"My first Tech broadcast was at old Arlington Stadium in the NCAA (baseball) regionals," Nitz recalled. "Coach (Pat) Patterson made sure we had our games broadcast from Arlington. I did the games out there and (Tech) came one game short of going to the World Series."

Since calling those first Tech baseball games, Nitz has been behind the microphone for Bulldogs football, basketball and baseball games — and eight years of Lady Techsters' basketball games.

He has become synonymous with Louisiana Tech athletics and on Tuesday night, the school honored him for his 2,000th broadcast.

To truly appreciate the 2,000 Tech broadcasts, consider that he has done this for the last 35 years. He has averaged broadcasting more than 57 Tech games a season.

Those 35 years calling Tech games rank as the sixth-longest active streak in the country. If you add the six years he spent calling games at William and Mary and Georgia Southern, then Nitz has 41 years of announcing college sports events on the radio.

His call is as strong in 2009 as it was in 1974. At age 67, Nitz still hasn't lost a step. His passion is still evident.

"I guess because I enjoy doing it," Nitz said. "I don't consider it as work. I consider it as enjoyment. I don't have any other hobbies, it's a shame to say. My hobby is going and broadcasting games.

"I'm not much of a fan. It's almost impossible for me to go and sit in the stands and watch a game. I feel like I should be doing something. I've enjoyed doing it and they've treated me pretty good at Louisiana Tech."

He has called some of the greatest moments in Tech's athletic history — Sean Cangelosi's game-winning catch at Alabama and a men's basketball comeback at Washington from seven points down with 30 seconds to play to win rank among this favorites.

His calls have been in the most professional manner.

If you're looking for a cheerleader behind the microphone, Nitz isn't your man.

He learned his trade from a former Marshall play-by-play man, Gene Morehouse, who later died in the Marshall plane crash.

"I know some people would like me to be more of a homer," Nitz said. "But I try to report what is going on on the playing field or the basketball court and try to describe the action. I don't want to be an editorial writer or broadcaster.

"If the other team does something outstanding or makes a great play, I'm going to give them credit. I do that with Tech."

Along the way, the games kept piling up until on Tuesday, he hit the big 2,000.

The school honored him after the women's game and before the men's game.

Then Dave Nitz pulled up his chair and did what he had done 1,999 times before — called a Louisiana Tech game.

"It's been a good run," he said.

It's a run that doesn't figure to end anytime soon. Tech has a 10-year contract with Learfield Sports and both Tech and Learfield are happy with Nitz at the microphone.

"(I want to do this) as long as they'll have me," Nitz said. "I tell people, I'd like to do what Harry Caray always said. Drag me out of the press box feet first. That would be the best way to go — broadcasting a game.'