Marquee Sports Network has announced that the Chicago Cubs television broadcast on Friday, July 7 will feature an all-female crew, consisting of play-by-play announcer Beth Mowins, game analyst Elise Menaker and field reporter Taylor McGregor. This will mark the first time a broadcast of this kind has taken place in Cubs history and will also include celebrations of women in baseball during the pregame and postgame shows. Social and digital media platforms will highlight the broadcast as well, along with play-by-play calls submitted by young Cubs fans. Moreover, fans will be able to interact with the broadcasters through social media ahead of the afternoon game against the Los Angeles Angels from Wrigley Field.
“Beth, Elise and Taylor excel at what they do for Marquee Sports Network,” Diane Penny, general manager of Marquee Sports Network, said in a statement. “While combining their excellence from the field to the broadcast booth marks another ‘first’ in Cubs history, it signifies yet another opportunity for our team to serve fans in a meaningful and memorable way. We look forward to an outstanding broadcast, and we know they’ll continue to be inspirations for the next generation of broadcasters.”
Mowins has called select Chicago Cubs games since 2021, becoming the first woman to work as a play-by-play announcer in the history of the organization. Outside of her work with Marquee Sports Network, she primarily broadcasts men’s and women’s college sports games for ESPN. In 2017, she became the first woman to call an NFL game. Earlier this year, Mowins was the play-by-play announcer for ESPN’s all-women NBA broadcast alongside Monica McNutt and Katie George.
“Elise and Taylor are outstanding to work with, and I’m thrilled that we will have this opportunity to work together for this historic Cubs broadcast,” Mowins said in a statement. “It’s always an honor working in the Wrigley Field broadcast booth and we are all looking forward to this special broadcast.”
Menaker has been a member of Marquee Sports Network since 2020, working as a field reporter and studio host. During the 2022 season, she became the first woman to work as a television analyst for a Cubs game. Menaker became the first woman to broadcast a Cubs game as a radio analyst last season as well. While attending Cornell University, she was a four-year starter on the school’s softball team and inducted into its athletics Hall of Fame.
“I’m really looking forward to working with Beth and Taylor on this special day at Wrigley Field,” Menaker said in a statement. “It’ll be exciting to share this broadcast with Cubs fans and particularly with young girls who may dream of one day getting involved in this great game. My mom always told me that I could accomplish my dreams, no matter how big, and I hope to inspire young girls and boys to do the same. Dream big.”
McGregor joined Marquee Sports Network at its launch in 2020 and is the primary field reporter for Chicago Cubs television broadcasts. Additionally, she works with MLB Network as a host and at ESPN on its college football game coverage in the fall. Before joining the regional sports network, she worked in Denver, Colo. with AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain for two seasons on Colorado Rockies games.
“It’s always a joy having the opportunity to work with Beth and Elise, and to be a part of this first all-female broadcast is something that we’re looking forward to,” McGregor said in a statement. “I always appreciate having the chance to show young fans, especially girls, the many opportunities in the game of baseball and this broadcast will be a great demonstration of that.”
The Cubs Live! pregame show for the Cubs-Angels game on Friday, July 7 will begin at 12 p.m. CST. First pitch of the game is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CST from Wrigley Field and will include Mowins, Menaker and McGregor making history on the first-of-its-kind broadcast for a Chicago Cubs game.
