College Baseball

Former Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon has received a 15-year show-cause order from the NCAA stemming from his involvement in a betting scandal.

Per an official release from the NCAA, the Committee on Infractions announced discipline against Bohannon and the university on Thursday.

The committee determined Bohannon "knowingly provided insider information" to a person he knew was involved with betting on an Alabama baseball game. His also further violated NCAA rules when he "failed to participate in the enforcement investigation" after he was fired by Alabama.

Bohannon's show-cause order requires him to be suspended for 100 percent of regular-season games for the first five years of his employment if he gets hired by any program. He also received a $5,000 fine and three years of probation.

The findings discovered that Bohannon texted the bettor on April 28, 2023, informing the person an Alabama pitcher wasn't going to be able to make a scheduled start against LSU and instructed the bettor to "hurry" with the bet so he could inform the opponent.

The bettor attempted to place a $100,000 wager on LSU at the BetMGM Sportsbook at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, but the staff limited his bet to $15,000 and attempts to place additional wagers were rejected due to "suspicious activity."

A key part of the suspicious activity, per the NCAA's findings, was the bettor showing the text messages from Bohannon to the sportsbook staff about Alabama's pitcher being scratched and before LSU was informed of the change.

Ohio gambling regulators instructed licensed sportsbooks in the state to halt all wagers on Alabama baseball games after becoming aware of suspicious activity following a report from an independent integrity monitor.

Ronnie Johns, chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, told Zach Ewing of NOLA.com there were two bets made that triggered the suspicious activity, including a parlay and straight-up money bet.

After Bohannon was mentioned in connection with the situation, Alabama announced on May 4 it had initiated the termination process for the 48-year-old.

ESPN's David Purdum noted Alabama's best pitcher, Luke Holman, was scheduled to pitch the game against LSU before being scratched due to back tightness. Hagan Banks stepped into his spot after not starting a game since March 16.

Bohannon was originally hired by the Crimson Tide in June 2017. He went 166-124 with one NCAA tournament appearance in six seasons with the program before getting fired.

Three former Northwestern baseball coaches have filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court in Illinois against the university, ex-baseball coach Jim Foster and numerous administrators, per multiple reports.

According to The Athletic, ex-assistant baseball coaches Dusty Napoleon and Jon Strauss and former director of baseball operations Chris Beacom are suing for breach of contract and negligence.

They claim that Foster "bullied and abused them, asked them to violate NCAA rules and denied medical care to certain players," per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.

WGN's Eli Ong, Larry Hawley and Judy Wang added more information from the lawsuit:

"The complaint also alleges charges of racism, sexism and egregious tortious conduct, including unwarranted retaliation against these coaches after they reported NCAA violations by Foster to university officials, and seeks compensation in excess of $50,000 for alleged damages," the trio wrote.

Northwestern hired Foster in June 2022 after a successful stint at Army West Point, where he led the Black Knights to four Patriot League titles and NCAA tournament appearances.

The three ex-coaches said they reported Foster's behavior to Northwestern administrators just four months later. Rittenberg provided more information.

"The three plaintiffs alleged they began reporting Foster's behavior to Northwestern administrators in October 2022, filed a formal complaint to human resources on Nov. 30 and reported Foster to the NCAA for potential violations. Their initial complaints included Foster making a disparaging remark about a female team manager and racially insensitive remarks about recruits, discouraging injured players to seek medical attention and displaying 'volatile, unpredictable behavior with frequent blow-ups.'"

According to the lawsuit, the three coaches say they received a letter on Feb. 22 of this year that said the following (h/t Rittenberg): "Coach Foster engaged in bullying and abusive behavior, made an inappropriate comment regarding a female staff member, and spoke negatively about his staff to other staff members."

However, the coaches then claimed they were "forced by Northwestern to become remote special contract workers to receive pay for the remainder of their contracts, but they ultimately lost their positions on the baseball team at Northwestern in June 2023 in a retaliatory move," according to the complaint (via Rittenberg).

The Wildcats went 10-40, including 4-20 in the Big Ten.

On July 10, Jonathan Bullington of the Chicago Tribune brought the allegations to light. As of that day, 15 Northwestern players were in the NCAA transfer portal, according to Avani Kalra of the Daily Northwestern.

Three days later, Northwestern placed Foster on "indefinite suspension," per university president Michael Schill. He will no longer coach the team.

Attorney Chris Esbrook, who is representing the three plaintiffs, made the following statement on the entire matter.

"Northwestern had told these gentlemen what they had said was true," Esbrook said, per Rittenberg. "Northwestern found that Coach Foster engaged in bullying, abusive, racist and sexist behavior. But they didn't suspend Coach Foster, they didn't place him on leave, and they didn't terminate them. What they did was they told these gentlemen and these student-athletes, 'Just deal with it.' Northwestern says it doesn't tolerate conduct in the workplace. That violates its code of conduct. But it did tolerate it and endorsed it."

Beacom also said the following in a press conference alongside Esbrook, per The Athletic.

"We reported Coach Foster's conduct to Northwestern believing that they would do the right thing. Instead, they swept our reports under the rug, putting their staff, student-athletes and reputation at risk. Northwestern stood by coach Foster and got rid of the coaches that blew the whistle on him, and only when the media found out about coach Foster's abuse, did Northwestern choose to do something."

Northwestern has released a statement disputing the allegations, calling them "without merit," via The Athletic.

"The assistant coaches and director of operations received full support from the University, they were paid for their full contracts and, at their request, were allowed to support other areas of our athletic department as needed. Coach Foster has been relieved of his duties. In this instance and others, the athletic director and department acted promptly and handled the complaints in accordance with established University policy and protocols."

The news regarding the baseball team comes amid multiple hazing allegations within multiple sports programs, most notably the football team.

Turmoil within the Northwestern University athletics department is continuing.

Northwestern fired baseball coach Jim Foster days after reports of his "abusive behavior" were published, according to 670 The Score's Danny Parkins. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg also confirmed the news.

Foster's firing was announced to players on a Thursday video call, per Jonathan Bullington of the Chicago Tribune. His reported dismissal comes days after the university fired longtime football coach Pat Fitzgerald over allegations of "systemic" team hazing.

Bullington reported Monday that players and alumni had alerted the university administration of Foster's "problematic behavior" before the start of the 2023 season, Foster's first with the team. He previously spent six seasons as Army's head coach.

Although an internal HR document said the university took "remedial action" against Foster following the fall complaints, several longstanding Northwestern baseball staff members departed and 16 players entered the transfer portal the following spring, according to Bullington.

Several team members described seeing Foster's "expletive-laced tirades at staff." Others said he "discouraged players from seeing the team trainer" and "pressured injured players to speed up their timeline for returning from injury in fear they'd lose their spot on the team," per Bullington.

Assistant coach Brian Anderson, a former Chicago White Sox player who joined the program in March, will take over for Foster, Bullington said.

Foster's firing followed the dismissal of Fitzgerald on Monday, two days after the Daily Northwestern, the Northwestern student paper, published a report alleging that Fitzgerald "may have known" that team members were undergoing hazing involving coerced sexualized acts.

In a letter announcing Fitzgerald's dismissal to the Northwestern student body, university president Michael Schill said the alleged hazing had been "systemic" and went on for "many years."

Fitzgerald's attorney is evaluating possible litigation surrounding his firing, per Rittenberg, while Foster has yet to respond to his dismissal.

Yet another Northwestern men's athletic program is under scrutiny after the university fired head football coach Pat Fitzgerald on Monday following an investigation into hazing allegations.

Current and former Northwestern baseball players and those close to the baseball program told Jonathan Bullington of the Chicago Tribune that they reported "problematic behavior" by first-year head coach Jim Foster to President Michael Schill and athletic director Derrick Gragg beginning before the 2023 season.

That led to the Northwestern human resources department opening an investigation into Foster. It found "sufficient evidence" that Foster "engaged in bullying and abusive behavior," according to an HR document obtained by the Chicago Tribune.

The investigation also found that Foster "made an inappropriate comment regarding a female staff member, and spoke negatively about his staff to other staff members."

Additionally, current and former players and people close to the baseball program told the Chicago Tribune that Foster "could be cold at times, and at other times, combative" and there were occurrences where he "would launch into expletive-laced tirades directed at staff."

The anonymous players and staffers also told the Chicago Tribune that Foster "discouraged" ailing players from seeing the team trainer or "pressured" injured players to return before they were ready.

The allegations against Foster come after several departures within the baseball program this year.

Wildcats hitting coach and recruiting coordinator Dusty Napoleon left the team in February before the 2023 season began. He had been with the program since 2015. Pitching coach Jon Strauss and operations director Chris Beacom also left the team this year.

Additionally, 16 players have entered the transfer portal following the team's 10-40 finish to a highly disappointing 2023 campaign, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The human resources document obtained by the Chicago Tribune stated that the findings of the investigation into Foster were shared with the department of athletics and recreation "to take appropriate remedial action," but it's unclear what punishment, if any, was handed out.

Before joining Northwestern, Foster spent six seasons as head coach at Army West Point from 2017 to 2022. He also served as head coach at the University of Rhode Island from 2006 to 2014.

Bert Eugene Neff Jr., the man whose betting activity sparked an investigation that led to the firing of Alabama head baseball coach Brad Bohannon, allegedly attempted to place a $100,000-plus wager on the Crimson Tide to lose an April 28 game against LSU.

Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated reported Neff entered a BetMGM Sportsbook in Cincinnati and attempted to place the more than $100,000 cash wager on LSU—a number that "far exceeded the sportsbook's established house limit on college baseball."

Neff's attempts to make the wager, which were described as pleading and desperate, drew suspicions at the sportsbook, which refused to take the bet. Surveillance footage of the bizarre incident showed Neff texting with Bohannon, who was informing Neff that the Tide were scratching ace Luke Holman from his scheduled start.

"[Video cameras] can see the [text] conversation back-and-forth," a source told Forde. "It couldn't have been any more reckless."

Per Forde, sources familiar with the investigation say it showed Bohannon was a willing participant in the scheme, with records showing him taking part in group chats with Neff and "gambling associates." Multiple associates of Neff also attempted to place large wagers on LSU for the April 28 game in Indiana, but those bets were also flagged.

It's unclear if Neff was placing wagers on behalf of Bohannon.

Alabama fired Bohannon on May 4 following an internal investigation. Athletics director Greg Byrne wrote that Bohannon violated school policy on "soliciting, placing, or accepting by Employee of a bet or wager on any intercollegiate or professional athletic contest."

Criminal, regulatory and NCAA investigations remain ongoing.

Bohannon, 48, had been Alabama's head baseball coach since 2018. He was widely regarded as a stellar hire for Alabama, turning the once-downtrodden program around. The Tide were 30-15 at the time of his firing.

Bohannon made an annual salary of $500,000 under terms of his contract.

The men's College World Series came down to a decisive Game 3 on Monday, as LSU prevailed over Florida with an emphatic 18-4 win to become the 2023 NCAA champions. It's the seventh national title for the Tigers, the second-most all-time behind USC's 12.

Florida starter Jac Caglianone opened the game by hitting LSU leadoff hitter Cade Beloso with his first pitch, but he settled down with back-to-back strikeouts to end the top of the first inning.

LSU starter Thatcher Hurd, on the other hand, allowed a leadoff single to Cade Kurland before Wyatt Langford launched a two-run homer to give the Gators an early advantage.

However, the Tigers were able to answer the very next inning when Jordan Thompson broke out of a 1-for-30 slump with an RBI single that plated Gavin Dugas. After Caglianone walked the bases loaded, Beloso was hit by a pitch for the second time, which allowed Brayden Jobert to score and tie the game.

Dylan Crews was then walked on five pitches, and Cagilanone was yanked for left-hander Cade Fisher. Tommy White welcomed Fisher by hitting an RBI single, Tre' Morgan followed with a sac fly and Dugas added another RBI single to cap the six-run inning.

From there, Hurd settled in and pitched five straight scoreless innings with no other hits allowed before being pulled from the game at the start of the seventh. The sophomore finished with seven strikeouts. Crews helped him out with a great play in center field in the third.

While the Gators' bats went silent, the Tigers broke the game open with four runs in the fourth inning. LSU's barrage was highlighted by Josh Pearson's two-run blast.

The Tigers tacked on some insurance runs in the later innings, but the game was already decided. Jobert capped off a magical evening for LSU with a two-run homer in the ninth.

Ty Evans and Kurland added solo home runs for the Gators late, but they simply couldn't keep up with the Tigers. Evans became the first player to hit five home runs in a single College World Series.

The LSU baseball team joined the women's basketball team as national champions this season.

The series reached this point after LSU took Saturday's Game 1 in an 11-inning thriller and Florida won Sunday's Game 2 in a blowout, scoring a College World Series-record 24 runs.

But in the end, it was the Tigers who hoisted the trophy on Monday night, capping an exciting 2022-23 NCAA baseball season.

The Men's College World Series Final is heading to a decisive Game 3.

After No. 5 LSU took Game 1 in the 11th inning the night before, No. 2 Florida had the hot bats in the afternoon matchup, defeating the Tigers 24-4. The onslaught broke the record for runs scored in a College World Series game. The previous mark was 23, set by Notre Dame in 1957.

The Gators onslaught wasn't immediate, and the Tigers led 3-1 until the third inning. A Gavin Dugas double scored Dylan Crews to open up the scoring, and after a solo home run from Ty Evans tied it up, the Tigers took a 3-1 lead after back-to-back RBI's from Tre' Morgan and Tommy White.

Trailing by two and facing elimination, Florida got to work in the bottom of the inning. Back-to-back RBI singles from Jac Caglianone and Josh Rivera tied the game, and then the team loaded the bases for Evans.

Evans' moonshot grand slam put the Gators up 7-3, and they took advantage of an error in the fourth inning to make the score 8-3. After a scoreless fifth inning, the Florida bats went off for 12 additional runs in the final four inning to reach the 20-run total.

Caglianone scorched two home runs, setting the single season home run record in the process.

Wyatt Langford smoked a home run of his own and had a team-high six RBI, while Caglianone and Evans each had five. BT Riopelle added the other Gator dingers.

A ninth-inning home run from Brayden Jobert put a fourth Tiger run on the board, but that would be the end of the 28 runs combined between the two teams.

Errors were costly for LSU, as it had five miscues, more than it had in the entire College World Series until that point. The Tigers also utilized six pitchers, although several had not pitched since the regular season. The Gators used three, with Nick Ficarotta eating up the bulk of the innings.

The Gators win sets up the winner-take-all Game 3 for Monday night at 7:00 E.T. Florida will be attempting to win their second national title in program history, while the Tigers will be going for No. 7 and their first since 2009.

Dylan Crews, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB draft, has been named the best player in amateur baseball.

Crews won the 45th Golden Spikes Award Sunday after leading LSU to the finals of the College World Series with a .418 batting average and .562 on-base percentage. The 21-year-old led the country this season with 95 runs scored and ranked second with 70 walks.

Paul Seiler, CEO and executive director of USA Baseball, called Crews "one of the nation's best college baseball players since he arrived at LSU in 2021."

LSU faces Florida Sunday for the second game of the 2023 College World Series finals. In Game 1, Crews helped the Tigers to a 4-3 win by tying the program's single-season record for runs scored in a single season.

At this point, that's expected for Crews, who went just 14 games this season without scoring a run. He has accumulated 232 runs and 183 RBI through three seasons and 194 games with Louisiana State.

Crews' dominant on-base percentage is in part due to his ability to know when to hit. His average chase rate on fastballs outside the strike zone in 2022 was 15%, as opposed to the MLB average of 25%, per Prospects Live's Joe Doyle.

In an eye dominance test conducted by LSU, Crews scored equally on both sides, setting him up process input evenly from both left- and right-handed pitchers, NOLA.com's Wilson Alexander reported.

Crews considered entering the draft after being projected as a first-round pick out of high school in 2020 but opted out to go to LSU instead. MLB.com now has him listed as the No. 1 prospect in the 2023 class.

"Most scouts are sold that he'll stick in center at the big league level, and at worst, he'll be an asset in right with solid arm strength," reads the MLB.com scouting report.

The Pittsburgh Pirates hold the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft.

Seven previous Golden Spikes Award winners have gone on to become the No. 1 pick in the MLB draft, including Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg.

Before Crews potentially becomes the eighth, he will first fight to lead LSU to the team's first College World Series title since 2009.