Former Lake County Corn Dogs Broadcaster Andrew Mild Joins the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

By Jim Masters

If you watched Lake County Corn Dogs on Facebook Live or the game highlights on YouTube last season, then you know the team’s charismatic broadcaster, Andrew Mild, of Crown Point, Indiana.

But the Crown Point High School graduate isn’t long for his home town. A recent Butler University grad, Andrew is headed to broadcast booth of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The Blue Crabs are a Class A Major Independent League franchise — with deep ties to Major League Baseball.

Landing his first big job right out of college, Andrew, who earned a bachelor’s degree honors in Sports Media, will be the Atlantic League team’s lead broadcaster.

Andrew, 23, will be doing a lot of what he did for the Corn Dogs. In addition to delivering the play-by-play from the broadcast booth, he will be writing game stories and about everything else Blue Crabs baseball — as he did with such aplomb for the Corn Dogs.

Andrew’s Corn Dogs experience was critical to him taking a big step in his career. He said the Blue Crabs were really impressed with his Corn Dogs broadcast work as well as his post-game stories, and believes that’s what made him stand out from the other candidates for the job.

“The Corn Dogs job taught me so many skills and allowed me to gain the experience that the Blue Crabs were looking for in a broadcaster,” Andrew said. “They also loved my passion for the game of baseball, something that accelerated during my season working for the Lake County Corn Dogs. I may be leaving the team, but thanks to everyone involved my year with the team resulted in a Northern League Championship!”

It was Andrew who called the final out of the Corn Dogs championship, capping what was an historic season. Among the highlights, the team posted a 35-11 record for first-place finish, with Manager of the Year honors for Corn Dogs skipper Justin Huisman. Several players would also earn weekly MVP and all-league honors.

Corn Dogs Majority Owner Ralph Flores said that Andrew’s talent and professional approach to his job help put the team on the region’s sports entertainment map in its inaugural season.

“As with all of our ball players, I want them to move up and have a chance to play in the Major Leagues someday,” Flores said. “I want the same acknowledgement and success for Andrew, and now he’s on his way. I couldn’t be any more proud of him, and am looking forward to watching his broadcasting career blossom.”

Flores emphasized that the Corn Dogs organization is welcoming to young people looking to get a start in the sports entertainment industry. Accordingly, Andrew’s success is an outcome of the Corn Dogs’ emphasis on “Building Community Through Baseball.”

After the upcoming 2023 baseball season, Andrew might be able to return home to Crown Point. But he won’t be one to sit still. Football, basketball, soccer, Andrew can, and has, called those contests for Butler. So, he’ll be looking for other broadcasting roles to build his resume. Who knows where that will lead him, but he has shown the talent and versatility at a young age that warrants greater responsibility and exposure.

Andrew’s career will be one to watch. And yes, he’s dead set on making it to the majors, hopefully as a broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs, he says without hesitation.

Andrew’s Corn Dogs broadcast partner last season, Noel Fary, moves up to the teams lead play-by-play man. Andrew may have set the bar high, but Noel is a talent in his own right.

The Corn Dogs’ success on and off the field is a team effort, and now one of the team is seeing a big reward for their work.

Offering a parting salute, Andrew says, “Corn Dogs for life!”