Hitting a go-ahead home run should call for celebration, right? You'd think a simple bat flip would fall under that "celebration" category, but apparently that isn't the case in college baseball these days.
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Chase Cripps launched a three-run home run to give his University of Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils team a three-run lead against Southern Nazarene University on Saturday in a Division II Great American Conference matchup. He was then ejected and suspended for excessive celebration for the mildest of bat flips.
College Baseball Player Ejected for Mild Bat Flip
University of Arkansas at Monticello sophomore Chase Cripps hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning
However, he was ejected and can’t play in the team’s next game because his bat flip was ruled as excessive celebration, per @weevilsbaseball pic.twitter.com/RbbT76cnIW
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) March 26, 2023
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I mean, can we just let the kids play ball? This was clearly a player simply enjoying the moment. If that's classified as excessive celebration in 2023, then college baseball is broken at this point. Never mind the new pitch clock that is screwing up games.
Cripps, who had homered in two straight games before this go-ahead bomb, tweeted out his frustration with the NCAA in a succinct way.
"NCAA is soft," he wrote.
NCAA is soft
— Chase Cripps (@cripps_chase) March 27, 2023
Even the Weevils' official Twitter account couldn't help but ask whether the bat flip was actually excessive (it wasn't).
"Chase Cripps with the game winning home run! However, he will not be playing tomorrow. He was ejected for the bat flip. Excessive?"
Chase Cripps with the game winning home run! However, he will not be playing tomorrow. He was ejected for the bat flip. Excessive? https://t.co/pCPumIXHwF
— Weevil Baseball (@weevilsbaseball) March 26, 2023
And for those who might have thought he said something — whether to the pitcher, catcher or umpire — to earn the ejection, he tweeted that he didn't say a word.
If this bat flip is excessive, then so was Jose Bautista's famous playoff home run. And literally everyone who's ever hit a home run in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league would be given the death penalty if it were up to this home plate umpire.
Hopefully, Mr. Cripps comes back from his one-game suspension, hits a walk-off home run in the team's next game and bat flips to the freakin' moon.
