Coastal coach Kevin Schnall sounds off on World Series umps after ejection

How quickly he was ejected from Sunday’s College World Series championship game loss to LSU was still a surprise to Coastal Carolina head coach Kevin Schnall long after he had been banished to CCU’s locker room.

At the postgame press conference following the Chants’ 5-3 loss to LSU at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Schnall first congratulated the Tigers on their eighth CWS tournament championship.

“They deserved it, they earned it,” Schnall said. “They just played a little bit better than we did.”

Schnall was asked about the first-inning ejections he and assistant coach Matt Schilling were handed from home plate umpire Angel Campos.

Schnall was asked if he was warned prior to his ejection and if any words were shared by Campos. That’s all the prodding Schnall needed to vent his frustrations.

“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,” Schnall said. “There’s 25,000 people there, and I vaguely hear a warning issued.

“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.”

Schnall was just getting warmed up. How Campos handled the ejection also rubbed the first-year head coach the wrong way.

“I’m 48 years old,” Schnall said. “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.”

Schnall then shared two words he said define the Chanticleers program under his leadership.

“Own it,” Schnall said. And what does that mean? “It means you have to own everything that you do without blame, without defending yourself, without excuses.”

Schnall then said he was given a two-game suspension for bumping an umpire. A statement issued during the game by NCAA officials didn’t reference any bump or contact.

Here’s that 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.”

Schnall said he was told the suspension was for bumping another umpire who tried to get between him and Campos. Video replay from the game clearly showed Schnall did not bump that umpire; rather, that umpire fell after getting tangled up with Campos.

“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 (fans), immediately goes, ‘Two games suspension’ and said, ‘bumping the umpire,’ ” Schnall said. “Immediately does that.

“There was no bump. He was embarrassed. I shouldn’t be held accountable for a grown man’s athleticism.”

If the incident is further reviewed, Schnall is confident he will be exonerated.

“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,’ ” Schnall said. “It is what it is. But if that warranted an ejection, man, there would be a lot of ejections.”

Chanticleers first base coach Matt Schilling also was ejected and suspended for two games, the NCAA statement said, for the same infractions for which Schnall was sent to the locker room.

Here’s that part of the statement from the NCAA:

“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.”

In the aftermath, Coastal athletic director Chance Miller said via statement that the ejections “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. ... 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.”

This story was originally published June 22, 2025 at 8:19 PM.