NCAA to review umpire training protocols following the controversial first-inning ejections of head coach Kevin Schnall and assistant Matt Schilling in Sunday’s College World Series title game.
“The ejections ... in the bottom of the first inning drastically altered the trajectory of a must-win game for our team,” Chance Miller, vice president of intercollegiate athletics, said in a statement, as reported by CBS affiliate WBTW in Florence. “These decisions were made with an alarming level of haste, without an attempt at de-escalation.”
"The Chanticleers lost to LSU, 5-3, ending a storybook season that included a 26-game win streak and national accolades for Schnall, catcher Caden Bodine and starting pitcher Jacob Morrison," WBTW's Adam Benson reported.
Schnall approached home plate umpire Angel Campos in the bottom of the first to argue a series of questionable strike calls. The coach said after the game that due to crowd noise, he wasn’t able to hear Campos’ initial warning and so he approached home plate, Benson reported.
“As a head coach, I think it is your right to get an explanation of why we got warned, and I’m 48 years old, and I shouldn’t get shooed by another grown man,” Schnall said after the game, as reported by WBTW. “It is what it is, but if that warranted an ejection, man, there would be a lot of ejections.”
Schnall also called out Campos’ handling of the situation overall.
“As an umpire I feel like it’s your job to manage the game, the national championship game, with some poise, some calmness and a little bit of tolerance,” he said.
Per Benson's reporting, Schnall’s players spoke out on the incident after the game.
“I thought that coach Schnall was just taking up for us on some pitches that looked borderline from my point of view in the dugout,” outfielder Wells Sykes said.
“Our head coach was gone and we didn’t really see the reason why, but that’s not for us to understand,” infielder Colby Thorndyke added.
The NCAA issued a statement Sunday pointing to the rule that caused Schnall’s ejection.
“NCAA Playing Rule 3-6-f-Note 1 states that balls, strikes, half swings or decisions about hit-by-pitch situations are not to be argued. After a warning, any player or coach who continues to argue balls, strikes, half swings or a hit-by-pitch situation shall be ejected from the game,” the statement said.
Schnall also faces a two-game suspension heading into next season for continuing to argue after Campos ejected him, according to WBTW's Benson.
“In the biggest moment of the college baseball season, our program and its student-athletes of the leadership they have relied on throughout a historic postseason run,” CCU said in its statement, as reported by WBTW. “The NCAA must re-evaluate how it trains, assigns and reviews umpires in championship environments.”
