Longtime College Baseball Coach Resigns After Discovery of Illegal Devices in Batting Helmets

Rodney Velardi, the manager of Atlantic Cape Community College in New Jersey, resigned from his role as the program’s coach after 13 seasons.

Velardi’s resignation came on May 4, nearly two weeks removed from an 11–4 loss to Rowan College Gloucester County in which two of his players had illegal communication devices found in their helmets.

Rowan freshman pitcher Ethan Dodd approached his coaches following the first game of the team’s series with Atlantic Cape on Apr. 21 after he felt that he may have been tipping his pitches.

“He had a feeling they were getting really good swings on pitches that he thought were good pitches,” Rowan manager Rob Valli told the Courier Post. “We kind of dismissed it. We didn’t think there was anything there. In hindsight? His senses were O.K.”

So how did Rowan find out that Atlantic Cape was using communication devices? First baseman Felix Diaz told Valli that he heard a voice coming out of a player’s helmet in the first game of a doubleheader on Apr. 22.

“I didn’t believe it,” Valli recalled. “I just thought, ’nah.’ I didn’t believe it. I didn’t not believe him, but for that sophisticated of cheating, I just didn’t think they would do it. I 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 the second time up, those same guys got on, and he was confirming with me the whole time. Once those guys got on, he’s saying I hear it. I hear it.”

Valli asked the umpire to check two helmets of Atlantic Cape players in the bottom of the third inning. After the umpire confirmed the devices, the contest was stopped and Valli requested that the center field camera be removed before resuming play. No players or coaches were ejected.

Rowan went on to win both games of the doubleheader.

An umpires report was filed to NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Region 19 and Atlantic Cape conducted an internal investigation into the matter. Velardi was found in direct violation of junior college rules regarding electronic devices, which are only permitted for use by a team’s catcher when he’s behind home plate.

Velardi was issued a two-game suspension by Atlantic Cape and another two-game suspension by Region 19. No players faced any sort of discipline.

Atlantic Cape chief marketing officer Laura Batchelor confirmed that she asked Velardi to resign following the internal investigation. 

“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 him to resign.