Monday, June 19
Outfielder Stone involved in pushing incident
 
 Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. -- Clemson outfielder Casey Stone was suspended Thursday for one NCAA postseason game after his role in a pushing match that erupted following Louisiana-Lafayette's 5-4 victory over the Tigers.

The Ragin' Cajuns scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday to eliminate Clemson from the College World Series.

Louisiana-Lafayette players celebrated around home plate, swarming Rick Haydel after he scored the winning run from first base on a throwing error.

Stone ran in from his outfield position and shoved Louisiana-Lafayette's Ryan Gill in the back, knocking him into Ragin' Cajuns coach Tony Robichaux and prompting a brief pushing match between the teams.

Coaches from both teams quickly broke up the fracas.

The NCAA Division I Baseball Committee reviewed the play several times and interviewed players and coaches from both teams before imposing a public reprimand and the suspension.

"You just hate for it to come to that, but you have to appreciate how quickly the NCAA moved," Robichaux said. "We were in meetings almost immediately and they were reviewing the tapes. The tape shows you what happened and takes the 'he said, she said' out of it."

The suspension does not apply to regular-season play, but will be enforced at Clemson's next postseason game in which Stone is eligible.

Being a junior, Stone likely will serve his suspension during next year's regional play, if the Tigers make the NCAA tournament.
 



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