Salem Red Sox, Virginia Tech School of Communication Extend Partnership VT School of Communication

January 23, 2023

SALEM, Va. – The Salem Red Sox are teaming up with the Virginia Tech School of Communication for the third consecutive year ahead of the 2023 baseball season to broadcast all 2023 Red Sox home games. Giovanni Heater and Tyler Katz will be the voices of the Salem Red Sox

Heater is currently a Sophomore at Virginia Tech in the Sports and Media Analytics program. “Gio” was born and raised in Syracuse, New York and currently serves as the Broadcast Coordinator of Special Content on the leadership team for 3304 Sports. He began broadcasting in high school, founding The Northstar Network at Cicero-North Syracuse High School. Last summer, he called basketball play-by-play for the Syracuse Stallions of the TBL and broadcast the TBL Summer League in Las Vegas, NV in 2021. Gio has called play-by-play of Virginia Tech football, basketball, baseball, softball, lacrosse, soccer, and volleyball while also working as a Production Assistant for the ACC Network. In the fall, he was the voice of Galax High School Football on WCGX 96.5 “The Cat.” Heater works for Tech Sideline, hosting their daily show, TSL Today, while being the head of their social media graphics department.

Katz is currently a Senior at Virginia Tech majoring in Sports Media & Analytics with a minor in Meteorology. Originally from Davie, Florida, Tyler has spent the past two summers working as the broadcaster for summer collegiate baseball teams in the midwest, including the Pierre Trappers of the Expedition League in Pierre, South Dakota; and the Waterloo Bucks of the Northwoods League in Waterloo, Iowa. Katz currently serves as the Sports Director for 3304 Sports and acts as the public address announcer for Virginia Tech volleyball, and previously for Virginia Tech baseball, soccer, and lacrosse.

3304 Sports is the multi-media online platform for student sports journalism and the digital home of the Sports Play-by-Play class at Virginia Tech. Members of the 3304 Sports team cover major college sporting events, giving them the opportunity to learn and grow in a professional environment.

Sports Media & Analytics students at Virginia Tech study sports journalism and work in the school’s digital broadcast studio, newsroom, and media lab. Students learn in real-world environments through extensive field work on campus and at stadiums and arenas throughout the ACC and the country.

“We are delighted that Tyler and Giovanni, two outstanding students in our SMA program will have the opportunity to broadcast professional baseball in Salem and to learn, grow and develop their skills as part of the Red Sox organization,” said ESPN and Westwood One broadcaster Bill Roth, who serves as a Professor of Practice in Virginia Tech’s School of Communication,

“We are very excited to continue the partnership with Virginia Tech School of Communication,” said General Manager, Allen Lawrence. “This collaboration is a great opportunity for students in the program and a perfect fit for providing on-air coverage for our fans.”

The Salem Red Sox are the Low-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and call Carilion Clinic Field in Salem, Virginia home. The Red Sox are in the Northern Division of the Low-A Carolina League. The team was founded in 1968 and purchased by Fenway Sports Management in December of 2007.