ESPN News Services
Jun 22, 2025, 03:49 PM ET
OMAHA, Neb. -- Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall, tossed from the game along with first base coach Matt Schilling in the first inning of the College World Series finals Sunday, said his ejection wasn't justified and he was wrongly accused of bumping an umpire.
Walker Mitchell was at bat with two outs and Sebastian Alexander had just stolen a base when Schnall went to the top steps of the dugout, gestured at plate umpire Angel Campos with three fingers and began shouting at him.
The NCAA said Schnall was arguing balls and strikes and was given a warning. And when he did not leave immediately, was thrown out. Instead, Schnall went onto the field to continue arguing.
"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," Schnall said.
LSU won 5-3 for its second national championship in three years. Coastal Carolina needed a victory Sunday to stay alive in the best-of-three series.
Associate head coach Chad Oxendine took over Schnall's duties after the ejection.
Schnall and Schilling, meanwhile, spent the remainder of the game in the clubhouse. Both returned to the dugout -- with Schnall going player-by-player with hugs and talks -- while their team watched LSU celebrate winning the title.
Then Schnall met with the media.
"I'm not sorry. Not for what happened, but that this season is over," he said while sharing the stage with his players.
Once the players left, Schnall became much more pointed when recalling the interaction with the umpires and the ejection.
"There's 25,000 people there, and I vaguely heard a warning issued," Schnall said. "I was an assistant coach for 24 years and treated like second grade -- a 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. So, when I come out to ask what the warning is, a grown man shooed me. So, at that point, I can now hear him say he's issued a warning for arguing balls and strikes. At that point, I said, 'because you missed three at that point.' Ejected."
The NCAA said Playing Rule 3-6-f-Note 1 states "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."
"If that warrants an ejection, I'm the first one to stand here like man and apologize," Schnall said. "Two words that define our program are: 'Owning it.' And what does that mean? You have to own everything that you do, without blame, without defending yourself, without excuses."
The NCAA said "prolonged arguing" results in a two-game suspension, so Schnall would miss the first two games of next season.
Schilling was thrown out for the comments he made while arguing. If an assistant is ejected, he automatically also is suspended for one game. Schilling also gets an additional two-game suspension under the "prolonged arguing" rule, the NCAA said. That means he will miss the first three games in 2026.
Schnall said he believes what happened to Schilling was the result of a tumble by one of the umpires, who appeared to have tripped over the feet of a crewmate.
"You guys watch the video," Schnall said. "There was a guy that came in extremely aggressively and tripped over Campos' foot, embarrassed in front of 25,000 people. He immediately goes 'two game suspension' and says 'bumping the umpire.' The umpire immediately does that. There was no bump. He was embarrassed.
"I shouldn't be held accountable for a grown man's athleticism."
Schnall said he also believes that the suspensions won't last by the time the 2026 season begins.
"It'll be retracted, though. Now it's excessive because I was trying to say I didn't bump him," Schnall said. "... What is it that warranted an ejection? It is what it is. If that warranted an ejection, man, there would be a lot of ejections."
A spokesman said the NCAA stands by its original statement on the incident when asked for comment on Schnall's remarks about bumping an umpire.
ESPN's Ryan McGee and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
