Suspensions aren't automatic but will happen in game 2 of weird Double Header

[NewsCopy]

Sunday's ejections of UL baseball coach Tony Robichaux and pitcher/shortstop Micah Cockrell won't necessary result in a future suspension, according to a Sun Belt Conference spokesman.

Robichaux was ejected in the seventh inning of Sunday's 7-2 loss to Arkansas-Little Rock after arguments with both plate umpire Scott Cline and third base umpire Todd Henderson. Henderson had ejected Cockrell moments earlier for comments made from the dugout.

Rob Broussard, director of media relations for the Sun Belt, said Sunday that the umpire crew chief will submit a report of the incident to the league office Monday. Following receipt of that report, the league office will contact Robichaux to confirm items in the report and get his comments.

"Normally the school will write a letter of apology," Broussard said, "and as long as that is enough to satisfy the commissioner (Wright Waters) there is no mandatory suspension for either one. That's not to say that a suspension won't happen, but it is up to the report and their response."

Broussard said that any contact with the umpire would create a mandatory one-game suspension. There was no physical contact on Cockrell's ejection, and there did not appear to be contact between Robichaux and Henderson since crew chief Steve Dew - Sunday's first-base umpire - was between the two for most of the argument.

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[Lil_Robi]

I would have liked to see Coach some dirt on their shoes. He might have got in trouble though. The fans were into it at that point

[JMV JustMyView]

I would have liked to see Coach some dirt on their shoes. He might have got in trouble though. The fans were into it at that point

Whatever was said to these umpire's they deserved to here it, the whole crew suckes ~~~~~.

[RaisingCajun08]

Whatever was said to these umpire's they deserved to here it, the whole crew suckes ~~~~~.

I have to agree with you. I can guarentee that Little Rock disliked the umps more than we did.

[JMV JustMyView]

I have to agree with you. I can guarentee that Little Rock disliked the umps more than we did.

I don't know for a fact but I would be willing to bet that the league send the better umpire crews to the better games and the least experience crew to the weaker games. Little Rock is very weak and we should have swept but give credit to there pitcher on sunday he shut us down, got to tip your hat to him that is baseball.

[NewsCopy]

Robichaux, Cockrell to serve suspensions.

In his 18 years of collegiate head coaching, Tony Robichaux has never been in this situation.

His Ragin' Cajuns are playing what is in essence a two-inning game tonight against Sam Houston State, and they'll start off with a two-run deficit. The teams will then play a full nine-inning game.

Confusing? A little, but not as confusing as back on Feb. 16 in Huntsville, Texas, when the clubs waited for two hours for umpires to appear, following an apparent lack of communication between SHSU and its umpire source.

That late-starting contest was suspended by darkness (the Bearkats' park did not have lights during its renovation), and will be picked up today at 4 p.m. at Moore Field prior to the start of the two teams' regularly-scheduled game at 6:30 p.m. A ticket for the 6:30 p.m. game will admit fans for both games.

"I've had games that have been suspended and picked up the next day," Robichaux said. "That happens in conference play. But I've never been involved in one that's been this long."

On top of that, it'll be an even more awkward day for Robichaux, who along with shortstop Micah Cockrell will sit out today's regularly scheduled game after they were ejected from Sunday's 7-2 loss to Arkansas-Little Rock.

The UL Athletic Department is making a pre-emptive strike tonight with the suspensions.

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com