Stetson protest of Florida game denied after NCAA confirms call

The NCAA has handed down a ruling on a controversial call in a baseball game between Florida and Stetson that caused the game to be played under protest on Tuesday night. The NCAA has upheld Florida’s 6-1 win, confirming a call in the seventh inning that was immediately subject to scrutiny.

Stetson called the ruling “disappointing” in a statement released by athletics director Ricky Ray and reported on by Jesse Simmons.

“We were notified last night by the NCAA that our protest of Tuesday’s baseball game was denied,” Ray wrote. “While this does not come as a surprise, it is disappointing. I continue to believe the rule involving the safety base was not properly adjudicated in this situation.

“I am disappointed for our student-athletes and coaches, as well as fans of both institutions. A great night to celebrate the exceptional college baseball played in our state was overshadowed by a ruling that was added just weeks before the season.”

The Hatters had a run taken away after a controversial play and replay review.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Stetson was down 2-1 when Salvador Alvarez hit a line drive off the pitcher’s glove, reaching on the infield single and scoring the tying run in the process. But Florida managed to apply the tag after the play, realizing Alvarez didn’t touch the green base. Instead, he hit the white main base.

The umpires went to the replay review, and overturned the call. Alvarez was out – the third of the inning, therefore wiping away the run and preserving the Florida lead. Stetson then said it planned to protest the result of the game, throwing the result into question for just under 48 hours.

The 2025 season is the first year college baseball implemented the double-base rule. It started in last year’s postseason and is now officially in place across the sport this year.

On the play, the umpires ultimately determined Alvarez’s entire foot missed the green base. By rule, that’s the equivalent of missing the base, which is why Florida was able to tag him and appeal the play. The NCAA’s clarifications and interpretations of the rule spell out the procedure if a runner doesn’t hit the green base.

“If there is a play on the batter-runner and the batter-runner clearly touches only the white portion of the double base, it is treated the same as missing the base,” the guideline states. “If this failure to touch the proper base occurs during a close play and the batter-runner has not passed the base with both feet, the batter-runner should be called out.

“If the batter-runner clearly beats the throw to first base but misses the base and has both feet on the ground beyond the back edge of the base, the batter-runner would be called out if the defense appeals prior to the batter-runner returning to first base. The proper mechanic is for the umpire to make no call on this play as the batter-runner has not yet touched first base.”

The review ultimately kept it a 2-1 Florida lead, and the Gators broke things open from there. They scored three runs on a Cade Kurland home run that went off the Stetson centerfielder’s glove, and UF added one more in the ninth inning to make it a 6-1 lead to eventually get the victory and improve to 8-0 on the young season.

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.