On a summer night in Williamsport, with Major Leaguers on the field and ESPN cameras rolling, two Chaminade seniors found themselves behind the mic for the game of a lifetime.  

 

Thomas Gamba of Garden City and Roman Brunetti of Stewart Manor took their voices to the national stage on Sunday, August 17, calling the MLB Little League Classic between the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners on ESPN2’s KidsCast. The duo, who first played Little League together in third grade and have been staples of Chaminade’s Sports Media Team since freshman year, were selected after excelling at the Bruce Beck Sports Broadcasting Camp. This was Gamba’s second consecutive year calling the Little League Classic, while Brunetti made his ESPN broadcasting debut.

The weekend in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, home of the Little League World Series, was packed with unforgettable experiences. The two prepped with ESPN producers, met MLB stars including Francisco Lindor and Cal Raleigh, and even crossed paths with Chaminade alumnus Keith Raad ’11, the radio voice of the New York Mets, who also called the game for WFAN. During the broadcast, the pair provided commentary on highlights such as Mark Vientos’ three-run homer for the Mets and Cal Raleigh’s MLB-leading 47th home run for the Mariners in the Mets’ 7–3 victory.

“This was an incredible weekend that I will never forget,” said Gamba. “To be paired with Roman, my fellow Chaminade classmate, on the KidsCast was an awesome feeling. Roman is a class act and a hardworking person that I love to work with. I am so happy I got to share this experience with him. Representing ESPN, Bruce Beck’s camp, and Chaminade High School was truly an honor.” Brunetti added, “My experience in Williamsport was amazing. To be able to call not just any Major League game, but one involving my favorite team, the Mets, was beyond belief. From meeting players to calling the game itself, this was something I will never forget.”

Mr. Pat Reichart ’01, moderator of the Sports Media Team, praised the students’ performance: “Thomas and Roman did an incredible job. I could not be prouder of them. The broadcast was such a joyful moment for so many, and Thomas and Roman certainly deserved it after their years of hard work and dedication to the craft of broadcasting during their time here at Chaminade. Several media personalities and others in professional sports reached out to me to say how great they did, and I couldn’t agree more.”