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College baseball pitcher shoves runner on tag out, sparking benches to clear
By Ryan Gaydos
Published March 23, 2026
The college football season might be over, but a hard hit in a baseball game between the Central Michigan Chippewas and Toledo Rockets that may have filled that void for a few moments.
In the top of the seventh inning, Rockets outfielder Luke Walton hit a dribbler back to Chippewas pitcher Max Hammond. Walton blazed down the first base line, trying to avoid a tag or at least get to the bag before the pitcher threw it to the first baseman.
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Toledo’s Luke Walton scores a run against Oregon in a game on Feb. 14, 2025. (Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Hammond came down the line and pushed Walton down. The tag was made, but Walton took exception to the shove. He got back up and addressed Hammond face-to-face. The two players had to be held back as both benches spilled out onto the field.
As the dust cleared, Hammond and Walton were both ejected. The coaches didn’t address the situation after the game.
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NCAA signage is seen on the field before the game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Ole Miss Rebels during the Division I Men's Baseball Championship held at Charles Schwab Field Omaha on June 26, 2022 in Omaha, Nebraska. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Central Michigan picked up the 6-5 win in the 11th inning when Harrison Bowman delivered an RBI single. Bowman was 3-for-5 with a double in the win.
The Chippewas defeated the Rockets, 18-7, on Saturday night. The victories clinched Central Michigan’s first Mid-American Conference series win of the season. They improved to 9-11 overall on the year and 3-6 against conference opponents.
Toledo fell to 10-11 overall and 6-3 against conference opponents.
General view of the stadium before the contest between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Florida State Seminole at Charles Schwab Field Omaha on June 18, 2024. (Steven Branscombe/USA TODAY Sports)
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Central Michigan will return to the field on Tuesday for one game against the Michigan State Spartans. Toledo is also in action on Tuesday. They hit the road to take on the Butler Bulldogs.
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