(January 2, 2012) The Florence Freedom will have a new voice for the 2012 season.
Local fans tuning in to hear on-air broadcasts of the Freedom’s games on Real Talk 1160 WQRT will hear play-by-play commentary from STAA client and Cincinnati native Steve Jarnicki.
For many, the voice will be familiar. Jarnicki has performed the play-by-play broadcasts for Simon Kenton basketball and football, and called baseball games for Northern Kentucky University.
The local sports fan, who grew up listening to Cincinnati Reds’ games on the radio, said he’s looking forward to connecting local baseball fans during the upcoming season.
“I’ll be there from the start to the finish,” Jarnicki said of the Freedom’s upcoming season, which begins May 17. “I’m super excited to be the new voice of the Freedom.
“It’s a great opportunity for me…and a great opportunity to connect fans with the team.”
Jarnicki, 27, of Hyde Park, has come a long way since announcing imaginary baseball games from his bedroom from the age of 3, and pausing his Nintendo games as a teen to call his own plays.
He began his career announcing games as a college student at Bowling Green State University. He did play-by-play broadcasts on the university’s student radio station for BGSU football and baseball games, and men’s and women’s basketball games.
In 2005, he was a play-by-play radio broadcaster for the Sioux City Explorers, an independent minor league baseball team in Sioux City, Iowa. He later joined the Buckeye Cable Sports Network in Toledo, where he provided play-by-play on television for featured high school and college baseball, basketball, football, softball, tennis and volleyball telecasts. He went on to create his own local sports talk radio show, “First Serves,” in Toledo.
He returned to Cincinnati in 2010, started his own production company, Steve Jarnicki Productions, and teamed up with Real Talk 1160.
His ultimate goal is to announce for Major League Baseball.
“Every game has its own story,” Jarnicki said. “I love being able to tell each of those stories to listeners.”