Join ORU Athletics every Friday in a weekly series featuring interviews with coaches and staff members.
10 Questions with Adam Hildebrandt, Voice of the Golden Eagles:
- Personally, how are you and your family doing during this difficult time?
Our family is doing well! I had my appendix out a few weeks ago and Carissa and I welcomed our 4th child into the world, so it was an interesting time to have those events take place. But we're taking all the precautions we can and so far everyone has stayed healthy, so we're thankful.
- You made it through basketball season but most of your baseball season was cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic. How difficult was that?
Losing baseball was tough for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was getting to spend time around the baseball staff and players. As a people person I've missed getting to hang out with those guys, but the silver lining is that it allowed me to be home and help with the kids more both before and after the arrival of the baby.
- What do you miss most about not calling games this time of year?
What I miss most about calling games at this specific time is it's supposed to be conference tournament week for baseball! Certainly the most exciting time of year is when you get to play for championships, so I miss that energy and excitement. We've also had absolutely beautiful weather all spring, so it would have been nice to spend some warm evenings and sunny afternoons at the ballpark.
- When basketball season returns, your radio setup could be much different. What changes do you anticipate?
I honestly have no idea what to expect in terms of new protocols when basketball season arrives. I'm sure there will be precautions in place, but as long as I get to be there calling games I'll do whatever I need to. Might need to get an ORU engineering class to rig me up a mask that can go over my microphone so the sound doesn't get muffled.
- Last season, your basketball radio broadcasts were also carried over the video stream online. How did you have to adjust your call?
I didn't change much with the calls going over the video stream. If I back off too much on description or time and score, it really does a disservice to the radio listener, so I tried to mostly call it like a radio-only game. When we were on TV specifically, I did try to dial back a few descriptive things and certainly wanted Mikey to shine through, but I tried to keep time and score pretty updated, and I hope I was able to find the right balance for the radio listeners.
- What has been your favorite call at ORU?
In terms of an individual call, Austin Ruder's three to beat NDSU in OT at the Mabee Center was a ton of fun. The final call when Miguel Ausua pitched a complete game to win the Summit League Tournament championship game stands out as well. But for an entire game broadcast, my first regional game in Fayetteville was incredible. Miggy pitched extremely well and gave the Golden Eagles a chance to knock off Arkansas. ORU lost that game but took Arkansas to the brink and the energy from both the ORU fans in attendance and the home crowd was awesome.
- What would ORU listeners be surprised to know about you?
Some people know this already, but I'm very passionate about worship music and I love serving on the worship team at our church. Music is how I've connected best with God since I was in middle school, and the chance to help people engage with Christ in that way is a huge blessing to me personally.
- Is good sports play-by-play a lost art?
I don't think play-by-play is a lost art but I do think it's being overshadowed in today's media world. Hot takes are such a major part of people's media diets that I think sometimes we hear that bleed over into the play-by-play world. There's certainly a place for opinions and punditry on talk shows and podcasts, but with play-by-play I think it has to be straight forward. The goal is to tell stories while giving accurate description and information about the game, and I think most play-by-play guys still do that and do it very well, sometimes their voices just aren't as loud as the excitable opinions coming from elsewhere.
- What sporting event do you dream of calling one day and why?
A World Series would probably be number one, because there's so much riding on every single pitch in postseason baseball. One mistake can cost your team a title, and one good swing or incredible defensive play can win you one. Coach Folmar likes to say every baseball game comes down to three to five plays, and there isn't a better stage to showcase that than October baseball and the World Series. (Bonus: the World Cup would probably be number two for me. I absolutely love that event and the passion shown around the world for it is unmatched.)
- What Biblical verse or encouraging words do you have for those who are anxious about the world as it is today?
When I was in the hospital to get my appendix out (fun times), I read a verse that I thought was a great word for our current circumstances. Deuteronomy 8: 2-3 says "Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these 40 years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." Now, I am NOT saying that I think God brought COVID-19 to test or humble us, but this verse was a great reminder to me that even in times of hardship and unknowns, God provides again and again and again. So remember that whether it be with finances or friendships or the medical professionals working hard to find a treatment to help fight Coronavirus, God is in this with us and He will provide the manna we need to get through it.
10 Questions with....
March 27, 2020 – Mike Carter
April 3, 2020 – Ryan Bush
April 10, 2020 – Mark Milner
April 17, 2020 – Joe Dial
April 24, 2020 – Lance Watson
May 1, 2020 – Roger Bush
May 8, 2020 – Ashtin Meerpohl
May 15, 2020 – Tim Johnson
For the latest information on ORU Athletics, follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading two mobile apps, ORU Golden Eagles Live and ORU Front Row, available on the App Store and Google Play.
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