One of the most enjoyable aspects of baseball broadcasts is often when they diverge into unexpected territory. This was evident during the third game of the NCAA Division I series on Saturday, featuring the TCU Horned Frogs (ranked No. 15 by Baseball America and No. 25 by D1baseball.com) against the UCF Knights. During the ESPN+ streaming feed, there was extensive discussion about an osprey that had landed on a field light pole just before the top of the seventh inning:
“That’s where you stand up and say ‘Look at I, I am the master of the kingdom.’ …Don’t know if we’ll go back for highlights of lunch.” The ESPN+ broadcast got a closeup of an osprey perched atop a light pole with a caught fish in today’s TCU-UCF baseball game.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing.bsky.social) April 19, 2025 at 1:36 PM
This entertaining moment was narrated by long-time UCF play-by-play voice and director of broadcasting Marc Jacobs, alongside analyst Stephen Branca. Jacobs delivered some memorable lines, including “Looks like someone’s brought lunch home,” and “Wow. Don’t know if we’ll go back for highlights of lunch.” Given the context, it’s unsurprising that a bird would choose a stadium light pole as a perch. This instance of bird interaction was notably more lighthearted than what we’ve sometimes witnessed in baseball.
The osprey’s landing at the very start of the inning, following footage of kids in a donut race, ensured it wasn’t distracting from the game itself. The bird with its fish provided a perfect opportunity for a camera operator to capture a captivating shot. Jacobs and Branca adeptly commented on the visuals before returning focus to the game, adding a fun moment to the broadcast—a continuation of the rich history of wildlife appearances (and sometimes birds) on sports broadcasts.
For context, the home Knights secured a 4-2 victory in this matchup, achieving a series win, though it remains unclear how much credit, if any, should go to the rallying osprey.
