High School Baseball Coach Disrobes in Anger While Disputing Call (video)

A Louisiana baseball coach throws off his hat, jersey and undershirt to argue a call on the field topless, which landed him a suspension for the remainder of the season.

Louisiana baseball coach Sham Gabehart of Central High disrobed in anger from a call he disagreed with on the field. | LouisianaSports.Net

Louisiana high school baseball coach Sham Gabehart of Baton Rouge Central High has been suspended for the rest of the season, including the playoffs, after his antics against Calvary Baptist this month for essentially disrobing in anger mid game.

A video of the incident surfaced on social media. Gabehart appears to be enraged about a call on field, and as he approaches the third base line begins to disrobe in frustration. He tosses his hat, jersey and undershirt off before stomping and clapping shirtless.

The video has no sound, but from the looks of it, Gabehart is yelling toward an umpire on the field shirtless before deciding to pick up his clothes and returning back to the dugout.

Central, which is No. 14 in the latest Top 25 rankings, and Calvary Baptist were competing in a double header that day. Central won the first game 9-8 and lost the second game 6-1.

VIDEO OF OUTBURST

COACH SUSPENDED FOR SEASON

According to the initial report from LouisianaSports.net, the school’s principal Brandon LaGrue announced the suspension Wednesday in a letter to the players’ parents.

“This afternoon the LHSAA notified us that they have suspended Coach Gabehart for the remainder to the baseball season including all post-season contests and practices. This is a developing situation, and we regret that we did not have the opportunity to schedule a parent meeting to deliver this information,” he wrote.

CENTRAL SEASON OVER

The double-header with Calvary Baptist was on Saturday April 11. Now, the LHSAA is in the playoffs and Central, which tallied 25 wins this spring, is clearly not the same without its head coach.

The Wildcats went on to lose in the opening round of the Division I state playoffs to St. Amant in a best-of-three series. St. Amant won the first two games 8-7 (10 innings) and 7-0. Central was the No. 11 seed and St. Amant was No. 22.

MORE ON CENTRAL HIGH

Central Community has an enrollment of roughly 1,400 and has some decent athletic tradition, especially in baseball.

The football team won state championships in 1966 and 2024. The baseball program has won seven state titles (1978, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2017, 2018).

Notable alumni from Central include Donnie Lewis (NFL) and Todd McClure (NFL).

Lewis is a cornerback who most recently played for the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL, he has also spent time in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, and Denver Broncos. He was drafted in the 7th round of the 2019 NFL draft by the Browns with the 221st pick out of Tulane University.

McClure played center in the NFL for 13 years with the Atlanta Falcons. He was drafted in the 7th round of the 1999 NFL Draft out of LSU.