The baseball coach at Atlantic Cape Community College, in Mays Landing, N.J., was forced to resign after two players were caught with illegal communications devices inside their batting helmets during a game last month.
While the school and conference investigated, Rodney Velardi was forced out, according to the Cherry Hill Courier-Post. Velardi had coached at the school for 13 years.
“After the situation with the game, he was suspended pending the outcome of the NJCAA Region 19 review, and at that time, we had asked for him to resign,” Laura Batchelor, the Chief Marketing Officer at Atlantic Cape, told the newspaper.
Suspicion was raised when Rowan College Gloucester County freshman pitcher Ethan Dodd wondered if he had been tipping pitches in an 11-4 loss on April 22. Dodd told his coaches that ACCC hitters seemed to be ready for his best pitches.
“He had a feeling they were getting really good swings on pitches that he thought were good pitches,” Gloucester County head coach Rob Valli said. “We kind of dismissed it. We didn’t think there was anything there. In hindsight? His senses were OK.”
Atlantic Cape runners also were making good decisions on which pitches to steal on, Gloucester County coaches said. And the following day, first baseman Felix Diaz said he could hear a voice coming out of an Atlantic Cape base runner’s helmet.
“I didn’t believe it,” Valli told the newspaper. “I just though, nah. I didn’t not believe him, but for that sophisticated of cheating, I just didn’t think they would do it. For me, I wasn’t going to go right up there in the first inning. We had to confirm that’s what it was. So, second time up, those same guys got on [base] and … he’s saying,’ I hear it. I hear it.’”
Valli asked the umpires to check two Atlantic Cape helmets. They discovered earphones.
According to the rules: “Video and communication equipment used to transmit information between coaches, coaches and players, scouts or other team…
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