Kevin Schnall Addresses College World Series Ejection, Suspension
Image credit: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers head coach Kevin Schnall argues with the umpires and gets ejected vs LSU Tigers in game 2 of the 2025 Men’s College Baseball World Series Championship at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska on Sunday, June 22, 2025 (Photo by Eddie Kelly/ ProLook Photos)
Just seven batters into Game 2 of the national championship, chaos unfolded at home plate.
Coastal Carolina head coach Kevin Schnall was ejected in the bottom of the first inning after a seemingly benign exchange with home plate umpire Angel Campos over balls and strikes. Moments later, first base coach Matt Schilling was tossed as well. The timing of the decision—with a national title on the line and tensions still low—drew immediate backlash across the stadium and well beyond.
Then came the fallout.
Schnall was informed he’d be suspended for two games due to “bumping the umpire” during the incident, allegedly causing first base umpire Casey Moser to fall. Schnall vehemently denied the claim. The NCAA’s public statement shortly after made no mention of physical contact. Instead, it cited Schnall’s continued arguing as the basis for the suspension. Schilling was also assessed a two-game suspension in addition to the automatic one-game suspension for ejected assistant coaches.
The incident thrust Coastal into further adversity against a red-hot LSU team and sparked national debate over umpire accountability and procedural transparency. For a program chasing its second title, the absence of its emotional leader—and the opaque reasoning behind it — became a defining and controversial wrinkle in Omaha.
Here is what Schnall, Coastal Carolina’s athletic department, LSU head coach Jay Johnson and the NCAA had to say about the ejections:
Schnall Denies Claims of Bumping Umpire, Decries Umpire Conduct
“There’s 25,000 people there, and I vaguely hear a warning issued. As the head coach, I was an assistant for 24 years, and as an assistant, you’re almost treated like a second grade, 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. When I walk out to find out what the warning is, a grown man shooed me. At that point I can now hear him say, ‘It was a warning issued for arguing balls and strikes.’ At that point I said, ‘Because you missed three.’ At that point, ejected.If that warrants an ejection, I’m the first one to stand here like a man and apologize. Two words that define our program are ‘Own it.’ And what does that mean? It means you have to own everything that you do without blame, without defending yourself, without excuses.
If you guys watch the video, there was a guy that came in extremely aggressively, tripped over Campos’ foot, embarrassed in front of 25,000, immediately goes two games suspension and said, bumping the umpire. Immediately does that. There was no bump. He was embarrassed. I shouldn’t be held accountable for a grown man’s athleticism.
They’ll retract it, though, because now it’s excessive and the reason it was excessive because I was trying to say, I didn’t bump him. It is what it is. But if that warranted an ejection, man, there would be a lot of ejections. 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.”
Jay Johnson Didn’t Have a Strong View of the Situation
“That’s my friend, too, and somebody I have great respect for. I didn’t have any reaction because I was so locked into what we needed to do in the game. I was ejected for arguing balls and strikes this year and they don’t like that when you argue balls and strikes. I’m not sure really what happened. I saw the first base coach arguing. Then he came out and I don’t know what was said. I don’t want to get into any of that. It’s a tough situation. But I literally moved past it immediately. I needed to be locked in on what our players needed from our coaching staff.”
NCAA Backs Campos Via Statement
“In the bottom of the first inning, Coastal Carolina head coach Kevin Schnall and first base coach Matt Schilling were ejected from the game for continued arguing about balls and strikes after being warned initially by the umpire crew. NCAA Playing Rule 3-6-f-Note 1 states that 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.
In addition to today’s ejections, Coach Schnall is suspended for the next two games per NCAA Playing Rule 5-15-a-4, which states that an additional two-game suspension is added to any other penalties. By rule, no team personnel may continue to argue or to continue to excessively express themselves with prolonged actions or offensive language after an ejection.
NCAA Playing Rule 2-26-f states that an assistant coach, if ejected, is automatically suspended for one game. Per NCAA Playing Rule 5-15-a-4 an additional two-game suspension is added to any other penalties. By rule, Coach Schilling is suspended for three games.”
Coastal Carolina Releases Statement
“The ejections of head coach Kevin Schnall and assistant coach Matt Schilling in the bottom of the first inning drastically altered the trajectory of a must-win game for our team. These decisions were made with an alarming level of haste, without an attempt at de-escalation, and deprived our student-athletes of the leadership they have relied on throughout a historic postseason run. This is not about a single call—it’s about process and professionalism. In the biggest moment of the college baseball season, our program and its student-athletes deserved better. The NCAA must re-evaluate how it trains, assigns, and reviews umpires in championship environments. We expect consistency, communication, and the same level of excellence from officials that we demand of our teams.
Our players have represented this university, this conference, and college baseball with integrity and heart. They deserved the opportunity to compete for a national championship with their leaders and were denied that opportunity today.”
