Texas junior college pitcher kicked off team after tackle, batter suspended 2 games
Owen Woodward previously signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Houston, the Chronicle reports.
WEATHERFORD, Texas (KTRK) -- A Texas junior college baseball pitcher intended to make the University of Houston his next stop, but it's unclear if that's still the case now after he was booted from his current team for attacking an opposing player from the Houston area.
According to our partners at the Houston Chronicle, Weatherford College pitcher Owen Woodward signed a national letter of intent to play for the Coogs in the 2022-23 academic year. The Chronicle says that UH's baseball coach told them they are monitoring the situation after punishments came down from North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference following the dustup that saw Woodward tackle hitter Josh Phillips and knock him to the ground during a game on Wednesday.
Woodward won't be on the roster for Weatherford College anymore either. Head baseball coach Jeff Lightfoot said the sophomore is no longer on the team. That comes after the conference enacted a four-game suspension for the tackle.
Woodward has received additional discipline from Weatherford for the incident, but because of college policy and federal regulations protecting student privacy, the college did not release any details.
In a previous statement, the school said the pitcher's disciplinary action could include expulsion.
On Wednesday, Weatherford, west of Fort Worth, hosted North Central Texas.
In the top of the sixth inning, Phillips, a freshman from the Cypress area, hit a go-ahead home run.
As he was rounding the bases and celebrating with his third base coach, Woodward threw down his glove, charged and hit him, knocking off Phillips' helmet.
Phillips got back up and made it to home plate anyway, and umpires suspended the game.
After the hit, Phillips' teammates ran out to third base, with some piling on top of Woodward.
According to Lightfoot, Woodward had not been involved in any incidents like this before.
Phillips told ABC13's Chaz Miller that he went to the emergency room with a chipped tooth and a mild concussion. But he also admitted to saying something to Woodward before the tackle.
That's why they're both in trouble.
Phillips is suspended two games, and so are other players who got involved.
The viral moment shocked announcer Caleb Galvan.
"North Central has taken the lead here in game one. Oh! Oh my. Oh no. Oh no," Galvan said as the attack unfolded on Wednesday. "That was out of nowhere. Woodward just attacking Phillips right there."
On Thursday evening, Galvan told ABC13 that the attack "actually made my heart stop for a moment. It wasn't my best call in the world because I wasn't expecting it one bit."
The game where this occurred was the first of a four-game series between the schools, but with the suspensions there have been some changes.
Game one is a double forfeit, while games two and three will be forfeits for North Central Texas because now they don't have enough players to field a team.
For now, the teams are set to face each other again on Saturday at noon and 3 p.m. in 7-inning and 9-inning games respectively.
