Editor's note: The following is the second part in a multi-part series examining the dismissal of Matt Caudle from the Battlefield High School varsity baseball program. Names of players centered in the controversy have been verified by the times but removed from this article to protect their identities.

According to Battlefield assistant coach Greg Williams, the events that initially led to Matt Caudle's dismissal from his head coaching duty on the school baseball program took place during the team's spring break trip to Florida earlier this year.

Verifying what happened on the trip is difficult due to those with different feelings toward Caudle explaining what happened in different ways. Caudle declined to comment earlier this month.

What is consistent among the stories told is that a player on the airplane made a lewd gesture which Caudle chastised. Another player on the beach took something which was not his and, when confronted by the owner, the situation escalated. Caudle reprimanded players either verbally or physically by having them run. One player ended up crying while his teammates ran.

Caudle also had players shovel snow off the BHS baseball field. Williams mentioned that was during baseball tryouts, which made it legally acceptable.

"After one day of it, he looked around and said, 'We're not getting anywhere.' He had to can it," said Williams, noting the two feet of snow on the ground.

Regarding Caudle, he added, "He had a shovel in his hand. He's never done anything, or made a kid do something that he doesn't do. In defense of him, he spends more time for the kids than a lot of coaches I've ever known. He does a ton of volunteer work for his team that he doesn't get recognition for."

One of the biggest sources of contention comes from opposite stories about when the driver instructor Caudle met with a player during school hours. One side reports Caudle kept the player away from class, the other saying the player finished a test early and had permission. Another story revolves around whether he and assistant coaches "attended a Toronto baseball game" in Florida while leaving the players "without adult supervision," according to an e-mail from Prince William County assistant commonwealth's attorney Richard Conway, whose son played for Battlefield.

Williams explained that discipline for the beach incident involved players running three "cycles" around the base paths with players starting at home plate, moving to first, second, third and home again per cycle. Past disciplinary action included Caudle having players run along the beach front pre-dawn, according to Williams.

An investigation of some sort took place into Caudle's conduct following the end of the baseball season. While details vary source to source, the common consensus is that Caudle was cleared of wrongdoing at first but later discharged.

"In the first of August, word gets out that coach is going to be fired. That's the rumor within the community," said Williams, saying he asked Caudle at the time about the rumor. "He goes, 'I don't know anything about (it). As far as I know, I'm still the coach.'"

Battlefield principal Amy Ethridge-Conti subsequently sent out an e-mail Aug. 9 informing parents that there would be a new coach. According to Williams, Caudle did not receive formal word until Aug. 12.

Rumors floated during that time was that Caudle would leave Battlefield and become affiliated, somehow, with Brentsville District High School. That never substantiated. Another regarded Caudle being told by a Prince William County schools official he could coach at Patriot High School after he served his suspension. That also has yet to be confirmed.

At the Sept. 15 school board meeting, six Battlefield parents filed statements voicing support for Caudle. Some, including Caudle's leading supporter Jay Shepard, whose son pitched for Battlefield before graduating this year, have threatened to transfer their kids to other schools if Caudle is indeed gone by the time the spring season starts.

"Yes, there are people who I think will transfer if he's not coaching. And just like there's people who will transfer if he is coaching," said Williams. "I'm not leaving, life goes on, but I just feel like it's the wrong thing to do to a guy, unless you've got reasonable cause, to get rid of this guy. And from speaking with the principal and athletic director, I think they're supportive of coach."

After the first story in this series went to print, several people affiliated with the Battlefield baseball program either through playing for Caudle or having a child play for Caudle sent e-mails to the Times supporting or denouncing Caudle.

Consistent arguments for and against Caudle acknowledge that his program is not a just-for-fun, extra-curricular activity. Rather, it is geared toward the Group AAA state tournament and helping advance players to collegiate careers in the sport.

Battlefield appeared in the state tournament in 2009. After retaining a majority of the team for the 2010 season, Battlefield finished the regular season with a sub-.500 record and never made it out of the Cedar Run District tournament.

His level of intensity and respect toward players drives debate. On the one hand, the Times can verify from years covering his program that Caudle is not one to hold back when he's upset about his players' performance. For example, when the boys lost a 2009 game to Stonewall Jackson on their home field in Haymarket 20-4, Caudle lectured them for over an hour in the bullpen afterward.

On the other hand, Caudle's program has a record of producing some of the area's best pitchers and players. The Los Angeles Angels drafted right-handed pitcher Evan Scott in 2008; Dave Herbeck went on to play for the wooden-bat league Haymarket Senators after graduating in 2007; and southpaw Matt Crouse put on arguably one of the best pitching performances in county history when he struck out 20 during a complete-game no-hitter in 2007.

All this suggests the level of play at Battlefield is highly competitive. Accusations against Caudle accuse him of favoritism; those supporting him say the parents making the accusations were upset over the lack of playing time for their children. Those parents denied the latter, though on-the-record discussions to confirm that have yet to be held.

"You've got parents whose kids didn't play as much as they would like and I would put myself right in that category, that if my son didn't play and I thought he should be playing, I would be disgruntled too," said Williams. "But at the end of the day, I think you've got to look at the kids and you've got to honestly say, 'Is my son one of the best nine?' And when you're losing, it's easier to say, 'Why don't we play other kids, because you're not having success in what you're doing now.' But in any sport, that's not always the case."