IronPigs Add Duo to Media and Broadcast Team

January 28, 2015 - International League (IL) Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Allentown, Pa.) -- The Lehigh Valley IronPigs have named two new additions to their media relations and broadcasting department for the 2015 season. Joe Fitzhenry will be joining the Pigs as media relations assistant, while Darius Montez Thigpen will join as studio host of the IronPigs Radio Network.

Joe Fitzhenry is no stranger to professional baseball even though 2015 will be his first season in the minor leagues. For the past three summers, the Saratoga Springs, N.Y., native has interned in collegiate summer baseball with the Glens Falls Golden Eagles of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) and the Saratoga Brigade and Keene Swamp Bats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) - serving in the broadcasting/media relations department for all three teams. A 2014 graduate of Marist (N.Y.) College, Fitzhenry wrote for the student newspaper, The Circle, for three years and served as sports during his senior year. In addition, Fitzhenry has completed internships in the research department at CBS Sports and in the sports information department at Marist. Fitzhenry received a Communications degree from Marist with a double concentration in Sports Communication and Journalism. With the IronPigs, he will provide daily coverage of the team, as well as assist with publications, statistical information and media requests. Fitzhenry replaces Alec Scercy, who has joined the media relations department of the Charlotte Knights.

Darius Montez Thigpen enters his first season with the IronPigs, serving as the flagship producer and studio host for the IronPigs Radio Network. This will be Thigpen's second season with an International League organization after spending 2014 as a broadcast intern for the Columbus Clippers, where he hosted both the pre and postgame shows and wrote game recaps. In addition, the Tampa native currently serves as a studio host for IMG Radio and has produced both Kent State football and basketball games. A 2014 graduate of The Ohio State University, Thigpen served as the President of Scarlet and Gray Sports Radio, while also working with Buckeye TV and covering the Ohio State baseball beat for The Lantern. Along with baseball, he also gained experience broadcasting football, basketball, hockey, softball, lacrosse, volleyball and soccer at OSU. Thigpen has also done talent work for several "Student U" productions that re-aired on Big Ten Network. He replaces Mark Perlman-Price, who has joined the radio broadcast team for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs.

Other products of the IronPigs media relations and broadcasting department include Tommy Viola, director of media relations for the Charlotte Knights; Tim Murray, ESPN980 update anchor and Washington Redskins Postgame Show update anchor; Tim Doohan, director of communications for the Rochester Red Wings; Robbie Aaron, director of broadcasting & media relations for the Daytona Tortugas; Michael Ventola, play-by-play voice of the Reading Fightin' Phils; Nick Parson, public relations & seasonal assistant for the Oakland Athletics; Adam Dobrowolski, contributing writer for Football Nation; John Skudris, play-by-play voice for UMass-Boston athletics.

As in the past, fans can catch IronPigs action all season long as Matt Provence and Jon Schaeffer will be on the air for the eighth consecutive season and their seventh straight on ESPN 1230-1320 AM. Fans can also listen to the broadcast via an internet stream provided by PenTeleData. The season officially begins April 9, when the IronPigs host the Pawtucket Red Sox on Opening Day 2015. Coverage of the 222 Showcase - an annual exhibition game between Lehigh Valley and Reading - will also be provided by the IronPigs Radio Network on April 7.

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IronPigs Add Duo to Media and Broadcast Team