Amanda Scarborough Lives Her Dream As ESPN Analyst

We caught up recently with former Aggie softball All-American Amanda Scarborough, who worked with ESPN last weekend for its ESPNU broadcast of the UCLA-Missouri Super Regional in Los Angeles. Scarborough teamed with play-by-play announcer Justin Kutcher to provide color commentary for the three-game series. The games turned out to be perhaps the most hotly contested of the Super Regional round, as underdog Mizzou stunned No. 2-seed UCLA in three games to advance to the College World Series.

Q: Had you thought much about trying to get into broadcasting?
Scarborough: It’s always been a dream of mine to work for ESPN, whether it be on air or behind-the-scenes type stuff. I like sports and I like the media, so I felt like it made perfect sense for me.

Q: How did you land the opportunity to broadcast?
Scarborough: Last year before I was hurt, I was in contact with one of the main producers at ESPN Regional and talked to her about possible internships and working with them over the summer. Then I got hurt and couldn’t really do anything from March through June. So, about a whole year passed and in the middle of this April she contacted me and asked if I’d consider being an analyst for postseason. I was all over it.

Q: So what did you have to do to prepare for your debut broadcast?
Scarborough: I went to North Carolina, which is where ESPN Regional Television is headquartered. I met with the producers, and we went over some old games. I was able to talk to a lot of different people who had done softball games in order to figure out what I’m doing. It was good to talk to them so I could get a feel for what I needed to do.

Q: What kinds of advice did they give you to help you prepare?
They told me to have my personality and don’t try and be just like (current TV analysts) Michele Smith or Jessica Mendoza. They also talked a lot about confidence, because if I say something and I’m not very sure about it, it’s not going to give me much credibility with people watching at home. We talked a lot about me being myself and having a lot of confidence.

Q: I’m sure you were familiar with the Big 12 team, Missouri, but what kinds of things did you do to get ready to broadcast about both teams, players and coaches?
Scarborough: I had both of their media guides and also game notes, which are like 20 pages long with all their stats. The game was on Saturday, so we had Friday to watch the teams practice, and we were able to interview both coaches and three or four players from each team.

Q: Was it interesting being on the other side of the microphone for once?
Scarborough: Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I was pretty familiar with Missouri, and that made the broadcast a little easier. But, I didn’t know a whole lot about UCLA, but they are one of the most well-known programs in the history of the game. That made it a little better, as well.

Q: Were you nervous when you first put on the headset and the red light was about to come on?
Scarborough: I felt like I was about to go and play in the game. As a player you love that feeling and you thrive on it. It’s what gets you excited, and I finally settled down around the third or fourth inning.

Q: Were there any surprising elements to the job?
Scarborough: It was a little overwhelming in the first few innings of the first game, because you’re trying to watch the game, figure out what’s going on, pay attention to the pitcher and answer questions from the play-by-play guy all at once. And then you have the producer in your headset talking to you about replays, because that’s one of your main jobs as an analyst. All this stuff was going on, and it was hard for me to go in one direction while five different (aspects of the job) are pulling you in different ways. After the first game, I was a lot more comfortable with it.

Q: So, does the producer talking to you throughout the broadcast?
Scarborough: Yes, even when I was in the middle of saying something, he would be saying what we needed to talk about next. There is constantly stuff being said. As a viewer, you really have no idea how much is going on. It’s mainly stuff being said to the play-by-play guy, but I hear everything in my headset too, so even if I were talking, there would be someone kind of talking over me. My heart was beating so fast in the first couple of innings. Sometimes I would be in the middle of saying something and the producer would start to talk, and I’d pause for a second before I realized I needed to keep talking because everyone (watching on TV) is listening to me.

Q: Now that you’ve had some time to reflect what kind of grade would you give yourself?
Scarborough: For my first time, I thought I had some good reviews from my friends and family. The producers said I did a pretty good job, and I felt like it got better as the weekend went on. By the third game, I was a lot more comfortable with everything.

Q: Is broadcasting something you would like to do again?
Scarborough: Definitely. I’d really like to. For this year, all that’s left is the World Series, and ESPN obviously has their A-team who has done it for the last few years. I really hope they’d like to have me back at some point in the future because it was a lot of fun.

Q: Now that the World Series field is set, from your experienced analyst point of view, what team might win the national title?
Scarborough: They asked me that during the broadcast, too, and there’s not one team where you can say, ‘Oh yeah, they’re definitely going to win it.’ All the teams are really even. Just because Florida is ranked No. 1, that doesn’t mean they will go in there and make a clean sweep. Once you get to the World Series, all bets are off.

By The Numbers

7 - Losses by two runs or less in Big 12 play for the baseball team. A&M sits at 14-10 in league play with three games remaining.

30 - Number of years since A&M's last shut out of Texas on the baseball field before Aggie hurler Ross Hales posted a complete-game blanking of the Longhorns in Austin on Saturday. Hales allowed just three hits, and only one runner advanced to second base in the game.

11 - Ranked opponents defeated by senior tennis star Conor Pollock this season. Pollock and the Aggies will play in the Sweet 16 on Thursday at 6 p.m. against Ole Miss in the NCAA Tennis Championships at the Mitchell Tennis Center.

54'-10.25" - School record triple jump posted by Julian Reid at the Texas Invitational on May 2. Reid broke Kendrick Smith's 14-year-old mark by 3.5 inches. Aggie jumpers swept the titles in the long jump and triple jump in both the men's and women's competitions.

8 - Consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament for the A&M softball team.

3-2 - The softball team's record against Florida in the last two NCAA Tournament. The Aggies have eliminated the Gators in each of the last two tournaments, including last year's national semifinals when Florida was the top seed. A&M will play in the Gainesville, Fla., regional this weekend in the NCAA Tournament and could match up with No. 1 Florida again.

17 - National ranking for senior Bronson Burgoon, according to Golfweek. Burgoon and the Aggies begin play at the NCAA Men's Golf West Regional on Thursday. The top five teams in the 13-team field will advance to the NCAA Championships.

64 - Score for former Aggie golfer Bobby Gates in Valero Texas Open qualifier Monday in San Antonio. Gates 8-under-par round landed him a spot in this weekend's PGA Tour stop in San Antonio. Five former A&M golfers will be in the field: Gates, Martin Piller, Ryan Palmer, Jeff Maggert and Matt Loving.

Tough Glove: Erin Glasco's Mettle Behind The Mask

Erin Glasco looks right at home as she casually navigates the comfy confines of the Texas A&M softball team’s player’s lounge. She light-heartedly jokes with teammates and staffers as she bounces between computer consoles, plush leather couches and the locker room. It’s evident Glasco is in an ideal setting as the easy-going senior transfer from Johnston City, Ill., laughs with the ease of a person who has spent the last 18 years with her teammates rather than the last 18 months.

The Aggies are in the midst of their conference schedule—a grueling 10-week span that demands the utmost in focus and determination from players and coaches. As Glasco discusses the nuances of some upcoming games, as well as the challenges of being a leader on the team for the first time, she gently touches a tattoo on the inside of her right wrist. The ink depicts a large pink ribbon outlined in black.

Glasco’s smile briefly ceases for what is likely the first time all day when she’s asked about it.

“Yeah, this is new; it just happened,” she said, recalling the Tuesday in March that led to her new artwork. “My mom called me the Tuesday after our spring break and said, ‘I’ve got some bad news. I don’t want you to worry about me, and it’s not a big deal…I just have breast cancer.’”

Vickie Glasco’s statement hung in the air as Erin took in the words she had just heard on the telephone. Erin’s immediate reaction was the natural one—tears, fear, concern and uncertainty. For a mother and daughter who consider themselves to be best friends, Vickie’s diagnosis was difficult to comprehend. Erin skipped practice that day and tried to gather her thoughts as the team prepared for a weekend series against Nebraska.

As the middle daughter in a softball-crazy family of five (Erin’s father, Gerry, is an assistant coach at Georgia), Glasco knew her mother would want her to play against the Huskers. It helped that Vickie, who rarely misses one of her daughter’s games, was scheduled to be in College Station to watch both contests. Erin hasn’t missed a game in her two seasons at A&M, and despite the devastating news about her mother, never questioned whether she’d be behind the plate the following weekend. Rather, she said she drew strength from her mother’s ever-positive attitude.

“I got this (tattoo) to remind me that if my mom can get through this, I can suck it up and play softball and focus on what I need to do,” Glasco said.

After Vickie’s diagnosis, doctors immediately scheduled her for a surgery the following Tuesday. Before she worried about that, however, Vickie boarded a Texas-bound plane so she could be in the stands for the Aggies’ Big 12 opener. Erin reached base in all three at-bats that Saturday afternoon, and A&M claimed a 2-1 victory at the Aggie Softball Complex.

Some 72 hours later, Vickie was in the hospital for surgery. Doctors removed the lump and quickly gave the family the good news that the cancer had not spread.

“A lot of my positive attitude (before the surgery) had to do with how my grandmother and mother responded,” said Vickie Glasco, who pointed out that she represents the third consecutive generation in her family to be diagnosed with breast cancer. “I stayed positive because of my kids, too. I wanted them to feel like everything would be OK. It broke my heart to have to tell Erin about (the cancer). It caught her completely off guard, and she didn’t know quite what to do with it.

“You couldn’t believe how good I’m doing now, though. It turned out to be the best scenario, because we caught it early before it could spread to my arms or lymph nodes. I’m a very, very lucky person.”

Vickie’s good news gave everyone in the extended Glasco family, including those involved with A&M softball, reason to celebrate. Erin said her teammates and coaches helped carry her through the difficult hours and days after her mother’s diagnosis. That’s no surprise to those who have spent time around coach Jo Evans’ team, where the Aggie coaching staff and players readily talk about how close they are as a group.

The Aggies’ clubhouse atmosphere has been a particularly welcome environment for Glasco, who was recruited heavily by A&M and Notre Dame out of high school.

She eventually signed with the Irish, but her first two years in South Bend didn’t go exactly as planned. She made 39 starts her sophomore season but didn’t quite mesh with the coaching staff. As the 2007 season came to a close, Glasco decided she wanted to transfer.

Meanwhile, the Aggies finished their year by advancing to the Women’s College World Series for the first time in nearly 20 seasons. In the team’s first game in Oklahoma City, however, a speedy Tennessee team set a WCWS record by stealing five bases against the Aggies. A&M lost its only two games in Oklahoma City, and Evans immediately started scouring the country for a new catcher.

Evans’ eyes brightened when she learned Notre Dame had released Glasco, and she welcomed the hard-nosed catcher from Illinois into the program with open arms.

Glasco’s impact on the program was immediate. She gave A&M a dependable everyday starter behind the plate. Her statistics also improved greatly. In her final season at Notre Dame, Glasco hit .200 with nine RBIs, two doubles and a single home run. In her debut season in Aggieland, Glasco upped her batting average to .280, hit 12 doubles and drove in 29 runs.

In the field, she caught 64 of A&M’s 67 games, committed zero errors and provided former pitching star Megan Gibson with a reliable target. The Aggies soared through the season and won both the Big 12’s regular season and tournament titles. By the time the Women’s College World Series came back around, the Aggies had won 15 in a row and were considered one of the most dangerous team in the nation.

A&M proved the pundits right, shocking No. 1 Florida in the national semifinals to earn a berth in the national championship series.

“Last year, so much attention was given to Megan Gibson, Jamie Hinshaw and Jami Lobpries in that great senior class, and deservedly so,” Evans said. “But, I will tell you that if we didn’t have Erin Glasco, we wouldn’t have been playing for the national championship. We noticed her every day.”

As important as she was during last season’s magical run, Glasco may be even more needed this season. She’s one of two senior starters on A&M’s youthful roster. Considering the team’s two most used pitchers are a freshman and a sophomore, Glasco’s steadying hand behind the plate is a necessity if the Aggies want to experience another successful postseason.

Through the first 42 games of 2009, Glasco has maintained a .286 average with four home runs and 26 RBIs. She also led the team with a .486 on base percentage.

“(Being a senior leader) is harder than I ever thought it would be,” Glasco said. “There is a pressure to set an example through your actions every day, and sometimes when you put so much pressure on yourself, you can’t perform because you are trying so hard. Sometimes, it is hard to sit back and trust the process that we are taking, but that is one thing that coach Evans is great at. She is good at calming people down and saying, ‘Hey, it’s all right. We’re going to get there.’ But, I am definitely the most comfortable I have ever been behind the plate.”

Glasco has certainly won over her teammates with her play, and her easygoing nature off the field makes for easy interactions around the clubhouse.

She has certainly made a believer out of Evans.

“I could talk about Erin forever,” Evans said. “She is so blue-collar, and you will not find anybody more hard-nosed playing the game. If I was a fan—and I am a fan of hers—but if I was a fan in the stands, I would pick her as the one that I always pulled for. She’s one of the best team players, and she’s somebody that everyone should pull for because her intentions are absolutely where they should be.”

Weekend By The Numbers

.900 – Batting average this weekend for sophomore Caleb Shofner. Shofner reached base on 15 of his 16 plate appearances, scored 11 runs and tallied five RBIs.

14 – Strikeouts recorded by pitcher Alex Wilson in just 6 2/3 innings Saturday. Wilson allowed only three hits and one baserunner through the first six innings. His 14 Ks were the most by an A&M pitcher since 2004.

9 – Walks allowed by A&M pitchers in 36 innings. The Aggies held Wright State to a .207 batting average to help claim the four-game series sweep.

21 – Career-high in points for Chinemelu Elonu in the Aggies’ 79-73 win over Texas Tech on Saturday. Elonu also pulled down 12 rebounds.

5 – Consecutive victories over Texas for the women’s basketball team. A&M completed the season sweep of the Horns on Saturday with a 76-65 win.

12 – Consecutive games for Takia Starks to score in double figures. Starks, who had 18 points against Texas, has score in double figures in all of the Aggies’ Big 12 contests.

25 – Runs in two Friday games for the softball team in Houston. A&M rolled to a 14-2 win against Northern Illinois and an 11-1 victory over Prairie View A&M. On Saturday, the Aggies knocked off No. 18 Houston on the Cougars’ home field.

16-under – The final-round score for the men’s golf team in Wahiawa, Hawaii, enough to erase an eight shot deficit and claim the team title in the Burns Intercollegiate. Freshman Geoff Shaw led the last-day charge, firing a six-under par 66 in his first college tournament.

16 – Combined number of goals and assists for freshmen Beth West and Jennifer Kmezich in A&M’s annual spring 7v7 tournament. The Aggies finished the weekend with a 3-0 record after convincing wins over Rice, Houston and North Texas.

Weekend By The Numbers

6 – Field goals in the first half of the men’s basketball game against Kansas State, A&M’s lowest offensive output in Big 12 play this year. The Aggies had seven field goals in the first half at Kansas on Jan. 19.

2-8 — The Big 12 South’s record against the Big 12 North in men’s basketball games played since Jan. 31. Oklahoma is the only South squad to win a game against the North, going 2-0 in that span. Texas, meanwhile, is 0-3, with two losses coming at home.

43 – Margin of victory for the women’s basketball team against Nebraska on Sunday. It was A&M’s largest margin of victory ever in a Big 12 game.

28 – Turnovers forced by the Aggie defense against the Huskers, the most turnovers by Nebraska this season.

61.0 – Shooting percentage by A&M against Nebraska, the team’s highest of the year. It was the Aggies best shooting night since connecting on 63.8 percent against McNeese State on Nov. 21, 2006.

7 – Home runs by the softball team during its weekend tournament. The Aggies went 3-1 to claim the tourney title, outscoring the opposition 22-4.

1-1 – Weekend record for the women’s tennis team, which played Friday and Saturday matches against SEC schools ranked in the top 25. A&M captured a 5-2 win against No. 25 Auburn on Friday before dropping a tough, 4-3 decision to LSU on Sunday.

Weekend By The Numbers

165 – Career three-pointers for senior Takia Starks. Starks’ three against Kansas tied her with former All-American Lisa Branch for the all-time A&M lead.

3 – Consecutive games in which the women’s basketball team has allowed seven or less field goals in the second half. The Aggies allowed just four to Oklahoma State on Jan. 24, seven to Texas on Jan. 28 and six to Kansas on Jan. 31.

20 – Games in a row in which B.J. Holmes has made at least one three-pointer. Holmes’ streak is the third longest in school history.

32-4 – A&M’s record under Mark Turgeon when the team makes at least 45 percent from the field.

17 – Points by Josh Carter against Oklahoma State, a big-time turnaround from being held scoreless in Stillwater on Jan. 10.

6.59 – School-record mark in the 60 meters by Gerald Phiri, set in the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium during the Texas A&M Showdown on Saturday. Phiri also earned the previous school record, clocking 6.64 twice last year.

1 – Porscha Lucas’ place on the world and collegiate list this year in the 200 meters. Lucas clocked a 23.39 over the weekend to take over the world lead by one one-hundredth of a second.

10 – Ranking for the softball team in the ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason poll. The Aggies are one of three Big 12 squads, with No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 19 Missouri also appearing.

Weekend By The Numbers

5 – Ranking of the A&M women’s basketball team in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. Over the weekend, the Aggies (6-0) picked up wins against Penn State and host Pepperdine to claim the Timeout 4 HIV/AIDS Tournament.

18 – Scoring average for Takia Starks in the Pepperdine tournament, enough to earn tournament MVP honors. Starks scored 19 against Penn State and followed that with 17 against Pepperdine.

102 – Minutes it took for top-seeded North Carolina to put away the Aggie soccer team. A&M narrowly missed its first-ever appearance in the Final Four, losing a heartbreaker, 2-1, in double overtime in Chapel Hill, N.C.

5 – Players in double figures for the men’s basketball team against Kent State on Saturday. Bryan Davis, B.J. Holmes, Josh Carter, David Loubeau and Donald Sloan all finished with at least 12 points. Davis posted his second career double-double, with 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

57.1 – Season-best shooting percentage by the Aggies, achieved against Kent State. It was a dramatic change from Friday’s game against Tulsa when A&M made a season-low 30.9 percent.

6 – Consecutive wins for the volleyball team to close the regular season. Despite the late season heroics and a fourth place finish in the Big 12, the Aggies were left out of the NCAA Tournament.

4 – Former Aggie softball players that have signed or played with the Philadelphia Force in the National Pro Fastpitch league. The most recent Aggie to sign was former centerfielder Jami Lobpries. Last year, Megan Gibson was the No. 2 overall pick in the NPF draft, and former players Rocky Spencer and Sharonda McDonald have also spent time with the Force.