On Sunday, Coastal Carolina took the field at the 2025 College World Series, hoping to keep its hopes of a national championship alive against LSU.
If they’re going to pull off the win in Game 2 in the best-of-three championship series, the Chanticleers will have to do so without the man who helped lead them there.
Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall was ejected from the game in the bottom of the first inning of a June 22 game at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska against LSU, which would win the NCAA championship with a victory Sunday.
While it’s unclear why, exactly, Schnall was kicked out, television cameras showed him coming out of the dugout to argue with home-plate umpire Angel Campos while putting up three fingers and appearing to say the crew missed three pitches.
Schnall had received a warning from Campos for arguing balls and strikes and was then ejected for leaving the dugout. After the umpire’s ruling, he continued to argue, for which he’ll receive a two-game suspension, keeping him out of the rest of the series.
If they win Sunday, the Chanticleers will force a decisive Game 3 against LSU on June 23. The Tigers won Game 1 1-0 on June 21 behind a complete-game shutout from star pitcher Kade Anderson, who struck out 10 batters.
The NCAA baseball rule book notes that a coach can be ejected for what Schnall was alleged to have done. The rule states:
‘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. Umpires shall record the warning.’
It goes on to add that ‘if a coach leaves the dugout or their position to argue a ball or strike call (including a half swing or hit-by-pitch), the coach may be ejected without warning.’
In addition to Schnall, Coastal Carolina first-base coach Matt Schilling was also tossed. The ESPN broadcast crew said Schnall described Schilling as the most important coach on his staff. Schilling was kicked out after walking behind the umpires near the first-base line and continuing to make comments to them, prompting the ejection.
With Schnall gone, Chanticleers associate head coach Chad Oxendine is serving as the acting coach, per the ESPN broadcast. Oxendine has college head-coaching experience, having worked as the Longwood head coach from 2022-24.
The altercation occurred 10 pitches into the bottom of the second inning, shortly after Coastal Carolina’s Sebastian Alexander stole second base with two outs.
Social media had no shortage of reactions to Schnall’s ejection, with many believing Campos’ move was an overreaction so early in a championship game. Here’s a sampling:
Though it was scoreless when Schnall was ejected, LSU built a 5-1 lead by the end of the third inning.
LSU is vying for its eighth CWS title overall and its second in the past three years while Coastal Carolina is trying to win its second. Before their loss to the Tigers Saturday night, the Chanticleers had a 26-game win streak.
NCAA statement on Kevin Schnall ejection
The NCAA released a statement on June 22 addressing Schnall’s ejection. The statement read, in part:
‘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.’
The full statement can be found here.