Oregon star Anson Aroz ejected, suspended after trucking catcher on controversial play late vs. Utah Valley

Controversy erupted in the Eugene Regional on Friday after Oregon catcher Anson Aroz was ejected for malicious contact in the bottom of the eighth inning against Utah Valley. Aroz will not be allowed to play in Oregon’s game on Saturday due to the ejection.

The umpires ruled that the malicious contact occurred after Aroz ran over Utah Valley catcher Mason Strong, who attempted to tag Aroz out at home plate. Although Strong appeared to be standing in front of home plate, the umpires ruled that he didn’t commit obstruction, thus leading to their decision to eject Aroz.

Aroz had been on third base and dashed toward home after tagging up on a pop fly to left field. The umpire’s decision will not only be pivotal to Oregon’s hopes tomorrow but played an immediate effect on Friday evening.

We have CHAOS in Eugene 👀👀👀

Anson Aroz has been called out and ejected for malicious contact for a collision at the plate. Utah Valley leads host Oregon in the 9th pic.twitter.com/r25VZGPJSE

— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) May 31, 2025

If the run had counted, Oregon would’ve cut Utah Valley’s lead to 6-5. Instead, Utah Valley escaped the inning still ahead by two runs, putting Oregon under immense pressure down the stretch.

The Ducks were visibly shocked by the umpires’ ruling and Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski wasn’t shy to share his frustration. The 2025 Big Ten Coach of the Year charged toward the umpires, demanding an explanation. He had to be restrained by his fellow staff members to avoid ejection.

He wasn’t the only one who was left scratching his head at the call. After shortly arguing with an umpire about the call, Aroz walked off the field while firing up Ducks fans in the stands. Oregon will undoubtedly miss Aroz on Saturday.

The junior standout was an All-Big Ten Third-Team selection this season. He boasts a .281 batting average this season, along with 16 home runs and 52 RBI’s.

Aroz has been just as excellent in the field. He has 149 putouts this season compared to just four errors. In total, Aroz has a jaw-dropping .975 fielding percentage. That won’t be easy to replace for the Ducks.

Oregon ultimately fell 6-5 against Utah Valley. With the loss, the Ducks will look to keep their postseason hopes alive on Saturday when they square off against Cal Poly at 3 p.m. ET.

In contrast, Utah Valley will look to secure another upset when it takes on Arizona at 9 p.m. ET. Utah Valley’s win over Oregon is its first NCAA Tournament victory in program history.