Press Release

(January 13, 2011) The Dayton Dragons today announced the addition of Mike Couzens as Media Relations and Broadcasting assistant. He will work with Dragons Director of Media Relations and Broadcasting Tom Nichols on game broadcasts on the Dragons new flagship radio station, WONE 980 AM. Games will also be heard on WIZE 1340 AM and on the internet at www.daytondragons.com.

Couzens, like Alex Vispoli, the Dragons # 2 broadcaster in 2009, is a product of the highly-acclaimed Syracuse University S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Syracuse University has featured an impressive list of sportscasting talent including Bob Costas, Dick Stockton, Mike Tirico, Marv Albert, Sean McDonough, and Ian Eagle.

Couzens also brings some solid professional baseball experience to the booth. He spent the 2010 season as the # 2 broadcaster with the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs of the International League and handled national and local media requests for Stephen Strasburg during his time in Triple-A, making it an interesting year for the White Plains, New York native.

Previously, Couzens gained experience in 2008 and ’09 as a broadcaster for the Falmouth Commodores, a collegiate summer baseball team in the Cape Cod League, a circuit that has operated for more than 40 years and attracts the top college baseball prospects in the nation.

At Syracuse University, Couzens served as President/General Manager of the student-operated radio station, WJPZ FM. He also served as a sports reporter for WAER 88.3 and as a news reporter for Newsradio 570 WSYR. Additionally, he covered Syracuse University sports for OrangeFizz.net as a writer and announcer.

The Dragons are pleased to add Couzens to an impressive list of young broadcasters who have served as the # 2 announcer with the team since the Dragons inception in 2000, many of whom have gone on to primary announcing positions in Minor League Baseball. Vispoli is entering his second season as voice of the Winston-Salem Dash of the Carolina League. Owen Serey is the voice of the South Bend Silver Hawks in the Midwest League and will enter his third season with that club in 2011. Nick Anastos, the Dragons # 2 broadcaster in 2010, is currently pursuing a primary broadcast position for the upcoming season. Two previous announcers who worked as Dragons # 2 broadcasters, Mike Benton and Nick Brunker, are now working in the East Coast Hockey League. Benton has been the voice of the Stockton Thunder since the team’s inception and Brunker is in his first season as the voice of the Cincinnati Cyclones.

Mike Vander Woude, the Dragons Director of Media Relations and Broadcasting from 2000-2007, will enter his fourth season as the voice of the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in 2011.

Nichols returns for his fourth season with the Dragons as Director of Broadcasting and 24th year in professional baseball in 2011. He will handle play-by-play for all Dragons television broadcasts on WHIO Digital Channel 7.2 and all remaining home and road radio broadcasts.

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