WALLA WALLA, Wash. — A Washington native and current Syracuse University student will return to the Pacific Northwest this summer to serve as the voice of the Walla Walla Sweets.

Drew Albaugh is a sophomore majoring in Broadcast and Digital Journalism at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, which is widely recognized as one of the nation’s premier broadcasting schools; he is a desk member for WAER Sports, the local NPR station, contributes to Z89, an iHeart-affiliated station, and hosts a show on ESPN Syracuse Radio. In addition to keeping stats, writing game recaps and previews, creating promotional materials, recording morning sports updates, and video editing, Albaugh has called a wide range of sports during his time at Syracuse.

Albaugh also brings extensive experience both in front of and behind the camera at Citrus TV, the largest student-run television station in the country. He currently serves as a sports reporter for Unpeeled, the station’s primary entertainment show, and is also an associate producer for No Pulp, a program focused on college sports.

This will be Albaugh’s second year of summer ball experience, having previously served as the primary broadcaster for the Seattle Studs of the Pacific International League last summer. In that role, he called both home and away games, conducted interviews with coaches and players, and managed the technical aspects of the broadcast as the lead engineer.

Albaugh grew up in Tacoma, Washington, before spending six years in Bern, Switzerland, during his childhood. He later returned to Washington for his high school years before heading to Syracuse University. Although he’s a proud Washingtonian, Albaugh has never been to Walla Walla. He’s eager to call “the city so nice they named it twice” his summer home, saying, “I am so excited to see what Walla Walla has to offer and am both honored and grateful to be named the Sweets broadcaster.”

The Sweets begin their season on the road at the Springfield Drifters on May 30, with the home opener at Borleske Stadium slated for June 6, against the Ridgefield Raptors.