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LSU baseball's Jay Johnson ejected after controversial call vs. South Carolina in SEC Tournament

john leuzzi, usa today network
·3 min read

Tensions have risen at the SEC Baseball Tournament all week, and with a trip to the championship game on the line Saturday's semifinals between LSU and South Carolina proved to be no different.

In the 10th inning of the SEC Tournament semifinals between the Tigers and the Gamecocks, LSU coach Jay Johnson was ejected from the ball game.

REQUIRED READING: LSU baseball live score updates vs South Carolina from SEC Baseball Tournament

Why was Jay Johnson ejected?

Johnson's ejection came following a controversial call by the home plate umpire on a play at home plate. The initial call was Blake Jackson getting thrown out attempting to steal home. The call was then reversed to a catcher's interference and a balk Hoover Met Stadium, giving the Gamecocks the run on the balk.

Due to the call, South Carolina took the lead 11-10 in the top of the 10th inning. Johnson attempted to argue the ruling, but was ejected from the game. LSU then wanted to protest the call on the grounds the runner did not touch home, but no protest ultimately came down.

REQUIRED READING: Look: Steven Milam two-run home run lifts LSU baseball over South Carolina in SEC Tournament

LSU's Jay Johnson comments on ejection

Following the win, Johnson joined the SEC Now crew to discuss the Tigers win and his ejection, to which he said he was "still not sure what happened" and that he and his staff would get an explanation on it later tonight.

"It doesn't matter because these guys are tough and toughness is defined by this. We were 3-12 in SEC play, we just won our 40th game of the season and the NCAA Tournament hasn't started yet," Johnson said."That's toughness. We're playing better than anybody in the country right now."

Johnson mentioned that he did not see Steven Milam's two-run walk-off home run as he was not near the field.

"I'm not messing with anything," Johnson said. "We got too much important baseball coming tomorrow and in the NCAA Tournament."

He added: "The umpire crew basically (said) once I was ejected was like, 'You got to leave right now, otherwise there's going to be a suspension' and we fought too hard to get to this position, so I basically walked off the field."

SEC rules expert comments on Jay Johnson ejection

SEC coordinator of umpires Paul Guillie said on the SEC Network broadcast that the reason for LSU's protest of the play at home plate did not happen was due to having "judgment" on the play by the umpiring crew.

"Obviously on that play we had judgment. It was not originally an interpretation, they brought the crew together under getting the call correct. They ruled a catched ball, which also carries the weight of interference and when they awarded the run to home plate, the batter also gets first base," Guillie said.

"So when LSU lodged the protests, the only thing that is protestable in that situation is the interpretation of the rule. Obviously umpire's judgment is not a protestable situation. So we (the umpire crew and Guillie) got back with him (LSU coaching staff), we don't want to play a game on the protest. We gave him the exact rule, which Kyle was reading earlier with the penalty."

NCAA Base Running Rule

The rule that came into question Saturday at Hoover Met Stadium with the play at home plate was Rule 8, Section 3B of the NCAA Baseball Rulebook.

Per the NCAA Baseball Rulebook, Rule 8 reads:

"The base runner shall be entitled to an unoccupied base if the individual touches it before being put out. The base runner is entitled to this base until put out or the individual may be advanced one or more bases under the following conditions:

  • A) If forced to vacate the base because of a following runner; Note: With two outs, if a runner is awarded home but does not touch the plate before a following runner is put out for the third out, the run scores unless the batter-runner was declared out before reaching first base or any other runner was declared out before reaching the base to which they were forced.

  • B) If forced to vacate the base because the batter was awarded that base

  • C) If the batter hits a fair ball that touches another base runner or an umpire before it has been touched by or has passed a fielder, providing the runner is forced to advance

  • D) If the umpire calls a balk

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU baseball's Jay Johnson ejected after controversial call vs. South Carolina