Baseball Fans Think Egregiously Wrong Home Plate Collision Call Cost Oregon Its Season

Oregon lost by one run and moved to the loser's bracket in the Eugene regional after this call.

Oregon’s Aroz, right, slides into Utah Valley catcher Strong at the plate in the eighth inning of the Eugene NCAA Regional at PK Park. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the Oregon Ducks suffered a tough, 6-5 loss in the Eugene regional in the NCAA baseball tournament, a controversial call following a home plate collision cost the Ducks a run and potentially the game.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Oregon left fielder Anson Aroz tagged from third base following a flyout. Utah Valley catcher Mason Strong stood in front of the plate as he awaited the throw home from left field. The ball bounced in front of Strong and went just over his glove as Aroz ran through the plate, causing a big collision that initially resulted in a run for Oregon.

The play went under a lengthy review before the crew ruled that Strong didn't obstruct the plate. Aroz was called for "malicious contact" following the collision, which resulted in an out and him getting ejected from the game.

We have CHAOS in Eugene 👀👀👀

Anson Aroz has been called out and ejected for malicious contact for a collision at the plate. Utah Valley leads host Oregon in the 9th pic.twitter.com/r25VZGPJSE

— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) May 31, 2025

If Strong was called for obstruction, the result would have been a dead ball and the runner awarded one base, meaning the run would have stood for Oregon. Obstruction is called when a defensive player blocks a base without clear possession of the ball, which appeared to be the case on the play.

Oregon ended up losing by one run after Aroz's run was called off, which moves the Ducks into the loser's bracket in the Eugene regional, just one loss away from elimination. Baseball fans certainly felt a type of way about the call, which put Oregon's season in jeopardy:

Oregon player is ruled out and ejected for “malicious contact” for colliding with the Utah Valley catcher, who is clearly blocking the plate without the ball

As a result Oregon loses by 1, which may cost them their season pic.twitter.com/aLAC2ga3CC

— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) May 31, 2025

?!?!?!?! https://t.co/Lv1s4FOLkC

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) May 31, 2025

Awful. The catcher is blocking the plate, without the ball. What is the runner supposed to do. Even Ángel Hernández would have seen that. https://t.co/sqs7l1nFfa

— Mark Joseph Boyle (@Mark_J_Boyle) May 31, 2025

MLB has gotten better at preventing this, but I have never understood why the catcher is allowed to stand in front of the plate and block the runner's path while waiting for the ball. https://t.co/qLsqTm0rkP

— James Surowiecki (@JamesSurowiecki) May 31, 2025

Watching Oregon vs Utah Valley.

Legitimately one of the worst calls I have ever seen in a baseball game.

I watched the replays and was convinced of the exact opposite call. No malicious contact was made and the catcher completely obstructed the runner from getting to the plate.

— Landen Crouch (@LandenCrouch) May 31, 2025

As a catcher, that’s the worst call I’ve ever seen in my life in the Oregon/Utah valley game. Ended a kid’s season because of a horrendous decision. Please highlight how egregious that was @11point7

— Kyle (@KJ_Kozak20) May 31, 2025

No. 12-ranked Oregon plays Cal Poly in an elimination game Saturday at 3 p.m. ET as they hope to keep their season alive.

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