Rowan Radio to broadcast 14 Riversharks games

The Whit - April 26, 2007

The Camden Riversharks baseball club is teaming up with Rowan Radio, 89.7 WGLS-FM this season. WGLS will broadcast 14 home games for the Riversharks, a member of the eight-team Atlantic League of Professional Baseball Clubs. In addition to the 12 home Friday night games, WGLS will broadcast the home opener on May 8, and a special Independence Day broadcast on July 4.

Broadcasters are Rowan alumnus Mike Shute, who graduated in 1993 with a degree in communications-liberal arts, and junior radio/television/film major Jim Vassallo. Shute, a resident of Gloucester Township, will provide the play-by-play action while Vassallo, from Marlton, assists with color commentary.

"I look at it as another opportunity for Rowan and the Riversharks," Vassallo said. "It gets the station and the university out there to the public. Plus, it's great for the community."

Vassallo continued to say that both the university and the Riversharks will benefit from the collaboration because it gives both a boost in publicity. The community also benefits because many listeners may not be aware of the family-based Riversharks organization, and a night at the park also saves spectators a few dollars.

Campbell's Field, home of the Riversharks, can seat up to 6,425 people. The low capacity makes for a memorable experience, as there is not a bad seat in the house. The park is located on the edge of the Delaware River, directly across from Center City Philadelphia, and sits next to the Ben Franklin Bridge.

On any given day, fans not only get to enjoy a baseball game, but also the setting in which the game is played. Children particularly enjoy seeing the train from New Jersey to Philadelphia run across the bottom of the bridge while the game is played.

Campbell's Field has been named the Independent Baseball "Park of the Year" by Baseball America and Digitalballparks.com for the past two years. The park also holds 20 luxury suites, 417 club seats, a WindsorFinancial.com Picnic Pavilion and the Acme Fun Zone. The children at the Fun Zone can enjoy a huge "moon bounce" and other attractions such as a speed pitch and an inflatable obstacle course.

When Campbell's Field went up in 2001, it was a nice addition to a city that had mostly been in the news for crime. Now, the Riversharks bring a revived sense of family and community to the city of Camden. WGLS is acting as a medium for that.

Adam Lorber, general manager of the Riversharks said in a recent press release, "Our partnership with WGLS-FM and Rowan helps us broaden our exposure throughout South Jersey. We're South Jersey's team and we believe our partnership with the station will help us reach communities throughout the region. It's definitely a relationship we hope to grow."

The radio station's Web site, http://wgls.rowan.edu, will also broadcast 19 other Riversharks home games for the 2007 season. Each Monday and Wednesday home game will be available for the internet-only broadcasts. The entire home-opening series will also be broadcast on the station's Web site.

Frank Hogan, general manager of WGLS said in the same press release, "This will be a great experience for our students in Rowan's College of Communication. And the Riversharks will get a quality broadcast." Hogan and Lorber agree that the new addition to WGLS will be beneficial for both the station and the team. The station, now in its 43rd year, has already won 121 regional and national awards since 1993.

The Riversharks, beginning their seventh season, have not yet won a championship in the Atlantic League. They open up the 2007 season on May 8 against the team that ousted them three games to none in the 2004 championship round, the Long Island Ducks. A couple names to remember when tuning in to the 31 game broadcast on WGLS are 2006 league batting champ Denny Abreu, who hit .323 in 105 games last season, and pitcher Mark Difelice, who finished with a 12-9 record and a 3.19 ERA in 25 starts.