Mark Roberts

Bryce Alderton

Words flow off Mark Roberts’ tongue like butter.

The 46-year-old Costa Mesa resident and nine-year lead radio

broadcaster of the UC Irvine’s men’s, and occasionally, women’s

basketball team, has announced slower-paced games such as baseball,

but said the sport with the round orange ball and the three-pointer

comes the most easily for him.

“Ninety-nine point-nine percent of basketball is tempo,” said

Roberts, who can be heard on KUCI 88.9. “In basketball a lot happens

in a short amount of time, unlike baseball where very little happens

but when it does it can be game-deciding.”

In addition to Anteater men’s games, Roberts will announce 11

women’s games this season. He is set to broadcast 45 UCI baseball

games in the spring for a second straight year.

He also does play-by-play for 100 minor league baseball games for

the Single-A Bakersfield Blaze of the California League, along with

Lake Elsinore and Rancho Cucamonga. The Blaze is the Tampa Bay Devil

Rays’ Single-A affiliate.

“Baseball is trickier because you have to be ready to get out of a

story at any time,” Roberts said. “Basketball requires more

preparation in my eyes and more skill. You have to use variety (in

basketball) so when the game slows, you know what to say because

you’ve done your homework and the words come out like butter.”

Roberts prepares for a basketball game about two weeks ahead.

“I know how many players are on the roster, who they are, where

they went to school and what they did last year,” he said.

“Basketball is memory, reflection and instinct. If you can get into

the flow the game by doing your homework, your broadcast will have so

much more rhythm. (Former Lakers’ announcer) Chick Hearn had a rhythm

and was the best ever in involving an audience. You want the audience

to be your friends, taking them on a tour.”

Whether on a stage or in the booth, Roberts has performed for an

audience for much of his adult life.

After he graduated from Cal State Los Angeles with a

communications degree in the mid 1970s, Roberts traversed through the

world of acting. He worked for a theater company for nine years,

which helped him hone his ear for sound.

His broadcast career began in 1990, doing radio play-by-play for

the Pensacola Tornadoes of the Continental Basketball Association.

He then served as a play-by-play announcer for high school

football on KWRM 1370 AM in the fall and also hosts the “Big West

Insider” show Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the same station.

Roberts had always liked the Anteaters and respected longtime

coach Bill Mulligan, who led the Anteaters to two trips to the

National Invitation Tournament in 11 seasons.

A lack of openings initially didn’t deter Roberts, who made

persistent calls to UCI’s Assistant Athletic Director of Athletic

Communications Bob Olson and to then-athletic director Dan Guerrero

to finally land the job.

Olson contacted Roberts in May of 1994, telling him the school was

not going to renew the prior announcer’s contract. Following

interviews with other candidates, Guerrero approved the hire.

“(Olson) was so persistent,” Roberts said. “I call (Olson) and

(Guerrero) friends. I’ve not had one bad moment at UCI, even when we

were 1-25 (in 1997 under Rod Baker).”

One of Roberts’ more pleasant moments in the program came toward

the end of the 2000-01 season.

Sean Jackson’s game-winning shot against Fullerton gave the

‘Eaters their 14th Big West Conference win but more importantly, gave

the UCI men its first Big West Conference championship in basketball.

“It was a very ordinary game but the way we played was important,”

Roberts said.

Three weeks prior to Jackson’s game-winning shot came a

game-ending three-pointer by Jerry Green against Boise State to

propel UCI to an 89-87 victory.

“It happened right in front of me,” Roberts said. “We were losing

by one with 10 seconds left and the guy picked up (Green) at half

court but gave him just enough room for a three-pointer. That was my

single most exciting moment.”

The ‘Eaters finished that season, 25-5, losing in the first round

of the NIT to Tulsa.

Roberts said that season cemented sixth-year UCI Coach Pat

Douglass’ place in UCI basketball lore.

“(Douglass) has done everything he said he would do and put UCI on

the map for the first time in basketball,” Roberts said.

Though UCI has started its season 1-2, Roberts said this year’s is

the best team “physically” he has seen in nine years.

“The upper classmen are good and the freshmen are just as good,”

Roberts said. “There is now a thorough respect of the program and the

players believe they are winners. I could never say that when Rod

Baker was the coach.”

Baker coached UCI for six years, his best season coming in 1995-96

when the ‘Eaters finished, 15-12, 11-7 and second in the Big West.

“Dougalss has exceeded what the talent was,” Roberts said. “He has

taken the program to another level. He inherited a program that was

1-25 and was the worst Division I program out there and, four years

later, was 25-5. The UCI program is night and day in how the

basketball world perceives it. That is a testament to the coaches.

They are an engaging group aside from being outstanding coaches. They

are so prepared.”

After speaking for this story, Roberts had to prepare for the

women’s season-opener Monday night against visiting Centenary, a game

UCI won, 72-56. He envisions broadcasting many more ‘Eater games.

“I will stay here for awhile and make every attempt to keep on

(broadcasting at UCI),” Roberts quipped. “As long as they don’t fire

me (Monday).”

Growing up in Ladera Heights, Roberts aspired to be an actor, but

realized that he had the gifts for announcing basketball.

“I had a natural feel for basketball and I could just do it,”

Roberts said. “I needed the little bits of luck and timing for things

to fall into place. The college game is where I wanted to be.”