Coastal Carolina Coach Kevin Schnall’s Statement After Wrongful Ejection From CWS Loss To LSU

GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

OMAHA, Nebraska – Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall opened his postgame press conference on Sunday after losing to LSU, 5-3, with an apology. But not for his ejection in the bottom of the first inning for what the NCAA called “continued arguing about balls and strikes after being warned initially by the umpire crew.”

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He apologized “for this being over” and “for how it ended.” Coastal Carolina saw its 26-game winning streak end as it lost to LSU, 1-0, on Saturday before falling again Sunday in the best-of-three national championship series. The Chanticleers finished the season at 56-13. LSU (53-15) won its eighth national title and second in three years under coach Jay Johnson.

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Schnall, 48 and a first-year head coach at Coastal Carolina who had been an assistant there for more than two decades, proceeded to rip home base umpire Angel Campos, who ejected him within seconds of Schnall initiating his argument on the field. Schnall also ridiculed heels-over-head first base umpire Casey Moser’s lack of athleticism with precision.

Moser fell to the ground with feet flying up – as if in a circus – after being inadvertently and barely pushed down by Campos. Initially, many – including the umpires and NCAA officials – thought Schnall bumped Moser to the ground, which may have led to a suspension that followed his ejection. Replays clearly showed Schnall did not bump Moser, whose looked more like an exaggerated flop from the NBA title game later Sunday night. Moser popped right up and was fine, except for some embarrassment.

Coastal assistant coach Matt Schilling was also ejected too quickly for “continued arguing.”

NCAA STATEMENT

The NCAA released a statement about the controversial ejections, which should fall under “continued lack of umpiring professionalism.” Which brings up a question. Shouldn’t there be backup umpires at the ready in case umpires are ejected? That is what should have happened to Campos and Moser.

“NCAA Playing Rule 3-6-f-Note 1 states that balls and strikes, half swings, or decisions about hit by pitch situations are not to be argued,” the NCAA statement said. “After a warning, any player or coach who continues to argue balls, strikes, half swings or hit-by-pitch situations shall be ejected from the game.”

Because Schnall and Schilling continued to argue after the very quick ejections, they each drew suspensions for future games. That is moot now as far as this season, because LSU’s 5-3 win Sunday eliminated the need for a winner-take-all game that would have been Monday night. But by rule, the suspensions could carry into next season.

“In addition to today’s ejections, coach Schnall is suspended for the next two games per NCAA Playing Rule 5-15-a-4, which states that an additional two-game suspension is added to any other penalties,” the NCAA’s statement said. “By rule, no team personnel may continue to argue or continue to excessively express themselves with prolonged actions or offensive language after an ejection.”

“Prolonged actions?” They weren’t prolonged, because quick-gun ump Angel Campos threw the coaches out before they had a chance to do anything for a “prolonged” amount of time.

“NCAA Playing Rule 2-26-f states that an assistant coach who is ejected is automatically suspended for one game,” the NCAA statement continued. “Per NCAA Playing Rule 5-15-a-4, an additional two-game suspension is added to any other penalties. By rule, coach Schilling is suspended for three games.”

COASTAL CAROLINA COACH KEVIN SCHNALL’S LAST WORD

Schilling, though, had the last word and made a lot of good points and better sense than the umpiring crew and the NCAA’s cover-the-backside statement. Here is the text of his press conference pertaining to his ejection:

“There’s 25,000 people there, and I vaguely hear a warning issued. As the head coach, I was an assistant for 24 years, and as an assistant, you’re almost treated like a second grade or second-level citizen, and you can’t say a word. Now, as a head coach I think it is your right to get an explanation of why we got warned.

“I’m 48 years old. I shouldn’t get shooed by another grown man. When I walk out to find out what the warning is, a grown man shooed me. At that point I heard him say, ‘It was a warning issued for arguing balls and strikes.’ At that point, I said, ‘Because you missed three of them.’ At that point – ejected.”

Schnall is correct about the “vague” warning. No one in the pressbox or stands knew Schnall was warned. The better umpires clearly warn coaches so everyone knows.

“If that warrants an ejection, I’m the first one to stand here like a man and apologize,” Schnall continued. “Two words that define our program are ‘Own it.’ And what does that mean? It means you have to own everything that you do without blame, without defending yourself, without excuses.

“If you guys watch the video, there was a guy that came in extremely aggressively (Casey Moser), and embarrassed himself in front of 25,000. Immediately, I get a three-game suspension for ‘bumping the umpire.’ Immediately does that. There was no bump. He was embarrassed. I shouldn’t be held accountable for a grown man’s (lack of) athleticism. They’ll retract it, though, because now it’s excessive. And the reason it was excessive is because I was trying to say, ‘I didn’t bump him.’ It is what it is.

“But if that warranted an ejection, man, there would be a lot of ejections. 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.”

In the end, umpires Angel Campos and Casey Moser should be suspended for all NCAA postseason games next season for not having the “poise, calmness and a little bit of tolerance” in order to “manage” the game, which is what umpiring is all about.

Campos and Moser instead wrongfully injected themselves far too much into the game instead of umpiring it. And instead they both fell on their ass – one of them quite literally. And hysterically.