“They’re losing tomorrow” “So cute” - College baseball fans have mixed reactions to Indiana pitcher Ty Bothwell’s proposal
Indiana pitcher Ty Bothwell grabbed headlines after proposing to his girlfriend McKayla Tucker on Friday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The player's heartwarming proposal came after he helped the Hoosiers to a 10-4 win over Southern Miss in their first game of the NCAA tournament in the Knoxville Regional.
Fans on Instagram had a lot to say about Bothwell's proposal, with some congratulating the couple while others took digs at Indiana for the incident that took place after the contest.
Some users suggested that Indiana might lose against No. 1 overall seed Tennessee in their NCAA tournament game on Saturday, and hence, Bothwell decided to propose on Friday after the Hoosiers beat Southern Miss.
"Gotta do it today cause they're losing tomorrow," one wrote.
"Wonder what he would have done if they lost," added another.
Meanwhile, others outlined that Bothwell's gesture was rather adorable for his girlfriend and even congratulated the pair on their engagement.
"Stop this is so cute. Congratulations!" one wrote.
A fourth declared that Bothwell was having a splendid Friday, especially after leading the Hoosiers to victory and following that up with a proposal to his partner.
"Bro was winning all day," one commented.
One user also paid tribute to the cameraman who captured Bothwell's proposal at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
"Camera man was WORKIN!!!" added another.
Ty Bothwell made a bet with Indiana coach Jeff Mercer about his proposal
After Indiana opened its NCAA tournament with a win on Friday, coach Jeff Mercer spilled the beans on his bet with Ty Bothwell regarding the pitcher's proposal.
"Ty and my dad and Mark Bennett, our local pastor, do a bible study on Monday nights and Ty has been there every Monday for four years," Mercer said (h/t Indy Star). "He’s leading the charge. His girlfriend and my wife are friends. When you’re with somebody for six years, they’re a part of your family. He told me. I knew he was buying a ring months ago, a year ago."
Mercer then turned back the clock concerning his conversation with Bothwell about the bet.
"'If we make a regional, you have to propose to her at the regional,'" Mercer added. "He got flushed. I had a pretty good idea we were going to make it when we made the bet so I kind of had some inside information as all the prognostications were coming out.
"You could see all the numbers were trending in that direction. We talked about it and we shook on it. I said, 'If you shake on it, you’re a man of your word.’ He said, ‘I’m a man of my word,' and so we shook on it." Mercer added.
Ty Bothwell and the Hoosiers will square off against Tennessee on Saturday for their next game in the Knoxville regionals. The matchup will commence at 6 p.m. EDT.