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Texas A&M fans ejected: Why heckling about Florida coach, former bat boy's death could lead to lifetime CWS ban
Jacob Camenker
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Texas A&M fans are known for being some of the most passionate in college baseball, but two crossed the line during Saturday's College World Series contest against Florida.
The fans aggressively heckled the Gators' dugout in the bottom of the second inning, prompting play to be stopped until security could escort them out of the stadium.
The altercation drew the attention of several Florida staffers and pitchers, some of whom yelled back at the fans.
An unruly Texas A&M fan(s) approached the Florida dugout and had to be escorted away by security.
It also might have distracted the Gators from challenging a key play. #MCWS pic.twitter.com/Q7Q8L31Qq6
Play is stopped while security has to come get two A&M fans who were yelling into the Florida dugout. Both were escorted out pic.twitter.com/vT5jqcjksj
— 𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕤 𝕃. 𝔹𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕟 (@Travis_L_Brown) June 16, 2024It wasn't immediately clear on the broadcast what the confrontation was about. Later, it was revealed that the Texas A&M fans had heckled Florida coach Mike O'Sullivan about the tragic death of 11-year-old former Florida bat boy Brody Reinhart, which occurred in May 2021.
That could lead to a lifetime ban of those two fans from Charles Schwab Field and the College World Series.
Will Texas A&M fans be banned from College World Series?
The College World Series hasn't announced an official ban for those two Texas A&M fans, but many discussed the possibility after the contest. That included the Omaha Police Officers Association.
"Heckling an opposing baseball team about the tragic death of their batboy is beyond unacceptable," the organization wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "Glad our officers and security threw this duo out of Charles Schwab Field."
Heckling an opposing baseball team about the tragic death of their batboy is beyond unacceptable. Glad our officers and security threw this duo out of Charles Schwab Field. You’re no longer welcome in this city and should be banned for life from future College World Series #cws pic.twitter.com/FvyqNzOSlr
— Omaha Police Officers Association (@omahaPOA) June 16, 2024Even Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle called for the duo not to return before he knew what they said.
"I wanna apologize on behalf of Texas A&M for whatever went on in that dugout," Schlossnagle told reporters at the beginning of his postgame news conference Saturday. "Whoever those two guys are, they don't represent what Texas A&M is all about. And whoever those two guys are, don't come back. Let's not let those two guys back in the ballpark."
Thus, it's hard to imagine those two fans being allowed back to Charles Schwab Field any time soon — if ever.
What happened to Florida's bat boy?
Florida's bat boy, 11-year-old Brody Reinhart, was killed by his father in a murder-suicide on May 4, 2021.
Paul Reinhart, 46, was also accused of killing Brody's 14-year-old brother, Rex Reinhart, before taking his own life, as reported by the Gainesville Sun.
The murder of the Reinhart brothers hit the Gainesville community hard, as many in the city's baseball community were familiar with the duo. A memorial service was held for the two at the Florida Ballpark at McKethan Field shortly after their deaths, and it was attended by the likes of former MLB outfielder Gary Sheffield, then-Florida football coach Will Muschamp, and Florida baseball coach Mike O'Sullivan.
The Rex and Brody Reinhart Foundation — which funds baseball facility improvements and pays for local-area baseball teams to compete in national events — was founded in their honor. It's currently run by their mother, Minde O'Sullivan.
Who is Minde O'Sullivan?
Minde O'Sullivan is married to Florida baseball coach Mike O'Sullivan. The two were wed a couple of years after the death of O'Sullivan's children, Brody and Rex Reinhart. She was previously married to Paul Reinhart, though the two had begun divorce proceedings before her husband's murder-suicide.
O'Sullivan's relationship with her second husband became a target of the Texas A&M fans while they heckled the Florida dugout. The fans reportedly referenced unfounded rumors that O'Sullivan had begun an affair with his now-wife before her marriage to Reinhart had ended.
That was part of what sparked outrage on the Gators bench among players and coaches alike.
Jacob Camenker
Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.