Pac-12 Networks announces fall Olympic talent lineup for third season of live event coverage

Play-by-play voice Josh Lewin and former MLS player Christopher Sullivan join the Pac-12 Networks on-air roster for 2014

SAN FRANCISCO (August 4, 2014) – Pac-12 Networks today announced its fall Olympic talent lineup of expert broadcasters who will cover a total of 213 live events in men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s water polo, field hockey and cross country. In addition to the slate of returning on-air talent, two newcomers join the Pac-12 Networks’ team – Josh Lewin, calling play-by-play action for women’s volleyball, and Christopher Sullivan as a soccer analyst.

Lewin has extensive experience in broadcasting, calling baseball, football and hockey games on both the club and national level since 1995. Most recently, Lewin spent three seasons as the play-by-play announcer with the New York Mets. He was the voice of Texas Rangers baseball on TV for eight seasons, in addition to stints on both TV and radio for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers. Lewin can also be heard as the radio voice for the San Diego Chargers. He also hosts his own midday sports talk radio show on 105.3 FM in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Sullivan, a Bay Area native and former MLS midfielder/forward, returns to the Networks in a larger role for his first full season with men’s soccer broadcasts. Sullivan was a soccer standout with the University of Tampa before moving on to an international playing career that spanned numerous countries and included an appearance on the 1990 U.S. World Cup team. He started his broadcast career as a sideline reporter for Fox Sports Bay Area covering the San Jose Earthquakes, and has made many appearances providing color on MLS game telecasts.

Play-by-play announcer Ann Schatz and analyst Kyndra de St. Aubin are set to kick off the Networks’ live event telecast schedule with a women’s soccer contest on Friday, August 22 at 3 p.m. PT with Colorado facing off against state rival Colorado State. To continue the day, JB Long and Krista Blunk will cover the action when defending national champion UCLA hosts Maryland at 7:00 p.m. PT. With a 69-game schedule, Jim Watson will also return as a play-by-play announcer, in addition to analyst Tammy Blackburn.

Blunk will also team with analyst Holly McPeak for the start of women’s volleyball coverage on Friday, September 5 at 6 p.m. PT, with Stanford kicking off a Big Ten/Pac-12 doubleheader as they host the NCAA Champion, Penn State. Illinois vs. UCLA will follow at 8 p.m. PT. Blackburn and Anne Marie Anderson also return to the Networks’ coverage of 96 women’s volleyball games, the most in Networks’ history. Each Pac-12 team will appear on the Networks at least 12 times (home or away) in 2014 with USC leading the way with 20 appearances.

In men’s soccer, UCLA alumnus and former MLS player Cobi Jones will continue to cover all the action on the Networks alongside Christian Miles. Rich Cellini and JB Long continue play-by-play duties, with Sullivan and Kelly Gray serving up the analysis. Each Pac-12 men’s soccer team will appear on the Networks at least nine times, with Washington leading the way with 12 appearances.

Kara Lentz and Leah Secondo will team up to cover the Networks’ five-game women’s field hockey broadcast schedule, which features ranked teams in all but one event. The season will kick off with a doubleheader on Friday, August 29 when California faces Fairfield at 12:30 p.m. PT and Delaware visits Stanford at 3:00 p.m. PT. The five-game slate closes with a big game rivalry matchup between Stanford and California on Friday, October 24.

Christ Dorst and Jason Knapp kick off the nine-game men’s water polo schedule for the Networks when California opens the schedule against Navy on Friday, September 26 at 12:30 p.m. PT at Stanford. Jim Watson and Greg Mescall also form a broadcast tandem this season and will close out the telecast schedule as the Trojans host California on Saturday, November 15 at 10:30 a.m. PT.