Whether he is guilty or innocent, star FIU infielder Garrett Wittels should be suspended from the baseball team until the ongoing investigation into rape charges brought against him is finished.
Wittels, who was arrested while on vacation in the Bahamas and charged with the rape of two 17-year-old girls, will have to wait until April 18 before the hearing on the case begins.
However, the 2011 baseball season begins on Feb. 18 and Wittels, whose hitting streak is at 56, is expected to continue chasing Robin Ventura’s NCAA record 58-game hitting streak.
The NCAA has already said that they will not be taking any action on the matter, leaving it to the University’s Athletics Department to decide whether or not Wittels will be punished.
The Athletics Department has been largely silent on the matter, with Director Pete Garcia only commenting to The Miami Herald, saying: “We will continue to gather any possible information as it becomes available.”
The Beacon believes Wittels should not be allowed to play until he is acquitted of all charges. While the media attention gained from Wittels and his streak have been positive for the University, we believe the media attention from having a player under investigation for rape charges would eclipse any victories the Golden Panthers baseball team could accomplish.
If the University declines to take action, we feel they would they be keeping a dark cloud over the reputation of the Athletics Department, in addition to setting a horrible precedent for incidents of this nature in the future.
Other universities in the Sun Belt Conference have come across similar situations and have taken action against their players. Middle Tennessee State University had two baseball players who were arrested and charged with rape in December after an 18-year-old victim came forward to MTSU detectives saying she had been raped.
Later, both players admitted to authorities they had sex with the victim, who they knew to be too drunk to give consent. The MTSU athletics department immediately acted and removed them from the baseball team once the information came out. While this is different from Wittels’ situation in that the investigation is still underway, it is worth noting MTSU took action immediately after finding out about these allegations.
When MTSU Baseball Coach Steve Peterson learned from the school’s Judicial Affairs department two of his players were accused of rape, he took action and suspended them from the team.
In November, Peterson said he did not dismiss the players because he “in no way, shape or form wanted to compromise the investigation of both police and judicial affairs.”
We believe Peterson and MTSU set the best example in how matters like this should be handled. Even if Wittels is innocent, the situation he has put himself in has tarnished the image of the University and its Athletics department. Furthermore, allowing that distraction in the locker room would be a disservice to the entire baseball team.
The Athletics’ department must take a public stance on the matter. Staying silent is not an option, unless they deliberately want to make themselves look bad on a national scale. Give Wittels his due process, but do not allow him to step foot on the baseball diamond.
Which would be better: To break the streak while under an investigation into rape allegations is under way, or to break the streak after being found innocent of all charges? We think the answer is obvious.
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