SAN ANTONIO – Tackling is usually reserved for football, but a viral video shows just that occurring in a junior college baseball game in north Texas.
The video, which has been viewed 5.1 million times as of this writing, was taken during the top of the sixth inning in an April 20 game between North Central Texas College (NCTC) and Weatherford College. In the video, NCTC’s Josh Phillips hit a go-ahead home run and Weatherford pitcher Owen Woodward suddenly attacked Phillips as he rounded third base, causing the NCTC dugout to run onto the field.
Umpires would suspend the game once the incident had been broken up. Both teams were forced to forfeit the contest.
Following the incident, the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference handed Woodward a four-game suspension. Phillips was suspended two games for taunting.
Additionally, “all team members for NCTC that were in the dugout or bullpen” and any assistant coaches who stepped onto the field were suspended two games. Four additional Weatherford players and assistant coaches were issued two-game suspensions.
A statement from Weatherford College revealed that Woodward would face potential disciplinary action “up to and possibly including expulsion” from the school, and the Weatherford College Police Department is investigating the incident.
Weatherford baseball coach Jeff Lightfoot said that he was “shocked and disappointed” and that the program did not condone Woodward’s behavior. On April 22, Lightfoot confirmed that Woodward was no longer with the team.
Due to the suspensions, NCTC was forced to forfeit games two and three of the four-game series between the schools. Weatherford College won the series finale on April 23 by a 6-4 score.
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