Tennessee baseball ace Liam Doyle was ejected from the Vols’ 5-4 game two victory over Auburn on Sunday afternoon and will serve a multi-game suspension according to NCAA rules.
NCAA rules dictate that a player will be suspended after being ejected from a game. For starting pitchers, the suspension is for four games. For relief pitchers, the suspension is for two games. Since Tennessee’s ace was pitching in relief under odd circumstances, the suspension should just be two games.
However, we won’t have definitive word on how many games the suspension is until the umpires submit their official report. Important to note, game three of the series finale was the first game of Doyle’s suspension.
Update on May 5: Tennessee Baseball’s Liam Doyle will serve a two-game suspension.
If the suspension is just two games, Doyle will be back to pitch in his normal Friday night spot against Vanderbilt. If the suspension is four games then Doyle won’t be available to pitch until the series finale Sunday.
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Doyle was ejected after getting the final out of the top of the 11th inning. Auburn’s Bristol Carter attempted to steal home but Doyle was alert eventually getting Carter in a pickle. Doyle tagged Carter with a bit of gusto leading to a brief brouhaha and the two sides players exchanging words.
“If anything, these guys that are out there between the lines should probably get to say some things to each other and probably should be granted that right,” Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello said postgame.
It was unclear that Doyle got ejected because Tennessee walked off the game in the bottom of the 11th inning. Carter was not ejected but the centerfielder wasn’t in Auburn’s lineup for game three of the weekend series.
Doyle hasn’t just been Tennessee’s best pitcher this season but one of the nation’s best pitchers. The left-handed junior exits the weekend with a 7-2 record, 2.47 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 65.2 innings pitched this season.
