STRAUSS
ABOUT ME
Awards: Winner (Best Hockey Play-by-Play), Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems
2021 UMass Broadcaster of the Year (UMass Twitter Awards)
My enthusiasm for broadcast journalism began with my upbringing. My family did not have a cable subscription, so my consumption of sports was exclusively radio-based. I spent many late nights with a portable radio, listening to Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell call Celtics games or Joe Castiglione and Dave O’Brien bringing me the latest from Fenway. I fell in love with the art of broadcasting: the cadence, the wordplay, the chemistry, and the connection with fans near and far.
Beginning in the fall of 2021, I have served as the radio play-by-play broadcaster for UMass Women’s Basketball, travelling with the team to road games and serving as a broadcaster for TV broadcasts on ESPN+ and NESN. I have also been the lead radio play-by-play broadcaster for student radio broadcasts for defending national champions UMass Hockey.
After graduating from UMass, I was hired back by my alma mater to call games across a variety of sports. This included sideline work with UMass Football, play-by-play and analyst work for hockey and men's and women's basketball, all across both TV and radio formats.
Along with radio, I have worked with UMass Sports Network in a variety of capacities since arriving at UMass. This includes play-by-play and color commentary for women’s basketball, soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse, with games being broadcast on ESPN+. Additionally, I have gained valuable experience on the production side; operating replay decks, cameras, and graphics systems.
From May to September of 2021, I worked as the Broadcasting and Media Relations assistant for the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats. While learning from Tyler Murray and Bob Lipman, I called over 30 games for WGIR, with home games simulcast on MILB.tv. I travelled with the team across the Double-A Northeast and hosted pre- and post-game shows and conducted player interviews in both English and Spanish.
I graduated in May of 2022 from UMass magna cum laude with a GPA of 3.84, with a major in Political Science and a minor in Art History. I am fluent in Spanish, and have been learning Portuguese over the last three years.