The Georgia High School Association fined Stephens County $1,000 and placed the baseball program on "severe warning status" Wednesday for an incident in the Class AAA championship series last weekend in Cartersville.

In the fourth inning of Saturday's third and deciding game, won by Cartersville 13-1, Stephens County catcher Matt Hill ducked and did not attempt to catch a pitch that struck the home plate umpire, who was not injured.

Stephens head coach Mark Gosnell said Hill and pitcher Cody Martin denied planning to hit the umpire and said the passed ball was a result of a signaling mix-up on whether the pitch was to be a fastball or a curve.

But GHSA executive director Ralph Swearngin, who watched video of the pitch, wasn't sold.

"I made my decision primarily by watching whether the catcher tracked the pitch with his eyes," he said. "In my opinion, he did not. I think that he would have been searching for the ball if it were a matter of being crossed up."

Stephens County principal David Friend said he thought the ruling was fair.

"I told [Swearngin] that I thought we deserved it," Friend said. "We had the opportunity to be on a big stage, in a state championship series, and we had several players who didn't represent school way I think they should have. Not just that pitch, but the overall behavior."

Friend said he was concerned about his players' excessive arguing with umpires and throwing helmets and gloves in the dugout and one report that a student made an obscene gesture to an official.

In the half inning prior to the umpire being hit, Stephens County shortstop Ethan Martin argued with the home plate umpire and threw his helmet after becoming the ninth straight Stephens batter to strike out. Martin was recently honored as Gatorade's Georgia player of the year.

Two batters later, Cody Martin, Ethan's younger brother, threw the pitch that hit the umpire. Hill, the catcher, dropped to his knees and ducked as the ball approached.

"If there is one player I feel bad about, it's our kid [Hill] being judged by one pitch because he's really done so much good in the way he's represented his team and school in the classroom," Friend said. "I feel bad for his family. This has been devastating for them."

As part of the GHSA's penalty, Gosnell and his assistants must complete a sportsmanship education program.

"Severe warning status" means that any sportsmanship violations by a coach or player in 2009 will result in more severe penalties, including possible forfeits and being banned from the state playoffs.