High School Sports:

Editor’s Note: A huge thanks to Marshall Fundamental’s Felita Kealing & Trinity Dela Cruz for helping get this story done & Danny Callaway for the photos.

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor:

Many American boys grow up with dreams of becoming a professional athlete.

And even if they choose basketball or football as their primary sport, almost every kid has played at least one season of baseball during their youth.

Marshall Fundamental freshman Jack Badzey is one of those guys.

He loves everything about the sport, and he began chasing his dreams in T-ball.

As he got a little older, and the bases extended from 60 to 90 feet, Badzey over-compensated in and outside of the bullpen and he injured his throwing arm.

Shortly thereafter, he told his father that playing baseball wasn’t in the cards, but Jack still had a deep passion for the game.

During COVID-19, he’d sit in his room, use a karaoke microphone, and call MLB games to pass the time.

One day, he attended a little league game that his younger brother Gavin was playing, and he sat in centerfield and experimented by calling the game.

It was so natural for Jack that he’d broadcast and announce the games for anyone that followed his brother’s team on Game Changer.

As his freshman year of high school neared in 2023, word had gotten around that Badzey was pretty talented on the microphone, so Jim Sparks, the father of Marshall pitcher Ethan Sparks, told Eagles’ Coach Joe Federico that Jack would be an asset to the program by broadcasting their games.

Badzey actually attended their summer camp in August of 2023, and it wasn’t with the hopes of making the team, he just wanted to bond with the coaches and players and make it a natural fit for all involved.

I attended a Marshall game a couple weeks back at Arroyo High School, and Stephen Delgado, the father of Marshall baseball players Travis and Caleb Delgado, suggested a story on Jack could be interesting, and he wanted people to know how talented this young man is.

And by young, I mean Jack Badzey is just 14 years-old, and he weighs just north of 100 pounds.

At the Arroyo game, Jack stood on a bench and then his tippy toes to be able to broadcast the game on his phone.

He had an unmistakable passion for the game that was on display, and parents and relatives of Gavin’s little league team and Marshall High School players love this kid because he provides a tremendous service for those who can’t attend games.

In fact, he heard from a family that was on vacation in New York, and they told Jack that they were watching his broadcast while riding the subway through NYC.

Just like Vin Scully wanted the Dodgers to win games, Jack wants the Eagles to claim victory each time they take the field.

And while I’m not comparing a 14-year-old to Scully, if you were watching and listening to a Badzey broadcast, he shows a Marshall opponent just as much respect as he does his boys in red and blue.

His mom Adrienne is a kindergarten teacher at Barnhart in Arcadia and his dad is a psychologist at USC.

Jack said his parents couldn’t be more supportive of his ambitions, and that it means everything to the Marshall freshman.

Badzey is just as diligent in the classroom as he is preparing for a broadcast.

He’ll finish his freshman year somewhere around the 4.0 mark.

Although he’s not pursuing an athletic career at Marshall, Badzey said the players and coaches have made him feel like he’s part of the team.

Jack said his greatest experience in year one was a 3-2 victory at South Pasadena on February 27th.

The last out was a play at the plate, as a Tigers runner on third tried to steal home.

The Marshall pitcher stepped off the mound, threw the ball to his catcher, and secured a nine-inning road win.

Jack was also asked to do the public address announcing for a girls’ basketball game, and the invitations to do more sports is probably not too far away on the Pasadena campus.

I asked him if he’s said or done anything that he’s embarrassed about, and he jokingly said that his voice cracks from time to time.

He’d love to attend USC in the future, and he hopes one day to have a career calling professional baseball games.

Badzey is very excited about taking the 74-mile bus ride tomorrow (Friday) to broadcast the Marshall playoff game at Adelanto High School.

To view his YouTube page, it’s called: JCBroadcasting

Lastly, Intern Trinity Dela Cruz, and Felita Kealing were able to get these quotes for the story.

Quotable:

Marshall Coach, Joe Federico: “He has more enthusiasm than our whole team combined. In fact, sometimes he gets so loud during his broadcasts that the umpires have to tell him to be quiet, which has never happened before. It’s nice to have him, because all the kids watch their replays on video and they get to hear him broadcasting while they are looking at it. He is sort of a coach, because he’ll tell them what they did right or wrong.”

Marshall pitcher, Ethan Sparks: “It makes the games so much more fun. [His commentary] adds a depth to the game for people that are watching and it adds a lot to the game.”

Marshall player, Benjamin Muro: “Jack is like super cool. I mean he always comes with a lot of energy every game.”

Marshall player, Samuel Gutierrez: “Jack’s commentary is the best. When you’re at-bat or when you are pitching, his antics are great, funny, and some times goofy, especially when one of the players has made a mistake. “Oh, nasty pitch.” He brings up the energy.”

Marshall Fundamental Principal, Lori Touloumian: “Jack’s energetic and highly professional commentary when he announces at our athletics competitions elevate the experience for our athletes and spectators. We are so incredibly fortunate to have him!”