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Karl Ravech expresses dismay in ejection of Kevin Schnall, Matt Schilling in CWS Finals Game 2

by:Alex Byington•06/22/25•

_AlexByington

Schnall-Ravech
Kevin Schnall (Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images) | Karl Ravech (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)

Facing the the potential end of an incredible 2025 season in Sunday’s elimination Game 2 of a best-of-three Men’s College World Series final against LSU, Coastal Carolina will now have to go forward without not one but two members of its coaching staff.

Coastal Carolina head coach Kevin Schnall and first-base coach Matt Schilling were ejected two games for “prolonged arguing” balls and strikes in the bottom of the first inning Sunday. The quick trigger from home plate umpire Angel Campos prompted longtime ESPN baseball announcer Karl Ravech to question the decision.

“That’s an aggressive ejection. … Angel Campos is a name familiar in umpiring circles, had some major league experience as well, a veteran umpire,” Ravech said during the Sunday’s ABC broadcast. “But Schnall and the first base coach Schilling have both been ejected from this College World Series game in the bottom of the first inning. And Schnall has emphasized to us the most important coach that he has is Schilling at first base.”

Coming out of a commercial break between innings, Ravech doubled down.

“Boy I’ve never seen that before. The Coastal Carolina dugout is minus their first base coach, and more important than that, their head coach, with eight innings to play,” Ravech continued. “Backs already against the wall, and now you’re down two key personnel to help you guide you through this. … Chad Oxendine is now the acting head coach.”

The double-ejection, which will keep both coaches unavailable for a potential Game 3 if Coastal manages to pull even with a win Sunday afternoon, happened with both teams still scoreless in the first inning. The Chanticleers got some revenge the next inning with a solo home run from Dean Mihos in the bottom of the second. But that advantage was quickly erased when LSU tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI-double to left from Ethan Frey in the top of the third. The Tigers then piled on with four runs in the top of the fourth, sparked by a two-RBI single from Chris Stanfield to pull ahead 3-1 with no outs in the frame.

Kyle Peterson blasts umpires for ejecting Kevin Schnall, first base coach in CWS, Coastal Carolina vs. LSU

Of course, Ravech wasn’t the only member of the ABC/ESPN crew to take issue with the ejections.

“I just I don’t like it,” Kyle Peterson, who was on the ESPN broadcast calling the game, said during the next half inning. “We can’t hear everything that’s said. The rule says you can’t argue balls and strikes. So if you want to go straight by the rule, then okay, but you never go straight by the rules.”

Social media began buzzing following the controversial ejection. Peterson added some additional commentary after the incident was able to set in.

“I mean, it was Kevin Schnall did not exactly walk back into the dugout. It started at first base with his first base coach and ultimately, that’s who was going to get the warning and then it took on from there,” Peterson said later in the third inning. “I still think it’s too quick.”

— On3’s Barkley Truax contributed to this report.