Mississippi Valley State baseball moves past game-ending strike three call from umpire Reggie Drummer

During Friday night's college baseball game between Mississippi Valley State and New Orleans on Friday night, the Privateers led 7-3 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

But things didn't end well for the Delta Devils, or for the officiating crew.

MVSU hitter Devon Mims was demonstrably upset with a borderline strike-two call from home-plate umpire Reggie Drummer. On the next pitch, a pitch clearly wide and low was called strike three to end the game.

A clearly upset Mims was consoled by New Orleans catcher Jorge Tejeda, and later his coach Milton Barney, who is the grandson of Jackson State and Detroit Lions great Lem Barney.

“All I can say is, it is a sad situation that it had to happen like that,” Barney told the Clarion Ledger. “I have no comment.”

Drummer was suspended for the rest of the series, and the Southland Conference later put out a news release saying Drummer would work no conference games for the rest of the season.

Barney is in his first season as skipper, said he harbors no ill will and feels bad for his kids, especially Mims. Barney does not want the world to see the video on ESPN and think Mims was upset over a call and crying over a strike.

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Mims leads the nation in stolen bases (teammate Narvin Booker is second), and Barney said the call affected him and the team in the weekend series, in which they were swept by the Privateers.

“We are trying to move forward,” Barney said. “Everybody is human and I don’t hold anything against anybody, but I do have to take up for my kids. I want to make sure Mims is OK, because he is one of the best kids I have ever coached.”

The Southland Conference, SWAC and New Orleans baseball coach Blake Dean were contacted for comment and have yet to respond.

Mississippi Valley is 6-9 and plays at McNeese State on Tuesday before its first SWAC series of the season, starting Friday at home vs. Florida A&M.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Umpire Reggie Drummer suspended for game-ending called strikes in MVSU game