WISCONSIN RAPIDS --- Rising Senior Carter Gledhill of the Concordia University Chicago baseball team has become a well-known voice of CUC Athletics. His play-by-play and color commentary talents can be heard across the broadcasts of several teams on campus, and now, thanks to his summer internship, he has the opportunity to take those talents to the ESPN family of networks. Gledhill is serving as the lead play-by-play broadcaster this summer for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, a collegiate summer baseball team in the prestigious Northwood's League.
 
Gledhill spends his summer days prepping for his nightly Rafters broadcasts up high in the press box of Witter field, which was built in 1928. The historic ballpark has gone through upgrades throughout the years, but the feel remains the same, a pure old-school ballpark where fans come to enjoy the game. Most Rafters fans would never know where Gledhill and the production crew sit, as they are perched on the roof of the overhang, out of sight above home plate.
 
The storytelling voice of Gledhill is noticed by Northwood's league fans every night on the NWL network. Every game is broadcasted nightly, covering all 22 of the league's teams. This season the NWL signed an agreement with ESPN, that the game of the night would be featured on the ESPN family of networks, most often being broadcasted on ESPN+. Tonight will be the first time that the 19-2 Rafters will be featured as the game of the night, and it will be Gledhill, who will once again be the voice of the team.
 
"I couldn't be more excited and proud of Carter," said Director of Athletic Communications C.J. Selner. "His tireless work ethic and dedication to his craft are paying off on one of the biggest stages of baseball."
 
The excitement and exposure to the big moment will not end there for Gledhill. Alongside his daily duties with the Rafters, he has been named as the lead broadcaster for the NWL Home Run Challenge held at Witter field on July 18^th. He will then be the field reporter the following night for the NWL All-Star game, which features countless future MLB draft picks, and some of the best collegiate baseball talents from across the country.
 
His talents in the booth have not gone unnoticed by members of the industry across the country. In 2021, the Arlington Heights, Ill., native was recognized as an honorable mention for the Jim Nantz Award, an annual award given to the nation's most outstanding collegiate broadcaster.
 
Since its inception in 2009, the award has been presented by the Sportscasters Talent Agency of America (STAA). The STAA panel of judges has consisted of leading members of the sports broadcasting world as well as former recipients of the award.
 
Gledhill not only represented Concordia through this prestigious honor but every aspiring broadcaster at the Division III level. He's the first DIII student to be named an honorable mention since 2016 when Dan Budick of Ithaca College received the honor.
 
After learning about this opportunity through a friend and broadcasting mentor, Ryan Fahey, Gledhill applied for this award. The two have worked together on several CUC broadcasts, highlighted by calling Concordia Invitational Tournament (CIT) games together during Gledhill's freshman year. Fahey, along with Chicago Dogs and Chicago State Athletics broadcaster Sam Brief, has been instrumental in Gledhill's growth and development on the mic.
 
"I'm very thankful for the two of them and all the tips they've given me," Gledhill said. "I was a young, inexperienced, wide-eyed freshman needing guidance. They guided me to the path I'm on today."
 
While he certainly appreciates what his mentors have done for him, Gledhill says CUC's Director of Athletic Communications, C.J. Selner (BA 15 MBA 18), is the biggest reason he's gotten to where he's at today.  It was Selner who allowed the wide-eyed freshman to host a football pregame show. That role evolved into color commentary duties and eventually the chance to step into the play-by-play role.
 
"I still remember when CJ asked me if I wanted to do play-by-play for the second game of a basketball doubleheader," Gledhill said. "It was the most surreal feeling I've ever experienced, I was so excited and ready to go."
 
In addition to his work at CUC and this summer with Wisconsin Rapids, he's spent time working with the Joliet Slammers, a professional baseball team in the MLB-partnered Frontier League. With the Slammers, Gledhill spent time both as color commentary and play-by-play, as well as co-hosting a pregame show, interviewing players and coaches, and providing in-game reports.
 
Gledhill will return to Concordia this fall for his senior year, and will again serve not only as one of the lead broadcasters on the Cougar Sports Network but as a mentor to several CUC students that have aspirations of following in his footsteps. Needless to say, the future is bright for Gledhill.
 
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