College Baseball Reacts to Season Suspensions, CWS Cancellation

Image credit: Greg Sankey (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

On Thursday, the college baseball world was rocked by breaking news item after breaking news item as part of the fallout of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The biggest news to break was that the NCAA had canceled the 2020 College World Series as part of a decision to cancel all remaining winter and spring championship events.

The reaction to that news around the sport was swift, with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey the most prominent voice questioning the need to cancel an event so far out.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey:

“I’m surprised we’ve made a decision now in mid-March not to play a baseball or softball national championship event. So I look forward to learning what informed that decision.”@GregSankey reacts to the NCAA canceling all winter and spring championships on @Finebaum. pic.twitter.com/SFA8dPwKHF

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 12, 2020

More broadly, the news that hit hardest were season suspensions and cancellations from individual conferences and programs. For these players and coaches, the sudden realization that what they had been working for since last summer had been taken away was tough to take.

Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski:

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. We are all learning together. Hard to know what to think. #GoDucks #Pac12 #GlobalProblem

— Mark Wasikowski (@CoachWazUO) March 12, 2020

Tennessee preseason All-American Alerick Soularie:

https://twitter.com/anyuser/status/1238217223606538243

LSU catcher Saul Garza:

So what do we do now

— ¯_(ツ)_/¯ (@SaulGarzaa12) March 12, 2020

Michigan State coach Jake Boss, Jr.:

Tough day. Proud of @statebaseball for all the hard work, loyalty, and #SpartanPride Hard to see it come to an end so abruptly.

— Jake Boss (@BossJake) March 12, 2020

McNeese State coach Justin Hill:

Real talk. Got knocked down today. Not off the mat yet, but I’m trying. 🤟 pic.twitter.com/fiufWeD7Hu

— Justin Hill (@JustinHill) March 13, 2020

Penn State coach Rob Cooper:

.@PennStateBASE #WeAre #BAFL pic.twitter.com/5GWRuk59fc

— Rob Cooper (@16RobCooper) March 13, 2020

Southeastern Louisiana Athletic Director and former coach Jay Artigues:

If things clear up by March 30 then pick-up the regular season on March 31, finish the regular season & play your conference tournament! The student athletes deserve it! @NCAA @KendallRogers @d1baseball @NCAACWS @LionUpBaseball @LionUpSoftball

— Coach Jay Artigues (@JayArtigues) March 13, 2020

East Carolina coach Cliff Godwin:

I am holding out hope until someone tells me that there will be no more ECU Baseball this season. Of course, these are tough times for everyone involved.
Suspend the season-yes, however DON’T CANCEL THE SEASON!

— Cliff Godwin (@cgodwin23) March 13, 2020

Georgia RHP and preseason All-American Cole Wilcox:

Thought I would wake up and it would all just be a bad dream. My heart aches for the seniors who have put so much into this. If there’s any chance at all, even for one weekend, that we can suit up as brothers one more time please @SEC make it happen, please

— Cole Wilcox (@ColeWilcox11) March 13, 2020

Cincinnati OF and preseason All-American Joey Wiemer:

So much going on man no way it ends like this..

— Joey Wiemer (@JWiems17) March 13, 2020

Sacramento State coach Reggie Christiansen

https://twitter.com/anyuser/status/1238483032043995136

Creighton assistant coach Connor Gandossy:

Today is tough. It’s unfair. It’s disappointing. It pisses me off. I feel for our guys, especially our seniors. Hopefully we do the right thing and give them another chance. It’s an empty feeling right now but I am hopeful for another season to fill that void. pic.twitter.com/4pycwKdDSk

— Connor Gandossy (@cgandossy6) March 12, 2020

Quinnipiac coach John Delaney:

Toughest day of my career as a head coach and even tougher for this group of players that put in 6 months of tireless work. Not exactly how anyone expected their year to end but we’re staying together as we move forward @TheQBaseball #togetherforever pic.twitter.com/phVI2JSEfQ

— John Delaney (@CoachDel14) March 13, 2020