Umpires ejected UConn batter Matt Malcolm and Penn State Kyle Hannon, both for bat flips after hitting a home run in different games. Let's dig into college baseball history and the 2016 bench-clearing incident after a bat flip that led NCAA to ban nearly all such flips. Article: https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/03/bat-flip-ejections-how-to-not-be.html
NCAA adopted rule 5-17 Unsportsmanlike Conduct prior to the 2023 baseball season, which states that game personnel may not engage in certain behaviors indicative of poor sportsmanship. Amongst acts explicitly listed as illegal and discipline-worthy are "bat flips near or toward an opponent or umpire."
See how umpires have been taught to interpret "near" and "toward" and the strict scrutiny that has been applied to bat flips as a sportsmanship enforcement tool, stemming from a high-profile bench clearing that resulted from a post-grand slam bat flip during a 2016 playoff game between Boston College and Miami.
