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IL1 Lehigh Valley IronPigs

IronPigs Announce Inaugural Broadcast Team

January 10, 2008 - International League (IL1)
Lehigh Valley IronPigs News Release


(Allentown, PA) - The Lehigh Valley IronPigs announced their television and radio broadcast team at Allentown Brew Works on Thursday. Former Major League All-Star pitcher Ricky Bottalico, who will serve as an analyst will join play-by-play announcers Mike Zambelli, Sports Director of 2 Sports; Matt Provence, IronPigs Director of Media Relations & Broadcasting; and Troy Hein, Sports Director of WFMZ. In addition, Allentown native Meredith Marakovits will serve as a features reporter for the telecasts. Jon Schaeffer, IronPigs Manager of Media Relations & Broadcasting, will join Provence in handling radio duties on the IronPigs Radio Network during the team's inaugural season.

"Our goal from the onset was to establish one of the top broadcast crews in all of minor league baseball and we couldn't be happier with the group that we have assembled," stated IronPigs General Manager Kurt Landes. "We feature a former Major Leaguer, Lehigh Valley sports anchors and Minor League broadcast veterans. Collectively, they have a great passion and knowledge for the game that they will convey to our viewers and listeners on a nightly basis."

Ricky Bottalico brings 12 years of Major League baseball experience to the booth and will provide color commentary during all 72 IronPigs home games. Originally signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1991, Bottalico made his Major League debut in 1994. He was named a National League All-Star in 1996 after posting 34 saves and a 3.19 ERA in 61 appearances. The New Britain, Conn., native was traded from Philadelphia to St. Louis in 1998 and also pitched for Kansas City, Arizona, New York (NL) and Milwaukee before concluding his playing career in 2005. In 562 career appearances, the right-hander notched 116 saves and a 3.99 ERA. Bottalico began his broadcasting career last season when he served as an analyst for the Phillies pre- and post-game show on Comcast SportsNet.

Mike Zambelli, a recognizable and accomplished sportscaster in the Lehigh Valley, will handle a majority of the play-by-play duties on the IronPigs Television Network. A 20-year veteran of 2 Sports, he has served as the station's Sports Director since 1994. As part of Service Electric's local sports coverage, Zambelli has done play-by-play for the Reading Phillies, Allentown Ambassadors, Lehigh University football and basketball and hundreds of sporting events on the high school level. In that role, Zambelli and the 2 Sports team were nominated for a regional sports Emmy recognizing excellence in play-by-play broadcasting. Zambelli also serves as the host of Sports Scene on 2 Sports - the premier source for daily sports coverage in the Lehigh Valley.

The 2008 campaign will mark Matt Provence's 12th season in minor league baseball following stints with the Norwich Navigators (1997), Lynchburg Hillcats (1998-2004) and Daytona Cubs (2005-2006). The New Jersey native will serve as the primary play-by-play voice on the IronPigs Radio Network while having a significant on-air presence on all TV broadcasts. In addition to calling more than 1,000 minor league baseball games on both TV and radio, the 33-year-old has also handled high school and college sporting events in both Virginia and Florida. In 2001, Provence represented the Carolina League as a broadcaster for the California/Carolina League All-Star game in Stockton, Calif., in 2001. The James Madison (Va.) University graduate began his broadcasting career interning for the New York Yankees Radio team in 1995.

Meredith Marakovits joins the broadcast team as a features reporter for the IronPigs Television Network. The role is a familiar one for Marakovits, who has also worked as a sideline reporter for both the Reading Phillies and Lehigh Valley Outlawz (Continental Indoor Football League) on 2 Sports. She currently serves as a morning show co-host and update anchor on Sports Radio 950 AM in Philadelphia. A graduate of LaSalle University, Marakovits has also done production work for NBC's Sunday Night Football and Fox's NFL and Major League Baseball coverage.

Troy Hein will play an instrumental role in all Saturday broadcasts, which also air on WFMZ 69. The Portola, Calif., native has a wealth of television and play-by-play experience, and has won two associated press awards for his work at WFMZ. He joined the station as Sports Director in 2000 after working as an anchor and reporter at KLTV in Tyler, Texas. Hein also hosts and produces "The Big Ticket", WFMZ's award-winning high school football broadcast that airs every Friday night during the season.

Jon Schaeffer, who most recently served as the Director of Broadcasting and play-by-play voice of the Lynchburg Hillcats, will handle radio pre- and post-game show duties and radio play-by-play of the middle innings on all home games and select road games. The 27-year-old enters his sixth season in professional baseball after beginning his career as an intern with Lynchburg in 2003. A native of nearby Lower Merion, Pa., Schaeffer also served as the radio voice of Longwood (Va.) University men's basketball from 2004-2007.

The IronPigs TV Network, powered by Service Electric Cable & Communications, consists of Service Electric Cable & Communications, Service Electric Cablevision, Service Electric Broadband, Blue Ridge Cable and WYLN 35 - which will televise live all 72 IronPigs home games. WFMZ 69 will also join the network for all Saturday home broadcasts and other select games.

All 144 IronPigs games will be broadcast live on the IronPigs Radio Network. WXLV 90.3 FM, located on the campus of Lehigh Carbon Community College, will serve as the "Flagship Station" and WZZO 95.1 HD-2 will serve as the "Digital Home of the IronPigs." The IronPigs have also reached affiliate agreements with 1470 AM in Allentown and WYBF 89.1 FM, located on the campus of Cabrini College in Radnor, Pa., to carry a select number of games in 2008.

Thomas Viola, a 2003 graduate of Penn State University, will handle studio duties along the IronPigs Radio Network - working as a producer, engineer and providing on-air studio analysis. He will be joined in studio by a collection of LCCC students, including Kelly Miller, Felix Santos and Robert Terracino, as part of a Communications Internship Program that allows qualified LCCC students to gain valuable experience and course credits.

The IronPigs 2008 season, presented by Capital BlueCross, begins on April 3 at PNC Field in Moosic, Pa. against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. The IronPigs return for Opening Day at Coca-Cola Park on April 11 at 7:05 p.m. against the reigning International League champion Richmond Braves. Season tickets, mini plans and group tickets for the inaugural season are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.ironpigsbaseball.com or by calling (610) 435-3001.

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