Episode 39: Mike Rooney from ESPN & D1Baseball

1544 Miles to Omaha

We caught up with Mike Rooney, ESPN studio analyst and color commentator and writer and contributor to D1Baseball.com, before the start of the 2021 college baseball season.
You probably most recognize Roons from his work during the College World Series in Omaha, normally wearing his trademark bucket hat while reporting from the field. Mike was a player at Notre Dame from 1989 to 1992 and has coached in high school and was on the Arizona State coaching staff under legendary coach Pat Murphy.
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🎙️ Growing up in PA (3:15)
🎙️ Fired by George Horton before started working at Cal State Fullerton (5:30)
🎙️ Asst coach at ASU (6:30)
🎙️ Recruiting in college baseball (12:30)
🎙️ ASU vs CSUF battles from 1999-2004 (15:05)
🎙️ Beginnings at ESPN (19:30)
🎙️ College Baseball fan at heart (23:15)
🎙️ Is there East Coast bias in College baseball? (33:00)
🎙️ Revamping regional formats to 32 host sites (36:30)
🎙️ Going from 64 to 72 team in postseason college baseball (38:15)
🎙️ College Baseball parity is now the norm (41:00)
🎙️ Strength of Big West Conference in 2021 (44:00)
🎙️ Bullish on Titans in 2021 (48:00)
🎙️ Preseason poll fan hysteria (54:30)
🎙️ College Baseball is still growing in popularity (56:45)
🎙️ Regarding marriage, Rooney has massively out kicked his coverage (59:15)