NWL Announces the 2024 TV Announcers of the Year

November 12, 2024 - Northwoods League (Northwoods) News Release

Rochester, Minn. - The Northwoods League has announced Tyler Reidy of the St. Cloud Rox and Jaden Taylor of the Kalamazoo Growlers have been named the 2024 Northwoods League Baseball TV Announcers of the Year. Owen Patterson of the Minot Honeybees was named the 2024 Northwoods League Softball TV Announcer of the Year.

"We always discuss the plethora of talented athletes on display during our baseball and softball games, with our broadcasters and video production teams, there is no difference," said Dominic Etue, Northwoods League Director of Business Development. "I believe this year's 2024 announcer class was one of the best the League has ever seen. It was a very difficult decision to hand out these awards this season, however I want to congratulate Owen, Jaden and Tyler on terrific summers, showing off their hard-working mentality, attention to detail, knowledge of the game and bringing positive approaches, which shined during every broadcast."

Reidy, a junior at the University of Notre Dame joined the St. Cloud Rox for the 2024 season, arriving to St. Cloud with accolades such as being named an honorable mention All-American for the Jim Nantz Award, recognized as one of the top collegiate broadcasters in the country. Taylor, a junior at Arizona State University entered his second season as the Kalamazoo Growlers announcer, also led the media relations for the organization this summer. Taylor brings a wealth of experience to his position, serving as a play-by-play broadcaster during the MLB Arizona Fall League. Patterson, a sophomore at Minot State University was the lead announcer for over fifty Northwoods League games for both the Minot Honeybees as well as the Minot Hot Tots.

"This is an incredible honor. There is no better place for a broadcaster in summer baseball than the Northwoods League. The professional experience, the daily work, and growth day by day that comes with the job is something you just won't get at any other level. This award isn't just for me but our entire production crew that worked tirelessly across three long months to provide the best fan experience for Growlers fans at home. Finally, thank you a ton to the Kalamazoo Growlers fans and everyone in the organization that makes it amazing to come into work every day," said Taylor.

Reidy and Patterson led the broadcast of the 2024 Northwoods League All-Star Game, as well as pairing together during the Northwoods League Great Plains Playoffs. In addition, Taylor was part of several broadcasts during the Northwoods League Great Lakes Playoffs, as well as leading the call of the 2024 Northwoods League Summer Collegiate World Series game.

Reidy commented, "First and foremost, thank you to the Northwoods League for providing a top-tier environment in which to broadcast baseball games throughout the summer. The league's high standards for broadcast quality and offerings in terms of on-field talent made every game a unique challenge that I enjoyed. Hats off to the Rox as well for their trust in me and commitment to excellence at all organizational levels. From the video production team to the front office, I have so many people to thank for making each night at the ballpark such a joy."

"I think we, as a broadcast team, had a lot of fun and took a lot of responsibility with showcasing the new softball league. Everyone was locked in, each individual game, or doubleheader with a piano concert in the middle, on making a really good live stream production. I enjoyed my summer in Minot working with the crew," said Patterson.

The Northwoods League experienced a significant increase in viewership throughout the 2024 season. The League continued to partner with ESPN+, streaming over 170 games on the platform this season. The Northwoods League also developed its inaugural 24-hour 'FAST' channel called the Northwoods League Network, which broadcasted live games, replay games, as well as producing shows that centered on the League and its players. The League saw over two million unique viewers tune in for its live games during the season and totaled over five million unique viewers to its live games, replay games, as well as shows that were created for the 2024 season.

In addition to games on ESPN, the Northwoods League offered its streaming service Free to the viewing public once again in 2024, which included games streamed live, on-demand, as well as League-focused shows for additional viewership.

Fans can watch Northwoods League games on their own televisions using Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku and Android TV, in addition to being able to watch them on their PC, mobile device or tablet.

Northwoods League teams recruit talented individuals for their video production teams every season, many of which are in excellent college broadcasting programs at top level colleges. These webcasting teams consist of directors, announcers, producers, and camera operators, all of which must work together to produce and stream quality games for the viewers.

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Northwoods League Stories from November 12, 2024

• Growlers Announcer Named NWL TV Announcer of the Year - Kalamazoo Growlers
• NWL Announces the 2024 TV Announcers of the Year - Northwoods

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