Fans and alumni all around the world will be able to listen to Illinois State baseball and softball games via the internet this spring, as the Redbird Radio Network flagship station WJBC partnered once again with the athletics department to provide the first ever comprehensive regular-season broadcast schedule for both programs.
Each Illinois State webcast can be heard through the Redbird Athletics website (www.redbirds.org) or at www.wjbc.com.
We've received great feedback on the Illinois State volleyball and womens basketball webcasts we've done, it allows us to better serve Redbird fans without interrupting our regular news, talk and sports programming that the listeners have come to count on, said R.C. McBride, WJBC program director. We have carried both post-season baseball and softball over the years and we think that there is a strong interest to increase that coverage.
The broadcast schedule features 31 combined regular-season games along with complete Illinois State coverage at both the 2003 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball and Softball Tournaments. In addition, there will be three Redbird baseball games broadcasted live on WJBC 1230 AM at Wichita State (3/28), at Bradley (5/9) and versus Southwest Missouri State (5/15).
Redbird baseball starts the 2003 campaign at Western Kentucky on February 21, but the broadcast season opens on February 28 at Murray State with all three games of that series available on the WJBC webcast.
If youre going to have a successful product, you have to get it on the radio, head coach Jim Brownlee said. Eventually we want to get all of our games on the radio, but this is a good start. Anytime a flagship station like WJBC shows interest in covering baseball, it is good for both our fans and our program.
The Illinois State softball team has already started its season and owns a 2-3 record. The first webcast will take place on March 25 with a home game against Northwestern.
Im happy to this type of exposure return to the program, head coach
Melinda Fischer said. It is not only great for the program, but also for the families and fans who are unable to attend the games.
Aaron Johnston will be the play-by-play voice for the majority of the broadcasts, but McBride, along with John Fitzgerald and Tim Fisher, will also assist in the commentary.
