We have personnel news today from the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Double-A; Eastern League), Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Triple-A; International League), Biloxi Shuckers (Double-A; Southern League), Delmarva Shorebirds (Single-A; Carolina League) and Daytona Tortugas (Single-A; Florida State League).
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats announced their broadcast team for the 2023 season, which begins this Thursday in Altoona.
Steve Goldberg returns to the organization as the Broadcasting and Media Relations Manager. The Boston native and University of Missouri graduate has made stops in professional baseball with the Charleston RiverDogs, Melbourne Aces, Frisco RoughRiders, and Mobile BayBears, where he was voted the 2019 Southern League Broadcaster of the Year. Previously, Goldberg worked for Learfield as a broadcast producer and Mississippi State studio host. He spent two years as the South Alabama Jaguars women’s basketball radio voice. Goldberg is also a veteran of the Cape Cod Baseball League, calling Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox games in their 2014 championship season.
Gareth Kwok enters his first season as Broadcasting and Media Relations Assistant for the Fisher Cats. Most recently, Kwok was the broadcasting, community and public relations assistant for the Frederick Keys (summer collegiate; MLB Draft League. In the fall and winter, Kwok fills in on play-by-play for Arizona State men’s and women’s basketball on the Sun Devil Radio Network. He previously served a summer as a play-by-play broadcaster for the Orleans Firebirds in the Cape Cod League. Kwok is a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.
Bob Lipman, a six-time NSMA New Hampshire Sportscaster of the Year award winner, will also return to the booth. He has been broadcasting games for the Fisher Cats since the team’s inaugural season in 2004 and serves as the team historian. He is also the radio voice of UNH Football, the primary basketball broadcaster for Dartmouth College, and an athletic communications assistant at Southern New Hampshire University.
Pat Cullen and Zach Herman return as the lead producers of Fisher Cats baseball.
Sam Jellinek is the new Radio Voice of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Jellinek becomes the third primary play-by-play voice of the franchise following Pat McCarthy (2019-2022)–now a part of the New York Mets broadcast team–and Matt Provence (2008-2018). Jellinek enters his first season with IronPigs after spending the prior three seasons with the Delmarva Shorebirds. Jellinek is originally from Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Service Electric Network continues to broadcast all home games on the IronPigs TV Network.
The IronPigs are also excited to announce the addition of Suzie Cool as the team’s Director of Promotions and Entertainment. Cool will feature as the digital and on-field host, while also joining Jellinek in the radio broadcasting booth for occasional road games. In addition, Cool will also join the IronPigs TV Network joining the Service Electric broadcast team for select pre-game shows during the 2023 season.
Most recently, Cool wrapped up her fourth season with the AHL’s Rochester Americans and Knighthawks as the teams’ Multimedia Journalist, In-Arena Host and Sideline Reporter. Cool is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has also previously worked in Minor League Baseball with the Salem Red Sox.
Javik Blake is the new Voice of the Shuckers, the third in team history. He will be on the call for all 138 Shuckers’ games on Cruisin’ WGCM 1240 AM, 100.9 FM, biloxishuckers.com and the MiLB First Pitch app. Blake had previously joined the front office in February as the media relations and broadcast assistant.
“It’s an incredible honor to take on this role,” Blake said. “I can’t thank the entire Shuckers’ front office enough for the opportunity, and I’m extremely excited to serve as the new ‘Voice of the Shuckers.’”
Prior to joining the Shuckers, Blake served as the Broadcaster and Director of Media Relations for the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders in the summer-collegiate Northwoods League. Blake’s previous stops have included two years with the High Point Rockers in the independent Atlantic League and two years with the Wareham Gatemen in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
“Javik’s energy and passion for the game will be very apparent to all listeners,” General Manager Hunter Reed said via press release. “We couldn’t be happier to have him as part of the Shuckers’ organization.”
The Norton, Massachusetts native graduated from Elon University in North Carolina in January of 2023. At Elon, he served on the broadcast teams for Elon Phoenix baseball, men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s soccer on Learfield, Elon Sports Vision and WSOE 89.3 FM.
The Delmarva Shorebirds introduced Mitchell Speltz as the new Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations for the 2023 season. Speltz will take over for the aforementioned Sam Jellinek.
“I’m so excited to be a part of the Shorebirds organization and be the voice of the team for the upcoming season,” Speltz said, “Huge thank you to Chris Bitters and Ben Vigliarolo for believing in me and Sam Jellinek who helped make this opportunity possible for myself.”
Speltz will begin his second season in Minor League Baseball and in the Carolina League as the Wisconsin native comes over from the Augusta GreenJackets where he served a similar role with the Atlanta Braves affiliate last season. He graduated from Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and began his baseball broadcasting career in the Northwoods League where he was the 2021 Broadcaster of the Year with the Mankato MoonDogs.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mitchell to the Shorebirds for the 2023 season and a familiar voice in the Carolina League,” said Shorebirds General Manager Chris Bitters. “Mitchell is a veteran broadcaster and we are excited to continue to give fans deep insights and personal connections to their favorite Shorebirds players.”
The Daytona Tortugas announced the addition of Brennan Mense as their next Play-by-Play Broadcaster and Media Relations Coordinator. Mense replaces Justin Rocke, who departed after four years with the Tortugas to broadcast for the Brooklyn Cyclones.
Mense is beginning his fifth season broadcasting in professional baseball and will serve as the Voice of the Tortugas for all 132 games of the 2023 season over the Tortugas Radio Network.
“I am tremendously excited to join an organization in Daytona that has continued to set the standard in the Florida State League,” Mense said. “It’s a short turnaround, but I’m ready to get started and make 2023 memorable any way I can for the Tortugas organization.”
Mense comes from a former long-time member of the Cincinnati Reds family, the Billings Mustangs, where he served as the Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations for the Pioneer League club’s 2022 season.
In addition to his time in Billings, Mense broadcast professionally for the Class-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, the Bowling Green Hot Rods, in 2019, the 2018 Gary SouthShore RailCats of the independent American Association and the 2015 Garden City Wind of the independent Pecos League. He also has experience in the summer collegiate ranks and working in an MLB front office as a Media Relations Intern for the Kansas City Royals in 2017.
A native of Shawnee, Kansas, Mense graduated from Kansas State University in 2016.