Sports

Suspended Georgia Baseball Player Spends Free Time In Enemy Territory Watching Rival Get Walked Off

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Georgia baseball player Tre Phelps was suspended for one game due to unsportsmanlike conduct. He will not play in the Bulldogs’ super regional opener.

The suspension has not kept him away from the baseball diamond. On Monday, he travelled to enemy territory to root against a rival.

Phelps was in the stands with teammate Kolby Branch to watch Georgia Tech face Oklahoma. One of those teams may very well be a future opponent in Omaha.

Why was Tre Phelps in Atlanta?

Simply put, he had the time. That had nothing to do with his recent suspension, which was the result of a taunting ruling in his most recent contest.

Phelps blasted a sixth inning home run to give his team a late lead. He waved to his parents in the stands as he rounded the bases. Umpires believed he was gesturing towards the opposing dugout.

The slugger was removed from the game after rounding the bases. His punishment is accompanied by a one-game suspension, per NCAA rule.

Georgia won the game to advance to the super regional round. By sweeping through its regional bracket, it received an extra day off.

Georgia Tech did not have that luxury. The Yellow Jackets lost to Oklahoma on Sunday forcing a decisive elimination game on Monday afternoon. The winner will move on. The loser will go home.

Tre Phelps made the 70-mile trip from Athens to watch that matchup. He was spotted in the stands with teammate Kolby Branch.

Branch’s brother, Kyle, is an infielder for the Oklahoma Sooners. Kolby was there in support. He brought Phelps along to root against the Yellow Jackets.

A scouting opportunity.

Georgia Tech earned the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Georgia got the No. 3 spot. As a result of that seeding, the two would not match up in a potential super regional.

Instead, the Bulldogs will face Mississippi State. The Yellow Jackets would host Kansas should they advance.

Oklahoma received the two-seed in the Atlanta regional. If they can pull the upset, they will travel to Lawrence to face the Jayhawks next round.

While a super regional meeting is off the table, a College World Series matchup is a possibility. All three of these teams are positioned on the same side of the bracket. Should two advance to Omaha, a meeting is likely.

Tre Phelps could very well be getting an early look at a future opponent. Of course, that would take the Bulldogs overcoming his Game 1 absence to win its next series.

Update: Oklahoma wins.

The Sooners won in walk-off fashion, beating the Yellow Jackets in extra innings after erasing a late 7-3 deficit.

Phelps and Branch were on the winning side. Their rival has been eliminated. The Bulldogs witnessed the drama in person.

Oklahoma will now advance to face Kansas in the super regional.

The Bulldogs and Sooners did not play in the regular season. Should each make it to Omaha, they may meet for the first time with a national title on the line.