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Jenny Cavnar

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Jenny Cavnar
Born1982 or 1983 (age 41–42)
Aurora, Colorado, U.S.
EducationColorado State University
OccupationSports commentator
Years active2007–present
SpouseSteve Spurgeon
Children2

Jenny Cavnar (born 1982 or 1983)[1] is an American sports broadcaster who is the television play-by-play announcer of the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). She is the first female primary play-by-play announcer in MLB history. Cavnar also does play-by-play for men's and women's college basketball on Fox Sports 1 and the Pac-12 Network.[2]

Early life

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Cavnar is from Aurora, Colorado. Her father, Steve, won the high school baseball state championship when he was a student at Smoky Hill High School and also coached the baseball team for Smoky Hill and Regis Jesuit High School.[3]

Cavnar also attended Smoky Hill High School.[4] While she was in her junior year, she became inspired to become a sports reporter by watching Melissa Stark on Monday Night Football.[3] She attended Colorado State University, where she majored in business and communications and graduated in 2004.[5] Cavnar played club lacrosse at Colorado State.[6] During her college tenure, she interned at the University of Kentucky in their media relations department.[3]

Career

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After graduating from Colorado State, Cavnar worked for WJRT-TV in Flint, Michigan, where she covered high school and college sports.[5] She also served as an assistant coach for the University of California, Los Angeles's club lacrosse team.[7][8] In 2007, Channel 4 San Diego hired Cavnar for their pregame and postgame shows for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). In 2012, she succeeded Alanna Rizzo as host of the pregame and postgame television shows for the Colorado Rockies on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain.[5]

Cavnar became the first woman to provide color commentary for a National League baseball game on the radio for KOA on July 2, 2015.[9] In 2018, she filled in as the play-by-play announcer for two Rockies games, the first woman to do so since 1993.[10] Cavnar has also served on the broadcast team for both men's and women's college basketball games on the Pac 12 Network and Fox Sports 1.[11]

In 2021, Cavnar won the Colorado Sportscaster of the Year Award from the National Sports Media Association.[12] She has also won five Emmy Awards.[12]

On February 13, 2024, NBC Sports California announced that Cavnar would be their lead play-by-play announcer for Oakland Athletics telecasts starting in the 2024 season, making her the first woman to be a primary play-by-play announcer for a team in MLB history.[2] Chris Caray was chosen for a play-by-play rotation with Jenny.[13]

On May 13, 2024, in a game between the Houston Astros and the Oakland Athletics, Cavnar and Julia Morales became the first two women to do the play-by-play on television for the same Major League Baseball game.[14]

Personal life

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Cavnar's husband, Steve Spurgeon, played baseball for the Chicago White Sox organization. He is a member of the Denver Fire Department. They have two children, Vincent and Emmery.[3] Vincent is named for Vin Scully.[15] Emmery is named after her high school hero’s daughter

References

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  1. ^ Vela, Vic (May 11, 2018). "Jenny Cavnar On Baseball, Broadcasting And Calling The Play For The Home Team". CPR News. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "NBC Sports California names Jenny Cavnar as A's play-by-play announcer". NBC Sports Bay Area. February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Harding, Thomas (March 6, 2022). "'Opening doors to the next generation': Jenny Cavnar's path to broadcasting". MLB.com. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  4. ^ Oakes, Courtney (January 20, 2022). "Aurora Sports Notebook: Smoky Hill grad Jenny Cavnar named Colorado's Sportscaster of the Year". Sentinel Colorado. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Ludwig, Christoph (August 13, 2018). "How Rockies Broadcaster Jenny Cavnar Made Baseball History". 5280. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  6. ^ Johnson, Tyler (August 29, 2017). "Colorado State alum Jenny Cavnar reflects on journey to the broadcast booth". The Rocky Mountain Collegian. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  7. ^ "New voice of A's Jenny Cavnar to become first woman in MLB history to handle play-by-play". East Bay Times. February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  8. ^ "Lacrosse hoping for work to pay off". Daily Bruin. May 8, 2007. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  9. ^ Saunders, Patrick (April 12, 2020). "For love of the game: Baseball is hard-wired into Jenny Cavnar's DNA, thanks to her father Steve". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  10. ^ "Ex-Padres broadcaster Jenny Cavnar "humbled" to break new ground with Rockies crew". San Diego Union-Tribune. May 15, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  11. ^ Valinsky, Jordan (February 13, 2024). "Jenny Cavnar makes history as the first woman to serve as an MLB team's primary play-by-play announcer | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Shea, John. "New A's broadcaster Jenny Cavnar 1st woman to handle play by play in MLB history". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  13. ^ "Media Views: Cardinals broadcaster Chip Caray beams as son is 4th generation to call MLB games". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 19, 2024.
  14. ^ "Cavnar, Morales make history calling A's-Astros". MLB.com.
  15. ^ Phifer, Tony (April 25, 2018). "Jenny Cavnar makes baseball broadcasting history". Colorado State University. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
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