Vanderbilt was not able to win Game 2 of its three-game college baseball series against Florida in Nashville on Saturday. Starting pitcher J.D. Thompson was dealing early until he was ejected.
The umpires determined that he had a foreign substance on his forearm!
Oddly enough, no further information has been provided at this point, nearly 24 hours later. So many questions remain unanswered.
Thompson, a sophomore, worked his way back from an injury suffered in the middle of last month. Saturday was the first day since March 12 that the Commodores gave him a full leash. However, it was yanked back by the umpires after allowing four hits and one run with two walks and six strikeouts in 3.2 innings against the Gators.
The Florida dugout started to complain near the end of the third inning and continued to do so as the game continued. Thompson was removed with a 3-2 count and two outs in the top of the fourth.
Some controversy in the Florida vs Vanderbilt baseball game. Vanderbilts pitcher, JD Thompson, has just been ejected from the game after being accused of having an illegal substance on his right arm. The Florida dugout had been complaining for a few batters now and they… pic.twitter.com/EKqF8b6YGO
— Dean Ralsky (@DeanRalsky) April 20, 2024
Here is where the mystery lies.
SEC umpires examined the ball, Thompson’s glove and his forearm. After a lengthy discussion, they chose to remove him from the game.
Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin said after the game that he did not know what substance led to the ejection. He would not discuss any further until he gets a greater understanding of what happened.
NCAA rules state that if a pitcher is ejected for a foreign substance, he will be suspended four additional games. That would mean that Thompson cannot pitch during Tuesday’s midweek game against U.T. Martin or in next weekend’s series against Mississippi State. Corbin wants to talk more with the SEC office before discussing that possibility.
It could have been a very minor thing, like some sunscreen and rosin. It could be a major scandal, like Spider Tack. We don’t know!
This does not happen often in college baseball, and it was a first for Vanderbilt’s 21-year skipper. The last incident of this nature took place in 2022 when Michigan pitcher Willie Weiss was ejected from a Big Ten Tournament game. More is to come with J.D. Thompson… It is all very mysterious at this point!