Texas Longhorns Coach David Pierce Suspended Two Games
In Sunday’s series finale between the Texas Longhorns and TCU Horned Frogs, things got a little heated at the end of the seventh inning. That instance, there was a heated exchange between head coach David Pierce and the officials officiating the game.
Peyton Powell drew a walk with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to give the Longhorns a 2-1 lead and put runners at the corners. Max Belyeu stepped up to the bat, hoping to maintain the line’s momentum and plate at least one vital insurance run. which it seems he did.
The umpires convened after Belyeu seemed to take one into right field for a clutch RBI single with two outs, ruling that the ball struck Powell and so was dead. Belyeu singled, but there was no run scored as the inning came to a finish with Texas still holding a 2-1 lead.
Pierce was ejected because he did not agree with the call and expressed his unhappiness to the umpires. But he didn’t stop there; even after being kicked out of the game, he continued to vent to the crew. In the end, the decision was probably the right one, but Pierce was incensed that the play had not been reviewed.
The Big 12 announced on Monday night that Pierce will miss the next two games due to his… let’s say persistence. The NCAA rulebook states that “No team personnel may continue to argue or to continue to excessively express themselves with prolonged actions or offensive language after an ejection.”
Though it is unclear if the suspension will have an impact on the Longhorns, it is crucial that they keep in mind the wider picture as the season approaches its conclusion and the conference title is still up for grabs.
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