Entering their third season of work, radio broadcasters John Evans and John Leo have become the well-known radio voices behind the Iowa baseball program. Their charismatic banter and detailed descriptions give listeners a vivid picture of what is happening on and off the field for the Hawkeyes.
The operation was previously run by former University of Iowa student Zach Mackey. Mackey left in 2022 to become the director of broadcasting at Virginia Tech. This left a flurry of candidates racing to apply for the open position, including Evans and Leo.
Evans immediately became the top prospect for the new position. After working with Mackey for the first five weeks of the previous season, Iowa head coach Rick Heller reached out to offer him the job, which he quickly accepted.
Meanwhile, Leo was using previous connections to pitch his way into consideration.
Gary Rima was a known figure in the world of sports media with a strong relationship to Heller. The two coached together at Upper Iowa but continued their relationship when Rima became the play-by-play broadcaster for Northern Iowa during Heller’s coaching stint with the Panthers.
Leo considered Rima to be a mentor to his radio broadcasting career when he was a student at the UI. Through this relationship, Leo got in touch with Heller to make the case for why he should get the position.
“I made my pitch to Rick saying, ‘You are going to have a guy that is a little bit raw radio-wise, but you know you will be listening to the Iowa Hawkeyes when I’m calling the games,’” Leo said.
Eventually, Heller gave both Evans and Leo the new position for calling the radio broadcast, with Evans doing color commentary and Leo doing the play-by-play.
Since the two have been linked to the job, their relationship has developed from simple co-workers to close companions.
Evans and Leo are glued side-by-side throughout the season, even traveling with the team on lengthy road trips.
These opportunities of journeying across the country by car, bus, and plane have allowed them to spend even more time together and build a connection that goes beyond the booth.
Most mornings, no matter where they are, you can find Evans and Leo doing their traditional walks to discuss a multitude of topics.
From talking about ideas for the duo’s next broadcast or simply catching up on current life events, both have benefited from their time spent together.
“John and I are very close outside of the broadcast booth, which is really important to me,” Leo said.
One of the most important aspects of a good broadcasting show revolves around the pregame preparation.
Both broadcasters are adamant that the reason they can deliver such an informed show is due to the access Heller gives them in scouting reports, gameplans, and player profiles.
“Rick really sees the value in hopefully having a good promotion from us,” Evans said. “So, he tries to equip us with the tools just like his team.”
Before every contest, the two use these resources to curate a detailed note guide for both teams and players with the goal of delivering a thorough description of all aspects of the game.
For Leo, his pregame routine revolves around getting stats and trends about teams, players, and series history. Meanwhile, Evans receives the same player scouting report used by Heller and his staff detailing information on every member of the team, with bullet points showing their strengths and weaknesses.
“You can’t just show up and call the game,” Leo said. “That would be a disaster to do that. It’s hard enough as it is to say what you are seeing. It’s very difficult. If you are not prepared, then you are 0/2 right away. The preparation is key.”
The preparation used to get ready for each game causes a lot of overlap between the two broadcasters and the rest of the athletes.
From traveling with the team to simple pregame interactions, Evans and Leo have developed a strong bond with many players over the past couple of seasons.
Leo described the relationships with the players as professional, saying that outside of the baseball setting, the two don’t spend any time with the athletes.
But during travel or practice, both Evans and Leo try to cultivate these relationships.
While some might say building a bond between these two parties might cause a loss in objectivity, Evans and Leo disagree.
Connections like these are why their radio broadcast is unique.
They truly are the voice of the Hawkeyes. Their job isn’t just to call the game and deliver a clear series of events to the audience; it’s to tell the stories of these kids and their journey through the season.
“It is not about us,” Leo said. “It is not about my home run call against Rutgers. It’s about how excited we are that Jackson Beaman just crushed a ball over the left-field wall, or that Blake Guerin smoked one, or that Cade Obermueller got a massive strikeout. I think we are at our best when we know that is what we are providing for the program. If it were about me doing home run calls and cool double plays, I wouldn’t be doing this for Coach Heller and the Hawks.”
One of the objectives the two had heading into 2025 was to immerse fans in the journey of this team.
Both Evans and Leo set out to give listeners a true insight and be the eyes and ears of Heller’s program.
“Our goal this year was to open the floodgates and let the fans be a part of this team,” Leo said. “I think so far this year we are doing a really good job of them being a part of the team and enjoying the ride with us.”