Baseball game descends into chaos as gloating batter sparks mass ejections for players, coaches and parents
During their Southern Conference tournament win over the Mercer Bears, Samford outfielder Michael Gupton hit a two-run homer to increase the Bulldogs' lead on the night.
Yet as he made his way around the bases, Gupton sparked anger when he appeared to shout something at Mercer's players and dugout, before touching home plate and celebrating with his teammates.
Bears shortstop Bradley Frye was left furious with his gloating antics, making a beeline for the Bulldogs man before being held back by umpires at Fluor Field.
A member of the team's coaching staff also had to be held back by his colleagues after taking offense to Gupton's celebrations.
In the end, Mercer players left the field in protest at what played out after the two-run homer.
Samford hits a bomb. Dude taunts the whole stadium. Mercer takes players off the field in protest.
This leagueeeeeee pic.twitter.com/9kuEcABxCe
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) May 25, 2025
After video review Gupton and Frye were both ejected from the game, while coaches were also thrown out - including Samford assistant Gil Walkes and Mercer pitching coach Tanner Gordon.
And incredibly, Frye's mother - who was watching on in the stands - was also ejected from the game for standing and jumping on top of the dugout moments after she learned of her son's ejection, according to Fox News.
Other Mercer supporters were also thrown out of the game after making their way onto the dugout roof to protest the decision.
The game was delayed for around 25 minutes by the chaos that ensued after Gupton's controversial celebration.
However, it was the Bulldogs who ultimately had the last laugh when they ran out 5-1 winners on the night. The victory earned them a place in the SoCon championship game.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
18 minutes ago
- Reuters
Reds acquire IF/OF Miguel Andujar from A's
August 1 - The Cincinnati Reds just beat the trade deadline on Thursday, dealing minor league right-handed pitcher Kenya Huggins to the Athletics in exchange for Miguel Andujar. In a corresponding move, the Reds also transferred left-handed pitcher Wade Miley to the 60-day injured list. Primarily a third baseman with the A's this season, Andujar, 30, has also played left field, right field and first base. Now in his ninth MLB season, Andujar is hitting a career-best .298, third among primary starters for the Athletics, to go along with six home runs and 27 RBIs. A .277 career hitter while with the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and A's, Andujar has proven to be successful against left-handed pitching this year, hitting .422 with a 1.036 OPS. "Andujar is one of the best players in baseball at hitting left-handed pitching," Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said, according to the Reds' website. "He fits as a middle-of-the-order bat against lefties. He's got some power." In Huggins, the Athletics landed Cincinnati's No. 22-ranked prospect. The 22-year-old pitcher was a fourth-round pick of the Reds in 2022 and has spent the past three seasons with Single-A Daytona. There, Huggins has gone 4-4 with a 3.82 ERA in 36 appearances, including 21 starts. In 18 games this season (15 starts), Huggins has gone 2-2 with a 3.69 ERA and 57 strikeouts across 63 1/3 innings. The Reds transferred Miley to the 60-day IL to free up space on their 40-man roster for Andujar. Miley landed on the injured list on June 20 with a left flexor strain in his forearm. He recently increased his long toss to 120 feet, according to but his timeline to return is still weeks away. The 38-year-old appeared in just three games for Cincinnati this season. For his career, which spans eight different teams in 15 years, Miley is 109-99 with a 4.09 ERA. --Field Level Media
Reuters
18 minutes ago
- Reuters
Brewers acquire pitchers Shelby Miller, Jordan Montgomery
August 1 - Shelby Miller is on his way back to the Milwaukee organization for the third time and is expected to see his first game action as a member of the Brewers. The right-handed pitcher and lefty Jordan Montgomery were acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks shortly before the trade deadline, the clubs announced on Thursday. In return, Arizona will receive a player to be named later or cash for the pair of veteran pitchers. Sidelined since July 5 with an elbow injury, Miller is 3-3 this season with a 1.98 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 10 saves in 37 relief appearances. The 34-year-old has 40 strikeouts over 36 1/3 innings in a resurgent campaign. A one-time All-Star as a member of the Atlanta Braves in 2015, Miller signed as a free agent with Milwaukee in 2019 and pitched in eight minor-league games before being shut down. He reunited with the Brewers again on a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training in 2020 before opting out during the COVID-19 pandemic. Montgomery, on the other hand, is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and can become a free agent this off-season. Montgomery, 32, has a career mark of 46-41 with one save, a 4.03 ERA, 251 walks and 788 strikeouts in 872 innings over 166 games (161 starts) for the New York Yankees (2017-22), St. Louis Cardinals (2022-23), Texas Rangers (2023) and Diamondbacks (2024). Over 13 years in the majors, Miller has a 50-69 record, 13 saves, a 4.03 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 291 career appearances (133 starts). He has 775 strikeouts and 355 walks over 912 innings with the Cardinals (2012-14), Braves (2015), Diamondbacks (2016-18, 2025), Rangers (2019), Chicago Cubs (2021), Pittsburgh Pirates (2021), San Francisco Giants (2022), Los Angeles Dodgers (2023) and Detroit Tigers (2024). The MLB-leading Brewers (64-44) had been relatively quiet prior to this deal as other contenders retooled their rosters across the league. Milwaukee traded lefty Nestor Cortes, minor league shortstop Jorge Quintana and cash to the San Diego Padres for outfielder Brandon Lockridge. --Field Level Media
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Todd and Julie Chrisley want to ‘expose the truth' about life in prison in new reality show
Todd and Julie Chrisley are making a return to reality television with their new Lifetime series, The Chrisleys: Back to Reality, following their release from prison. The couple was convicted in 2022 of tax evasion and conspiring to defraud the IRS, with Julie also found guilty of wire fraud and obstruction of justice. They were released from prison in May after being pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump. The trailer for the new show indicates emotional family reunions and suggests the couple will openly discuss their arrest and time incarcerated. Since their release, Todd and Julie have also been co-hosting a podcast, where Julie has claimed to have developed a lung condition due to black mold and asbestos in prison.
