JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State Baseball will have a familiar voice on many of its television broadcasts for the rest of the 2024 season.
Jax State Athletics Director Greg Seitz announced on Thursday that Eli Gold will provide play-by-play on many of the Gamecocks' remaining ESPN+ broadcasts, starting with their March 19 home game against Samford. Gold brings over 50 years of experience to the booth at Jim Case Stadium, a career that has seen him call multiple sports and at the highest level.
"We are always looking for ways to enhance Jax State athletics in any way and adding someone with Eli Gold's experience and character will do just that," athletics director Greg Seitz said. "We already have a hall of famer in Mike Parris in our radio booth, so to add another in Eli to our television booth will afford our fans an unparalleled opportunity to follow Gamecock Baseball."
Gold's storied broadcasting career has seen him call nearly every sport and every level of competition. He most recently served as the radio announcer for the University of Alabama's football team for the past 36 seasons. He was recently named the play-by-play voice of the Nashville Kats of the Arena Football League, which kicks off in April.
During his career with the Crimson Tide, he handled play-by-play duties for their football and basketball teams and served as the host of the coaches shows for both football and basketball. Gold has also handled duties for several of Alabama's baseball productions over the years, including several of Jax State's trips to Tuscaloosa.
His career in the state of Alabama has seen him handle four years of play-by-play duties for the Birmingham Barons, who were the AA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers at the time. He also was the voice of the UAB basketball team, as well as the Birmingham Bulls hockey team.
Gold has been named the Alabama Sportscaster of the Year four times and was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. He has also been inducted into the Broadcasters Wing of the College Football Hall of Fame and into the University of Alabama College of Communications and Information Sciences Hall of Fame. In 2019, he was the recipient of the National Football Foundation's Chris Schenkel Award.
Gold spent 41 seasons in multiple roles as a member of NASCAR's Motor Racing Network, including host, anchor, turn announcer and pit reporter. He has also served as a play-by-play announcer for SportsUSA Radio's coverage of the NFL, where he handled play-by-play duties for one game per week, and has been the play-by-play announcer for multiple hockey teams that include the National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators.
