The travel baseball community faced a stunning event during the Memorial Day weekend, adding to the growing list of controversial incidents in youth baseball. An incident at an 11U tournament in Kansas City has gained attention. A Nebraska coach, Brandon Magni, claimed that an Oklahoma coach instructed his pitcher to hit an opponent.

According to Magni, the Oklahoma coach, Mychal Ryals, reportedly directed his pitcher to aim at a player named Easton. When Easton stepped out, he allegedly instructed the pitcher to target the opposing dugout instead. The result was a fastball, traveling at 70 mph, making contact with a Nebraska player in the dugout.

Magni voiced his allegations through a Facebook post, asserting the pitcher was removed from the game, but not from the complex. The coach remained unaffected. Magni’s frustration extended to the handling of the situation by the USSSA tournament officials.

Reflecting on the incident, Magni stated, “Today all of my boys learned a life lesson. Despite the situation, we shook hands with our opponents and displayed sportsmanship. The boys understood that they can’t control others’ actions, but they can control their reactions.”

A Nebraska player’s mother shared her perspective, highlighting the emotions during the game: “The team was cheering for their teammate, excited to be up in the tight game, and this incident changed the atmosphere dramatically.”

Magni also mentioned that he asked officials to consider a forfeit for the Oklahoma team due to the events. He was reportedly told that his team could choose to forfeit or involve the police.

Details of the alleged instructions by the Oklahoma coach remain under scrutiny. Joe Kinsey, Senior Director of Content at OutKick, has been covering this incident.