A Dream — and a Family Tradition: Webster Alum Joins Rockies Broadcast Team

April 21, 2026

"It was my lifelong dream coming true at such a young age," Zach Goodman said. "There were plenty of happy tears on both sides of the phone."

Goodman, a former Webster University baseball student-athlete and 2024 Sports Communication graduate, described the call to his parents, Drew and Kristi Goodman, as emotional. He was sharing the news that he had joined the Colorado Rockies Radio Network on KOA to call play-by-play and provide color commentary.

Drew has been the television voice of Colorado Rockies baseball games since 2002.

"It has been surreal being able to do the same thing as my dad for the same team," Goodman said. "There is no real way to describe the experience of doing your dream job alongside your father."

Goodman's path in his father's footsteps required time, commitment and dedication, especially as a student-athlete. In 2018, he chose Webster in part for its successful baseball program. As a high school baseball standout, Goodman wanted to continue his playing career at the next level, while also pursuing a broadcasting career. Webster checked both those boxes.

As a catcher, Goodman appeared in nearly 200 games for the Gorloks, garnering over 500 at-bats. Juggling the responsibilities of an athlete with those on the academic side enabled him to learn valuable lessons. "I think balancing both my academics and baseball responsibilities forced me to be extremely hard working," Goodman said. He believes that experience helped prepare him for the professional world.

While his playing career shaped his discipline, it was his work behind the microphone that set him apart.

Goodman credits his time at Webster with giving him the experience that caught the attention of the Colorado Rockies. "I had the opportunity to broadcast a majority of basketball games and volleyball matches for six years," Goodman said. "At some of the bigger 'broadcasting' schools, repetitions would have been much harder to come by. Plus, I had amazing professors at Webster who really supported my growth."

One of those professors was Scott Jensen, who teaches Sports Communication and Speech Communication Studies. "Our Sports Communication degree is unique in its opportunities and programming outside the classroom," Jensen said. "That includes being part of our Gorlok Sports Network and broadcasting college competition in six team sports. Zach was one of our best - and the broad opportunities helped him get better. In the end, he left Webster with skills that rivaled seasoned professionals."

In addition to his studies and collegiate-level broadcasting experience, Goodman's time on the diamond as a player may have been intriguing to the Rockies. "I think my experience of playing baseball at a high level was appealing during the hiring process," Goodman said. "I view and understand the game on a different level because of the detail that went into practicing and playing. I think that knowledge certainly behooves me as a broadcaster and hopefully comes out on air."

Goodman credits two staff members with guiding him during his time on the team. "Two mentors at Webster who impacted me most were head coach Bill Kurich and strength coach Matt Saitz," Goodman said. "They taught me a ton about life, responsibility and how to be someone that can be relied upon."

"Zach was a great player who possessed a tremendous baseball IQ the minute he stepped foot on our campus," Kurich said. "I will always cherish the lunches we had together talking about life and baseball."

In the collegiate game, catchers wear an earpiece to allow the dugout to communicate with them - mostly to call pitches. "Zach had a number of years of having me speak a one-sided conversation into his ear," Kurich said. "Now, I'm looking forward to hearing him talk about the game for years to come on the radio."

Even with his father's presence in the industry, Goodman knew he had to carve out his own path.

"My experience at Webster definitely helped build my own voice," Goodman said. "I was on my own, away from home, and was able to experiment in order to find my voice and own style of broadcast." And when he made the call to his parents to share the news, that voice - years in the making - delivered the message he had been working toward his entire life.

Tags:

• school of communications
• alumni
• athletics

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