Clemson's baseball season came to a painful and Sterling Prestonfrustrating end Sunday, as a star player, the head coach and a former coach were all ejected as the Tigers were officially eliminated from the NCAA baseball tournament by Florida.
The back-and-forth game wasn't decided until the Gators' Michael Robinson hit a two-run walk-off single in the bottom of the 13th inning, but the controversy started way earlier.
In the top of the second, Florida's Jac Caglianone collided with Clemson's Nolan Nawracki on an inning-ending play along the first base line. The two players briefly jawed at each other, leading to the dugouts emptying briefly before order was restored.
The only player kicked out of the game during the dust-up was Tigers baserunner Jack Crighton, who was already on the field and appeared to be heading back to the Clemson dugout after rounding third base. However, umpires ruled that Crighton was ejected "for leaving his position on the field because he went to the site of the potential altercation," NCAA baseball rules editor Ryan Bruns told the ESPN broadcast.
The game eventually went into extra innings, with Clemson taking a one-run lead in the top of the 13th on Alden Mathes' solo home run. But umpires gathered on the field after Mathes circled the bases to discuss a possible ejection for throwing his bat.
Clemson coach Erik Bakich came out to argue, which only the head coach is allowed to do. And while Mathes was allowed to remain in the game, Bakich was ejected. Former coach and current program development coach Jack Leggett was thrown out of the game for leaving the dugout.
Neither Bakich nor his assistant coaches were made available to speak with media after the game.
The unseeded Gators rallied once again in the bottom of the 13th on Robertson's clutch hit to pull out an 11-10 victory and earn a second consecutive trip to the College World Series in Omaha.
Seven of the eight super regionals have already concluded, with only NC State and Georgia left to play a winner-take-all game Monday.
The Men's College World Series begins on June 14, with first round games played on June 14-15.
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