Jake Starr will serve as the Lead Broadcaster for the Reading Fightin Phils in 2026, his fourth season with the organization, while continuing his role as Director of Public Relations and Media Relations. Starr has become a key voice of the club, providing play-by-play for Fightin Phils games on WEEU and MiLB TV while also engineering and producing broadcasts and managing the technical aspects of radio and streaming coverage. He regularly conducts interviews with players and coaches, helping connect fans with the team throughout the season. Off the air, Starr oversees the club’s media relations and communications efforts, managing game notes, statistics distribution, press releases, interview requests, and postgame press conferences while serving as the primary liaison between the Fightin Phils, media outlets, and the public. In addition to his work in Reading, Starr also contributes as a broadcaster for Villanova University and West Chester University across multiple sports and platforms, including ESPN+ and FloSports. A Penn State graduate, Starr previously worked in summer collegiate baseball with the Saugerties Stallions and Cotuit Kettleers.
For the 2026 season, catch every Fightin Phils home game on WEEU’s website. R-Phils broadcasters Jake Starr and Cory Sparks will have coverage from first pitch to final out, along with pre- and post-game coverage of every game.
Cory Sparks will join the Fightin Phils broadcast team in 2026, providing on-air commentary alongside lead broadcaster Jake Starr while also contributing engaging digital content across the club’s social media platforms throughout the season. Sparks brings a strong background in play-by-play broadcasting, digital media, and sports storytelling. He recently served as an on-air host and play-by-play broadcaster for 1430 ESPN Beaver Dam/100.5 ESPN Madison, where he hosts and produces The Dam Sports Show, calls live games, and creates digital and social media content for the station. Sparks has also worked as a TV play-by-play broadcaster for the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, calling NCAA Division I soccer, volleyball, and basketball on ESPN+, while coordinating with production crews and coaching staffs. Previously, he called baseball and basketball games for Madison College and served as a broadcaster and media relations contributor for the Kenosha Kingfish of the Northwoods League. Sparks is also the founder of Minor League Minute, a digital platform covering Minor League Baseball that has grown to more than 1,200 subscribers and over 750,000 views. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, Sparks earned a degree in Radio-TV-Film with a minor in Multimedia Journalism.