YUMA, Ariz. — “Last night reminded me of many nights, staying up by the radio and the Cardinals were playing on the west coast. The game started at 9 p.m., finished at midnight, and I’m trying to stay awake because I’ve got school the next morning,” Three Rivers College radio announcer Tim Hager said. “I’m not going to do this forever, but this has been fun.”

Hager was announcing his fifth ever softball game Wednesday night. Three Rivers got the ballpark about 4 p.m. (CST) and would play two games that day. Games were also running late in the NJCAA National Tournament, and by the time Hager got off the air, it was 2:56 a.m. back home in Poplar Bluff. Despite the long day in the 100-degree desert heat, Hager thought it was his best game so far.

He has a degree in public speaking, worked in radio for five years in the 1980s, taught public speaking and speech at the high school and college levels for decades, but Hager’s been exclusively calling Raider basketball the past three years. He’s developed some muscle memory for basketball terminology after some 150 games.

“I called an umpire a referee, and the foul ball terminology has just killed me,” said Hager, who has called foul balls ‘out of bounds.’ “I have a newfound respect for Joe Buck and people who do multiple sports because you have to change things back and forth.”

As Three Rivers’ postseason run continued, Three Rivers President Dr. Wesley Payne and the administration decided to have Hager try broadcasting some softball through the school website to judge interest as a bit of a test run. Long term, the school wants to expand to reach its audience through electronic devices and not just through live radio.

Hager, who preferred listening to the Cardinals over the radio rather than TV growing up, called his first softball game when Three Rivers hosted Indian Hills for the Midwest District championship. The school later signed off to send him to Yuma with the team for the national tournament.

“Since we’ve added radio, I think everybody feels like we’re playing in a bigger game than normal,” Three Rivers coach Jeff Null said, adding the players have quickly gotten used to a bigger stage. “Tim and Lana talk to (the Raiders) and joke with them daily, and now they’re just part of the team. They don’t even think about it anymore.”

The “Voice of the Raiders” has always been a volunteer position. The college sells commercial packages for basketball games as a fundraiser for the booster club. Those same commercials don’t exist at the moment for softball.

“I’m an advocate for the school. I’m on the Board of Trustees, and I’m the radio voice. That should be for everything, not just basketball. It’s rewarding to get behind a program like this and help,” Hager said. “We got done at 2:56 a.m. (CST) on Thursday morning, and people were listening. People were texting my wife and myself that they had stayed up late and were listening, so we feel pretty good about that.”

Hager, his wife, Lana, and their daughters Brittany & Macy are all graduates of Three Rivers. Lana was a member of the college’s first cheerleading team, and Brittany played for the softball team. Brittany’s husband also played for the baseball team. 

The family roots are painted in black and gold.

“I joke on the air that it’s the greatest part-time job in America,” Hager said. “It’s a bucket list thing.”

Scott Borkgren - Daily American Republic