(October 20, 2015) Dallas native Nathan Barnett is returning home. He is joining the Frisco RoughRiders as Play-by-Play Broadcaster and Manager of Media Development.
Barnett, who was with the RoughRiders as the Media Relations and Broadcast Assistant in 2013, now rejoins the club in a larger capacity. He will broadcast RoughRiders games on both radio and television and serve as the club’s primary liaison with the media and front office.
An STAA member since 2010, Barnett is also a former student in a sports broadcasting class taught by STAA CEO Jon Chelesnik at Palomar College near San Diego.
Barnett, 26, spent the past two seasons as the Media Relations Manager and Broadcaster for the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Pelicans, the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Pelicans are a sister franchise of the RoughRiders as part of Greenberg Sports Group, led by Frisco CEO & General Partner Chuck Greenberg.
Recently, Barnett was named 2015 Carolina League Broadcaster of the Year in his second season in the circuit, and he called the Pelicans’ first Mills Cup Championship since 2000 this September. In addition to broadcasting games, Barnett handled media relations and assisted in the team’s ticket sales efforts.
“Nathan is one of the top talents in Minor League Baseball, and we’re thrilled that he’s returning home to the Metroplex join our RoughRiders front office staff,” said Jason Dambach, Riders’ Executive Vice President & General Manager. “Nathan’s ability as a play-by-play announcer is exceptional, but his skillset in the areas of media relations, social media and marketing and many other facets of our day-to-day business operations makes him the perfect addition to our team.”
Barnett joined the Pelicans after one season in Frisco in 2013, when he worked as the Media Relations and Broadcast Assistant with the RoughRiders.
“It is sincerely a dream come true to return to home to begin the next stage of my career in Frisco,” said Barnett. “I attended countless Rangers and RoughRiders games growing up, I am passionate about both organizations already, and I admire and look up to the local media in DFW. This is a thrill. I cannot thank Jason Dambach and Chuck Greenberg enough for the opportunity to work for one of the preeminent franchises in Minor League Baseball in such a vibrant market. I hope to continue the good work of those who came before me in this position, most recently Alex Vispoli, who is a friend and a mentor.”
Prior his first stint in Frisco, Barnett made two other stops in baseball, with the Palm Springs POWER (Southern California Collegiate Baseball League) and the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (Northwoods League). He also spent two seasons with the Ontario Reign, the now-AHL (AAA) affiliate of the LA Kings in sales and broadcasting capacities.
In the DFW market, Barnett has filled in as the play-by-play broadcaster for SMU Women’s Basketball broadcasts and worked as a sideline reporter and play-by-play voice for McKinney Independent School District during football and basketball games on 97.5 KLAK.
A graduate of Pomona College in Claremont, California, Barnett helped found the Claremont College’s broadcasting program in 2011 as a student and received his degree in Politics. Born and raised in Dallas, Barnett attended The Lamplighter School and later St. Mark’s School of Texas, where he graduated cum laude with High-Honors in 2007.