
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 3, 1995                   TAG: 9503030102
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

NEELY CHOSEN AS VOICE OF AVALANCHE

To go with a new ballpark, affiliation and mascot, the Salem Avalanche has a new radio voice.

The Carolina League club has chosen Mark Neely as its play-by-play man for its eighth baseball season on WROV (1240 AM). Neely, a St.Louis native, has spent the past three seasons as the No.2 broadcaster for the Class AAA Louisville Redbirds.

Neely, 29, replaces Stu Paul, who was dismissed at the end of last season. Neely will begin his work with the Avalanche a couple of days before the April 6 opener at Prince William, and less than two weeks after his wedding. He was chosen by the Salem club from more than 60 applicants.

``His [audition] tape just stood out,'' said Sam Lazzaro, the Avalanche's general manager. ``The combination of his voice and smoothness on the air caught us. Mark is definitely knowledgeable about the game, and his professional sound gave his work a special quality.''

Neely said his Louisville position, formerly held by second-generation major-league voices Joe Buck and Todd Kalas, had been reduced from a full Redbirds schedule to home games. He also was the voice of the ECHL's Louisville IceHawks, a franchise that is dormant this season. Neely gives Roanoke Valley pro sports two St.Louis natives on the air, joining Tim Woodburn of the ECHL's Express.

``Working an entire baseball game solo will be different,'' Neely said. ``I'm not worried about it. I think I know the sport. I wanted more play-by-play experience, and the opportunity in Salem is a good one. The enthusiasm there, with the new ballpark and [Colorado] affiliation adds to that.''

Neely began his play-by-play work at the University of Missouri, then transferred and graduated from Kansas in 1987. After doing radio station work, he became the voice of the Boise Hawks of the Class A Northwest League in 1990. He moved to the Springfield Cardinals of the Class A Midwest League in '91, after calling Australian League baseball in the winter of 1990-91.

Neely becomes the Salem club's fifth play-by-play voice since the team began broadcasts in 1987 on WTOY. The games moved to WROV the next season. Two of the former Buccaneers' voices are working in Class AAA - Brian Barnhart with Oklahoma City and Mike Minshall with Tucson.

by CNB