Omaha, Neb. — Coastal Carolina’s head coach Kevin Schnall faced a tough start to Game 2 of the NCAA College World Series finals against LSU, as he was ejected from the game in the first inning. This unexpected turn of events serves as a significant moment in the championship, with the impact felt throughout the game.
The drama began when Coastal Carolina’s Walker Mitchell was at bat with two outs, and Sebastian Alexander had stolen second base. In a heated exchange, Schnall approached the top of the dugout steps to argue with plate umpire Angel Campos over balls and strikes. Despite a warning from the umpires, Schnall’s desire to express his frustration escalated, leading to his ejection when he did not leave promptly.
As Schnall continued to argue with the umpire, an incident occurred where one of the base umpires fell during the confrontation. Schnall later asserted that he was wrongly accused of bumping the official and described the situation as a misunderstanding. “If you watch the video, it was a guy who came in aggressively and tripped over Campos’ foot,” Schnall stated. “There was no bump. I shouldn’t be held accountable for a grown man’s athleticism.”
Despite his protest, Schnall is set to miss the first two games of the 2026 season due to NCAA rules concerning ejections. His assistant coach, Matt Schilling, who was also thrown out for his comments during the argument, is facing a three-game suspension as well. The NCAA expressed its position, affirming that Schnall and Schilling engaged in “prolonged arguing,” warranting their suspensions.
In the wake of the ejections, associate head coach Chad Oxendine took over coaching duties. Schnall mentioned that he felt he deserved a chance for clarification after the warning. “As a head coach, it’s your right to get an explanation for why we got warned,” he explained. Despite the unfortunate developments, he remained unapologetic about his actions, stating, “I’m sorry for how it ended.”
The Coastal Carolina athletics director, Chance Miller, took to social media to express concern, reviewing the nature of the ejections that he believes altered the game’s outcome. “These decisions were made with an alarming level of haste,” Miller remarked. “Our student-athletes deserved better.” He also urged the NCAA to reconsider its training and processes for umpires, especially during crucial championship games.
Meanwhile, LSU secured a 5-3 victory, celebrating their second national championship in three years. The significance of Schnall’s early ejection will undoubtedly be discussed as this historic postseason run comes to an end for Coastal Carolina.
