On this episode of Podward State, hosts Samuel Brungo, Matthew Paolizzi, and Grace Cunningham are happy to be joined by Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, and MLB Network baseball commentator and Penn State alumnus Tom Verducci.

Associate producers Will Pegler and Jordan Mansberger also join for the interview with Verducci.

Verducci opens the show talking about how he came to choose Penn State, citing a connection with legendary football coach Joe Paterno, as well as his love for journalism. This leads into his time at Penn State and getting jobs after he left Happy Valley.

As well as being one of the voices of baseball, Verducci is also a Professional Baseball Hall Of Fame voter. He gives us an inside look into what goes into that decision and some of the tricky decisions during the steroid era.

Verducci tells us one of his favorite stories being his spring training with the Toronto Blue Jays. He also recalls some of his favorite memories, favorite games, and favorite interactions.

Finally, to wrap up the show, Verducci gives us some advice about the sports media industry and life in general.

Podward State is an Onward State-produced podcast that will release weekly episodes this spring on Spotify and YouTube. Each will feature discussions about all things Penn State, including sports, news, student life, entertainment, and more.

You can catch this week’s episode using the YouTube or Spotify links below.