Clemson coach Erik Bakich on ejection vs. Florida: 'Would I incite the crowd again, hell yes'

A tantalizingly good baseball game between Florida and Clemson in the Super Regionals was marred by a string of ejections, most of which appeared relatively unnecessary to the casual viewer. Tigers coach Erik Bakich was among them.

Bakich was tossed in the top of the 13th inning, just moments after the Tigers had hit a go-ahead solo home run.

Officials warned right fielder Alden Mathes after he slammed his bat to the ground following the home run, and that led to Clemson coaches going to speak with the officials. As they did so, Jack Leggett was tossed from the game.

Incensed, Erik Bakich then started to go wild on both the officials and stirring up the crowd, which got him tossed.

On Wednesday, the Clemson coach reiterated he’d do it all over again.

“Well if grounds for ejection are a coach inciting the crowd then I might get ejected an awful lot, because I like engaging with our crowd,” Bakich said. “Like waving my (hands), I do it all the time. With two outs and two strikes I’ll look at them and tell them to get up. I always do that with the crowd.”

Clemson baseball coach Erik Bakich: “Would I incite the crowd again? Hell yes.” Says he’ll never apologize for doing that and if “inciting the crowd is grounds for ejection, I’m gonna get ejected a whole lot” pic.twitter.com/9EjMoITG2v

— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) June 12, 2024

The two teams already had a bit of history with the umpires in the second and decisive game in the Super Regional, with an ejection earlier in the contest.

That ejection occurred after the Clemson bench cleared following a first-base dust-up between Florida pitcher Jack Caglianone and Clemson batter Nolan Nawrocki. Tigers’ first baseman Jack Crighton was tossed from the game for leaving his position on the basepaths to enter the fray.

That didn’t sit well with the crowd, which remained amped throughout the afternoon.

Bakich is in full support of the crowd and defended his actions as simply getting them further into the game.

“I love that (Doug Kinsmore Stadium) is our 10th man,” Erik Bakich said. “It feels like they’re on our team. And I’m always going to interact with our crowd.

“Sorry not sorry, going to keep doing that. So I guess I’m going to keep getting ejected, because that was the explanation I got, because I incited the crowd while coach was walking out, that’s why I got ejected. And then just the cavalier way of just ‘Yeah, you’re ejected.’ And the turn was almost antagonistic, I thought. But yeah, it is what it is. That’s unfortunate. It was that, but if you’re asking me would I incite the crowd again, hell yes.”

Florida would eventually walk the game off in the bottom half of the 13th inning, hitting a two-run RBI double to win 11-10, eliminating Clemson.