Michigan pitcher Willie Weiss ejected for using foreign substance (Video)

May 30, 2022
Umpires inspect glove of Michigan pitcher Willie Weiss, Michigan vs. Iowa, 5/29/2022
Michigan Wolverines senior right-handed reliever Willie Weiss was ejected from Sunday's Big Ten baseball tournament game against Iowa after being caught with an illegal substance in his glove.

It happened in the bottom of the fifth as Weiss entered the game to replace starter Connor O'Halloran with Michigan holding a 4-1 lead. After hitting an Iowa batter with a pitch, Weiss was preparing to throw a 2-2 pitch to batter Michael Seegers when someone from the Iowa dugout got the attention of the home plate umpire, leading him to call a time out. The home plate umpire called a huddle with the rest of the umpire crew to discuss the situation, and then asked to take a look at Weiss' glove. 

A close inspection seemed to indicate the clear use of a sticky substance, and it only took a matter of seconds for them to toss Weiss from the game. Here is Big Ten Network footage of the incident:

Weiss did not seem to dispute the issue as he walked off the mound. This additional video shows him going to his glove after getting the ball from the catcher after throwing the 1-1 pitch: That may have been what tipped off the Iowa coaching staff, leading them to ask for the glove inspection. Clearly they were watching things closely, so good work on their part.

Ultimately, the ejection had no impact on the end result of the game. Iowa was unable to score another run, while Michigan went on to score nine runs in the top of the seventh, giving the Wolverines a 13-1 victory as the game was called at the end of seven innings due to the mercy rule. 

As for Weiss, he has been suspended by the Big Ten for four games. This suspension will likely carry over into the NCAA Tournament as Regionals begin this Friday. It's safe to say this is probably not the way Weiss wanted to end his college career.

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Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.

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