Suspensions handed down for Saturday's home plate incident
The SEC handed down five suspensions for Saturday night’s incident in the eighth inning between Georgia and Mississippi State.
According to a release from the league office in Birmingham, Mississippi State starting catcher Johnny Long and starting third baseman Logan Kohler will miss today’s game.
Three Georgia players – catchers Henry Hunter and Fernando Gonzalez, along with reliever Daniel Padysak – will also have to serve their one-game suspensions.
Padysak was the player seen in a jacket who ran onto the field right after the incident took
Because both Hunter and Gonzalez are catchers, Georgia is being allowed to stagger their suspensions. Gonzalez is in the starting lineup for today’s games with Hunter now set to sit out Tuesday’s contest against Kennesaw State.
The incident in question took place in the top of the eighth involving pinch-runner Dillon Carter and Long. The altercation nearly led to a scuffle between both teams.
Right after the play, Long stood over the Bulldog baserunner, bumping him twice with his knee, bringing players from both Georgia and Mississippi State onto the field.
After some initial pushing and shoving, order was restored.
Georgia would challenge the play, requesting to see if there was "malicious contact" that could have overturned the call. The league office in Birmingham ruled there was none.
However, the league also reviewed the play to determine which players were to be ejected. Per league rules, "players who leave the dugout to enter the field of play at the time of a potential altercation, are subject to ejection."
In an email to reporters, the SEC said that after a further video review of the incident Saturday night and Sunday morning, and in consultation with the NCAA’s security rules editor, it was determined that the five mentioned players were to be suspended.
After a 39-minute delay, Georgia went on to win the game 3-2 on a go ahead home run by Clayton Chadwick.
The two teams complete their series today at 2 p.m.
