Tennessee and Clemson’s baseball teams staged an instant classic in their matchup on Saturday night in the Clemson Regional. The game had just about everything fans would want.
Unfortunately, it also had something that no fans want. A head-scratching ejection.
The Volunteers staged a serious threat in the top half of the 13th inning, loading the bases with only one out. But the Tigers got out of it when pitcher Nick Clayton got Tennessee’s Christian Scott to hit into an inning-ending double play.
While the play was exciting, there was nothing remotely controversial about it. The calls at second and first were both obvious. So, it seemed unusual that Clemson’s head coach, Erik Bakich, was arguing with the umpires when the broadcast resumed. It took a half-inning but eventually, it got figured out.
After the double play was turned, Cam Cannarella, Clemson’s freshman center fielder, was running in. As he got close to second base, he appeared to say something to Tennessee’s Zane Denton, who was forced out on the double play. Whatever Cannarella said didn’t trigger much emotion from the Volunteers, as Denton and all of his teammates were walking to the other dugout.
But Angel Campos, the second base umpire and crew chief, thought that Cannarella’s actions warranted an ejection.
Fans were unhappy with the ejection.
I'd better find out someone threatened some major bodily harm because otherwise this is ridiculous https://t.co/anCtD4CHxD
— Referee Jared Hawkins (@RefJHawk) June 4, 2023
@blamberty Welcome to the Ump Show https://t.co/4wUNjszwKR
— HENNETRON (@gidalkaiser) June 4, 2023
This was just horrendous. Unfathomable https://t.co/iXyQhgeIKA
— Scott Strasemeier (@ScottStras) June 4, 2023
Hey, look, they have ump shows in college baseball too. https://t.co/JY8a1QXlnb
— Mike Althouse (@USNA86) June 4, 2023
Is it possible that Cannarella said something so bad that an ejection was warranted? Sure.
But the reaction — or lack thereof — from everyone on the Tennessee team, indicates that Campos could have, and likely should have, turned the other way on this one.
[Photo Credit: ESPN 2]