Michigan pitcher ejected from Big 10 tournament semifinal after using foreign substance: ‘We made a mistake’

The Michigan Wolverines claimed the 2022 Big Ten Tournament title on Sunday after a 10-4 win over the No. 2 seed Rutgers, but the win was marred by controversy after Michigan’s pitcher was ejected from a game earlier in the day and subsequently suspended after he was caught using a sticky substance.

Before competing in the championship game, senior Willie Weiss was thrown out of Sunday’s elimination game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the fifth inning after the umpires took his glove and examined it for a foreign substance.

Announcers on ESPN’s broadcast of the game noted that someone in the Hawkeyes’ dugout observed Weiss touching his glove in a suspicious manner. 

Weiss was tossed from the game with a runner on first and a 2-2 count. According to The Michigan Daily, he was also hit with a four-game suspension.

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“We made a mistake there and we have to own it and apologize for it,” head coach Erik Bakich told BIG Ten Network after the game. 

“It’s like when you’re a parent and your kid makes a mistake. You don’t love them any less, but you have to admit we made a mistake there and that may be a part of baseball, but that’s not part of our program.” 

Michigan advanced to the championship game against Rutgers after dominating the Hawkeyes in a 13-1 victory. 

They defeated the Scarlet Knights 10-4 for their 10th conference title and first since 2015. They also earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament beginning June 3.