Mission Sharyland files Incident Report with U.I.L. protesting game
By: Ricardo E. Calderon
An Exclusive Eagle Pass Business Journal News Story/Copyright 2013
The Mission Sharyland High School Rattlers Head Baseball Coach Barton Bickerton has filed an Incident Report with the University Interscholastic League (U.I.L.) in Austin, Texas protesting the selection method utilized by the Eagle Pass High School Eagles coaching staff for their May 17, 2013 Regional Quarter-Finals Baseball Championship one-game series held at the Harlandale Independent School District Frank M. Tejada Sports Complex in San Antonio, Texas, which the Eagle Pass Eagles won in the bottom of the eighth inning with bases-loaded and two outs on a controversial balk call by the third base umpire on Mission Sharyland’s pitcher Pancho Martinez.
Mission Sharyland is protesting the selection method of the game umpires by the Eagle Pass Eagles coaching staff. The two teams allegedly had agreed to use baseball umpires from the San Antonio Chapter of TASO to be selected by U.I.L., but Mission Sharyland is complaining that the Eagles coaching staff selected the four umpires from the San Antonio TASO Chapter instead of U.I.L.. Mission Sharyland complains that their requests for documentation on the selection of umpires from Eagle Pass and U.I.L. were never provided to them before the game.
Mission Sharyland complains that the umpires made several controversial calls during the game which changed the result of the game and are seeking to replay the game with the Eagles.
Specifically, Mission Sharyland complains that in the bottom of the seventh inning with one out an Eagles baserunner slid into the Mission Sharyland shortstop on a double-play outside the base path trying to take out the Rattlers shortstop, which is illegal in high school play, causing their shortstop to throw wide and the baseball going to the dugout fence allowing the Eagles to score two runs to tie the game instead of the game being over had the doubleplay not been interfered by the illegal take out slide by the Eagles baserunner, sending the game into extra innings instead. The Mission Sharyland shortstop was ejected from the game immediately after the play for arguing with the umpire about the call and Head Coach Bickerton was limited to the dugout after arguing the same call. In addition, Mission Sharyland complains about the controversial balk call made by the third base umpire on the Rattlers pitcher with two outs and base loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning scoring the winning run for the Eagles.
Meanwhile, the Eagles are scheduled to play the San Antonio Johnson Jaguars for the Region IV Semi-Finals Championship in a best of three series starting with Game One on Friday, May 24th, at 7 p.m. in Eagle Pass and Game Two at 3 p.m. at the Blossom Athletic Center in San Antonio and, if necessary, Game Three following 30 minutes after Game Two at the same field.
Attempts by the Eagle Pass Business Journal to get comments from EPISD Athletic Director Edward Graf were unsuccessful as Graf was in a meeting and unavailable at the time of writing this article.
The Eagle Pass Business Journal contacted Darryl Beasley, Assistant Athletic Director at U.I.L., including Baseball, and received a response from Kate Y. Hector, Media Coordinator at U.I.L, confirming that Mission Sharyland filed an Incident Report and that U.I.L. is “continuing to investigate and gather information from the coaches and administrators involved.” Hector stated that “unless legal action is taken, the UIL will decide what action is taken regarding this incident report. The UIL has a State Executive Committee that holds hearings, which are open to the public and press. At this time a State Executive Committee hearing is not scheduled or planned in regards to these allegations. More information will be available on a timeline of decisions or actions after the UIL has completed investigating the matter.”
The Eagle Pass Business Journal will follow up with the Eagle Pass Independent School District’s response to the Mission Sharyland High School Incident Report filed with U.I.L. on Monday, May 20th and the U.I.L.’s decision regarding this Incident Report.
