Stephen Slezak, Campus Carrier asst. sports editor
April has come, which means the Rome Emperors have started playing baseball. The Emperors are home to many Berry students who attend home games during the season and also work for the Emperors over the course of the year. Students who aspire to work in sports after college have regularly worked for the Emperors in one way or another. Berry graduate Gavin Booker (23c) and student Zayden Sullins both have spent time working for the emperors.
Booker has been the play-by-play announcer for the Emperors since the 2024 season and is now named the coordinator of broadcasting and media relations. He spent the 2023 season as the media relations intern where he worked in various roles for the team. Booker has previously announced for Berry baseball and worked as the media relations coordinator the Waleska Wild Things and Choccolocco Monsters of the Sun Belt Baseball League (SBL).
“My work with Berry College while I was still in school was huge for me,” Booker said. “My work over the summers in the sunbelt baseball league was a great experience for me. I did two summers in the SBL, did 30 plus games each summer traveling to and from Atlanta and Alabama.”
Booker previously spent some time playing on the baseball team at Berry. Once that chapter closed, Booker approached head coach David Beasley and introduced the idea of him announcing for the Vikings.
“We have such a great history of good broadcasters coming out of Berry,” Booker said. “I knew that I kind of had big shoes to fill and that the baseball program is used to having a really good voice behind the mic. I felt that I could be that next one.
The hours required to work can be long and taxing for. Aminor league baseball team. The schedule can also be unique as most of the weeks consist of one week of working and then one week off once the team is on the road.
“When the team is home, you’re looking at 90 plus hours a week spent at the stadium,” Booker said. “When the team is on the road, it’s keeping up with roster moves and keeping up with your [social media].”
Booker gave advice for those who look to work in broadcasting or media relations for a sports team after college.
“Get some innings under your belt,” Booker said. “That’s the big thing, it’s easy to sit in my chair and have all the stats in front of you and rattle those off. Really where you get good in broadcasting is doing the games you have no information for, and really perfecting the craft. Those summer league games, you do not have a lot of information on anybody.”
When working for a minor league baseball team, the upside is there for any person wanting to work in sports after college. The Emperors have already provided Booker with valuable experience and memories he will be sure to keep with him for the rest of his career.
“To get to say that you work in minor league baseball for a Braves affiliate is pretty cool,” Booker said. “I love our brand. I think our brand made a major upgrade from the Braves to the Emperors. It’s really rewarding.”
Senior Zayden Sullins works in the press box doing stats for the Emperors. He got to the Emperors by working with Gavin Booker at Berry and hearing about the opening from him.
“Gavin was also the media relations intern for the emperors that year,” Sullins said. “He mentioned that they could use an extra hand in the press box, and I figured I would try it out. My experience scoring baseball games at Berry prepared me for this, as I was already used to inputting game data into computers.”
While working for the Emperors, Sullins has experienced a few rare moments in baseball that are not seen every day.
“In my short time with the Emperors, I have seen a combined no-hitter, a four-strikeout inning, and a walk-off grand slam,” Sullins said. “I also got to work a playoff game last year, which was fun. It is also cool to see the major league players play when they are on rehab assignments.”
The Rome Emperors offer Berry students or alumni like Gavin Booker and Zayden Sullins a valuable opportunity to gain real-world experience and begin building their careers in the sports industry. Through internships, current Vikings can make connections with the Emperors staff to help them find a job after college. This exposure allows them to break into the world of sports after college.