We have personnel news from the great state of Wisconsin, as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Low Class A; Midwest League) and Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (summer collegiate; Northwoods League) announce front-office additions.
For the Timber Rattlers, Hillary Basten, Sara Mortimer and Kaitlynn Sablich are the newest members of the front office.
Basten joins the organization as the new Banquet Sales and Events Manager. The native of De Pere is a graduate of Iowa State University. She had worked as an intern in the Cyclones Athletic Department prior to graduating in 2013.
Mortimer is the Staff Accountant for the team. She had been with the Timber Rattlers as an accounting intern and a part-time accounting assistant prior to being hired full-time. Mortimer graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh this past May.
Sablich will be working as a Group Sales Representative for the Timber Rattlers. She has experience with the team as a member of Fang’s Fanatics in 2013 and as an intern in 2014. Sablich, who is from De Pere, has recently graduated from UW-Oshkosh.
Here’s a good example of how Minor League Baseball has changed over the years. The Timber Rattlers started their inaugural season of 1995 with ten year-round, full-time positions. The team currently has 27 year-round, full-time positions and over 350 seasonal, part-time positions.
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At Witter Field, Nick Tirro is the new Radio Broadcaster and Director of Media Relations for the Rafters. Last summer, Tirro was the voice of the Kalamazoo Growlers in their inaugural season. In addition to handling the play-by-play duties for 72 games, he wrote press releases and handled a portion of the social media duties with the team.
During the 2015 season, on top of calling all 72 Rafters games on AM 1320 WFHR with all home games additionally simulcast on live video steam, Tirro will act as the Rafters traveling secretary and media relations coordinator, while assisting with additional video, audio, and graphic projects this season.
“Nick’s skill-set and familiarity with the Northwoods League will be a valuable asset to the Rafters organization next season,” said Rafters general manager John Fanta. “Rafters fans are going to love the passion he brings to every broadcast.”
Tirro will graduate from Manchester University (North Manchester, IN) in the spring of 2015. At the university, Tirro gained invaluable broadcasting experience as a part of WBKE, 89.5 The Buzz, the school’s student run radio station. While at MU Tirro broadcasted Spartan baseball, basketball, football and volleyball. WBKE provided Tirro with a launching pad to expand his broadcasting skills. He also received the opportunity to travel to conference tournaments and broadcast a men’s basketball game at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on the campus of Butler University.
Apart from broadcasting, Tirro has hosted a weekly sports talk show titled “The Sport Report” on WBKE, 89.5 The Buzz. He spent two years on the Manchester University’s baseball team where in 2013 the Spartans advanced to the Division 3 World Series in Appleton. Nick also has a background in coaching youth baseball, as well as being involved as a counselor for various baseball camps throughout his high school and collegiate career.
He is very excited to be a part of the Rafters organization this upcoming summer. Having a chance to broadcast the Northwoods League All-Star game, as well as being able to work with an award-winning organization in Wisconsin Rapids is an exciting step for Tirro.
“Big Top Baseball was named the 2014 Organization of the year according to Ballparkdigest.com, and working with a team in that organization is an exciting opportunity for me. This should be an outstanding summer, and working with such a first class organization will hopefully help me not only become a better broadcaster, but a better ambassador for the game as well,” said Tirro.