A junior faculty baseball pitcher in Texas is off the staff after he tackled an opposing staff's batter as he rounded the bases after hitting a house run, the coach stated Thursday. Weatherford School head baseball coach Jeff Lightfoot stated the participant is "not on the staff."
The incident sparked a brawl that was captured on video.
On-line video of the play confirmed North Central Texas School's Josh Phillips rounding third after his sixth-inning house run, solely to have Weatherford School pitcher Owen Woodward cost off the mound and degree him with a violent blow to the midsection. A number of gamers then charged on to the sector.
The North Texas Junior School Athletic Convention beforehand introduced Thursday it suspended Woodward for 4 video games, and Phillips additionally was suspended for 2 video games as a result of he was ejected for taunting.
Weatherford officers have stated Woodward may face expulsion from college because the play caught widespread on-line consideration.
Heading into the sport, Woodward had a 3.10 ERA, 30 strikeouts and 4 saves over 20 1/3 innings pitched, CBSSports.com reported. He was a first-team All-District choice as a highschool linebacker.
However the league workplace handed out most of its punishment for the North Central Texas program due to the gamers who ran onto the sector after the hit.
The league suspended for 2 video games "all staff members for NCTC that have been within the dugout or bullpen" and any assistant coaches who stepped onto the sector. It additionally suspended 4 further Weatherford gamers and assistant coaches for 2 video games.
If that leaves North Central Texas with out sufficient gamers for its subsequent two video games towards Weatherford, it should forfeit, the league stated. Each groups have been ordered to forfeit the sport that was stopped.
The groups are scheduled to play one another this weekend.
"We're shocked and disillusioned at what occurred in our recreation at the moment," Lightfoot stated after the sport. "We don't condone the sort of conduct. We've got labored exhausting to construct a program with the very best of requirements. We're utterly embarrassed by this incident, and we apologize to North Central Texas School and the followers of WC baseball. Any such conduct can't be tolerated."