By George Kopf and Matt Reynolds
ALLEN, TX – Peak Events, LLC and D1Baseball are proud to officially introduce the broadcast talent for the 2023 Karbach Round Rock Classic and 2023 Frisco Classic.
In a previous release, D1Baseball was named the “Official Media Partner and Streaming Host Platform for the 2023 Frisco Classic and 2023 Karbach Round Rock Classic,” which gives D1Baseball the exclusive right to host the broadcast stream of all six games for both 2023 Classics on D1Baseball.com.
The broadcast talent for the two tournaments will be made up of several talented individuals who prominently cover baseball at all levels from amateur to professional. The broadcasts will focus on a conversational-style commentary, while still providing the feel and production value of a nationally televised, high-level college baseball broadcast.
“We are extremely excited for the opportunity to have this level of broadcast talent calling the games in Round Rock and Frisco. These guys will provide a level of professionalism and unique insight that cannot be found anywhere else in college baseball’s early season. I truly believe that fans will enjoy this unique spin on a traditional college baseball broadcast.” said Nathan Wooldridge, Vice President of Peak Events, LLC.
“We at D1Baseball.com are extremely excited to partner with Peak Events on these two premier, early-season tournaments. I’m excited that a few of my buddies agreed to jump in and broadcast the events as well. I think you will enjoy the approach and I know we are all looking forward to bringing it to you,” said Kyle Peterson, D1Baseball.com President.
In total, the broadcast talent includes eleven voices that will be heard as part of the pay-per-view live streams. The play-by-play will be done by Chris Mycoskie or Mike Ferrin at both classics. Mycoskie has called multiple Frisco Classic and Karbach Classic games in years past, as well as other collegiate events on ESPN+. Ferrin spent six seasons as a play-by-play commentator for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and currently is a co-host on MLB Network Radio.
Four different analysts will be exclusively featured in the Karbach Round Rock Classic booth, as Chris Burke, Ben McDonald, Kyle Peterson, and Mike Rooney provide insight from a former player's point-of-view. Burke, who works games for ESPN and SEC Network as a studio host and in-game analyst after finishing his major league playing career and college career at Tennessee. McDonald, a former #1 overall pick out of LSU, has worked as a color commentator for the Baltimore Orioles since 2020. Peterson brings a wealth of knowledge to the booth, appearing as one of the primary analysts for ESPN’s coverage of the College World Series in Omaha. Peterson pitched for Stanford and played in the MLB for four seasons. Rooney, who played at Notre Dame and coached at Arizona State, provides a unique perspective to the broadcasts and currently serves as a college baseball contributor for ESPN.
Other members of the broadcast crew include Kendall Rogers, Stephen Schoch, Jake Mintz, and Jordan Shusterman. Rogers has spent over 20 years covering college baseball and is currently the managing editor for D1Baseball.com. Schoch, a former Virginia Cavaliers pitcher most well-known for his eccentricity on and off the mound, will help contribute to the broadcast. Shusterman and Mintz, known more colloquially as “Cespedes Family BBQ,” will contribute the same witty, humorous, and baseball content heard on their podcast to the broadcast stream.
Rounding out the talent is Mike Hardge and Aaron Fitt. Hardge will serve as “dugout reporter” in Round Rock, providing updates, key stories, and more field side. He will transition to color commentary for the Frisco Classic broadcast booth. Hardge played infield for the Texas Longhorns and tallied 13 seasons in professional baseball. Fitt joins the Frisco Classic broadcast crew as a contributor, bringing in his experience as a co-editor and national writer for D1Baseball.
“The main goal of D1Baseball.com has always been to become the one-stop shop for everything college baseball related. This is yet another innovative step as part of our commitment to do that. We’re thrilled to have KP, Chris Burke, and Ben McDonald joining Mike Rooney, Mike Ferrin, Chris Mycoskie, and Mike Hardge in the broadcasts. We are also looking forward to having some special elements surrounding the Karbach Round Rock Classic with the addition of Jake Mintz, Jordan Shusterman, and Stephen Schoch to the team. We couldn’t be more excited to be partnered up with Peak Events on these two outstanding weekends." said Kendall Rogers, Co-Managing Editor, D1Baseball.com
Talent lineups for each game will be announced at a later date.
Fans can sign up and find purchase information for each Classic below. Pay-per-view packages for each event start at $9.95 for the day including both games played on the same day or a full weekend package including all 6 games for $24.99.
More on D1Baseball: D1Baseball is college baseball’s home on the internet. Since its inception in 2003, the site has been the only place to find continuously updated scores, schedules, and standings for every Division I team and conference, making it an indispensable resource for college baseball fans and insiders. In January of 2015, D1Baseball was relaunched as a one-stop shop for college baseball. In addition to the scores and schedules that have long served as the backbone of the site, D1Baseball now provides news, analysis, and commentary from the sport’s most prominent writers: Kendall Rogers, Aaron Fitt, Mark Etheridge, and Eric Sorenson, among others. ESPN’s lead college baseball analyst, former Stanford All-American Kyle Peterson, leads the team. No other college baseball source offers the invaluable data or the unrivaled expertise found at D1Baseball.
More on Peak Events, LLC:
A sister company of Peak Sports MGMT, Peak Events, LLC is an Event Management firm based out of Allen, Texas that specializes in Collegiate Sporting events & scheduling with current properties including the Frisco College Baseball Classic, the Karbach Round Rock Classic, and additional tournament locations to be announced in the coming months.. Find more information at peak.events or on social media @peakdotevents.