During a special “Pizza with the Pros” event on Monday night hosted by Neil Hartman, the director of the Center for Sports Communication & Social Impact, an expanded partnership with the minor league baseball team the Wilmington Blue Rocks was announced.

Rowan students will have multiple opportunities for internships in the front office or as on-air personalities. This news comes after the success that students had working in these positions for the NBA G-League team, the Wilmington Blue Coats.

Prospective students had the opportunity to ask questions about the application and audition process to the esteemed panel, creating lots of insightful advice as well as great memories and stories of working on the job. This panel, who will also serve as the broadcasting audition judging panel, includes Cincinnati Reds TV Broadcaster John Sadak who is a Rowan alum, Blue Rocks Director of Marketing Liz Welch, Rowan Radio Station Manager Derek Jones and Hartman. 

“One of my priorities is to expose our students to as many professional opportunities as possible, and this partnership with the Blue Rocks provides a tremendous in-person experience calling games and gaining valuable training as an undergraduate,” Hartman said. “The only way you can develop as a broadcaster is by actually calling games, and for our students to have the opportunity to work 60 minor league baseball games is invaluable.”

Students will have the opportunity to work as pre- and post-game hosts as well as play-by-play announcers. Auditions will be held next week for prospective on-air personalities. There will also be opportunities to work in the front office as an intern for the minor league team starting in the summer. The internship roles to fill include positions in media relations, marketing, website writer, production, game-day operations and sales/sponsorships.

When asking students about how they felt about the opportunity, the answer was pretty clear: this opportunity is a big one.

“I think this is an outstanding opportunity for Rowan students. I don’t think you could find a school with a better sports program, that cares just as much about their students as ours does,” said MacKenzie Garrett, a junior sports communication and media and journalism double major. 

“How many college students are given the chance to broadcast for a minor league baseball team? Not many, and I also love the fact that there are multiple positions so that students have more of a chance to be a part of this opportunity,” she said.

Interested students should submit a resume, cover letter and a completed application in order to apply for all positions by Sunday, April 11. Audition information will be sent out Tuesday, April 13, and auditions for on-air personalities will be Wednesday, April 14. 

Prospective students can email their resume and cover letter, or questions and concerns, to sportscam@rowan.edu. 

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