Dave Baker, Stuart Pope Return to Call SEC Network+ Games
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Award-winning broadcaster and longtime WKYT anchor Dave Baker will once again be teaming up with former All-American at Kentucky, Stuart Pope, to call women’s soccer games for the 2018 season, it was announced on Monday.
Baker and Pope worked together for the first time in 2017, forming one of the best broadcasting partnerships in the Southeastern Conference. There will be nine home games broadcasted on the SEC Network+ this season with all of them shown on the ESPN app and ESPN+, as well.
The full television schedule including nationally-televised matches will be released by the SEC office and ESPN in the coming days.
Baker, has a long history with the SEC – having been an important part of the network’s football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and softball package for several decades. He also serves as the primary play-by-play announcer for the UK softball telecasts.
Since 1982, “Buzz” has been with local TV powerhouse WKYT, where he has served as a sports anchor, reporter and account executive. He appears on a handful of newscasts per day and has also hosted special events with JMI.
Pope, an Academic All-American at Kentucky returns to the booth for her third season. Currently working her way through pharmacy school – she finished with 15 goals, 14 assists and 44 points in her storied career, in which she had eight game-winning goals, had over 100 shots, and played over 5,100 minutes on the pitch.
The two-time Academic All-American was a critical member of the winningest class in UK women’s soccer history, collecting an overall record of 59-27-4 in its four years in the Blue and White. The class of 2014 made the NCAA Tournament all four years in Lexington, including picking up the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win in 2012 to push the Wildcats to the second round for the first time in program history.
Mike Cappetto returns to serve as the lead producer for women’s soccer telecasts. Dean Bowling produces the halftime features that fans will see to get an up-close and personal look at the student-athletes they are watching.
For the latest on UK Women’s Soccer, follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram at @UKWomensSoccer.
