Look: Clemson baseball's Erik Bakich ejected after arguing Alden Mathes bat flip vs. Florida
Clemson baseball fell in a 13-inning marathon super regional Game 2 vs. Florida on Sunday, and it ultimately finished its season without its manager.
Following Alden Mathes' go-ahead home run in the top of the 13th inning, tensions quickly rose at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, as the umpires discussed Mathes' bat spike. In what looked like a possible ejection of Mathes for the spike, it was Tigers coach Erik Bakich and program development coach Jack Leggett who were ejected from the ballgame.
After it was determined Bakich was thrown out, he got his money's worth as he let the umpires hear it:
Erik Bakich going at the umpires for about 45 seconds to argue a potential ejection on an Alden Mathes bat spike … and hypes up the crowd on his way back. The dugout loves it pic.twitter.com/OQO6jngi64
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) June 9, 2024
With both Bakich and Leggett ejected, assistant coach Jimmy Belanger took over coaching duties. While it did not end up mattering, as Florida walked it off vs. Clemson in the bottom of the 13th, Bakich would have been suspended for Game 3 if Clemson had won, according to Baseball America's Ted Cahill.
The ejections of Bakich and Leggett weren't the first of the afternoon for the Tigers, nor was it the first time that Bakich got into it with the umpiring crew in Clemson.
In the top of the second inning, Clemson first baseman Jack Crighton was sent to the showers by the umpiring crew for an unsportsmanlike code violation following a brief benches-clearing scuffle. Bakich told the ESPN broadcasters during his in-game interview that he was told Crighton was removed for "leaving his position on the base paths" to get involved with the altercation.
"The explanation for throwing out Crighton that I got was he was on base and left his position on base, even though it was the third out of the innings coming and he was coming back to the dugout," Bakich said. "Don’t know really what else to tell you."
Neither Bakich nor his assistant coaches were made available to speak with media after the game.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Erik Bakich ejected: Clemson coach booted for arguing over Alden Mathes bat flip