Panthers in the Booth: Chapman Alumni Voice the Big Leagues

A collage of headshots featuring (from left to right): Jeff Levering,, Stephen Nelson and Trent Rush.

Baseball’s biggest moments are amplified when the voices behind the mic have a shared pedigree, and three Chapman University alumni are bringing those moments to the screens and radios of fans everywhere. 

We sat down with Chapman alums Stephen Nelson ’11 and Trent Rush ’14 during the Dodgers-Angels recent cross-town showdown at Angel Stadium. While recalling their early days as broadcast students at Chapman, both credited their success to a fellow Panther who blazed the trail nearly two decades earlier—the very starting point of this story. 

The First Panther Behind the Mic: Jeff Levering’s Path to The Milwaukee Brewers 

Jeff Levering ’05, now the lead play‑by‑play broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers holds the distinction of being the first Panther to become a lead announcer for any of the “Big Four” professional sports leagues—MLB, the NFL, the NBA, or the NHL. 

Levering didn’t earn his first live-game call until his junior year at Chapman but the backstage roles he filled beforehand laid the foundation for his on-air career.

Jeff Levering (left) and fellow broadcaster get ready to call a baseball game.

“I spent a lot of time learning every other role around broadcasting, running a television show, and being part of a full production,” Levering said. “I wrapped cables, edited tapes, was a stage manager, and those are the roles I believe helped me become the play-by-play broadcaster I am today because I know what it takes as a teammate to get things done on a production.” 

After his first Women’s Softball call, Levering returned to the truck uneasy, only to have his producer reassure him that he’d done great. Levering said that reassurance was the moment everything clicked for him, confirming his chosen career path. 

“I had done public address since my freshman year, but to finally have the opportunity to put a headset on during a live game and call action, that’s when I fell in love with the craft,” Levering said. 

Jeff Levering (left) interviews two Milwaukee Brewers baseball players on the field near home plate.

After graduation, Levering cut his teeth with the Class A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, then moved up to AA with the St. Louis Cardinals’ affiliate and AAA with the Boston Red Sox. In 2015 he joined the Milwaukee Brewers’ radio team, and in 2021 the club announced him as a permanent broadcaster. 

Though he calls games for a National League rival of Stephen Nelson’s team, Levering remains a vocal champion of the fellow Chapman alum. 

In May 2023, Levering posted on X (formerly Twitter) a photo with Stephen Nelson 11 at American Family Field, captioning it: “Whether you’re a Dodgers fan or a Brewers fan, the Chapman guys have your TV viewing needs covered! Always proud of you, Stephen.” 

Stephen Nelson (left) and Jeff Levering (right) pose with a colleague (center) before

From Unanswered Emails to a World Series Call: Stephen Nelson’s Path to The
Los Angeles Dodgers
 

Stephen Nelson had been added to the Dodgers’ broadcast team earlier that year, but before calling games at Chavez Ravine, Nelson was reporting on all things sports for Chapman Radio and Chapman News. 

“In 2006, I was a high school senior visiting Dodge College and sitting in on a lecture by adjunct professor and CBS broadcaster, Bill Macatee,” Nelson said. “You could smell the fresh paint in Dodge, see the brand-new cameras that had just gotten delivered, and at that point, I was hooked. Chapman had moved to the top of the list of my dream college rankings.” 

Stephen Nelson in the guest broadcast booth at Angels Stadium.Once at his dream school, Nelson held roles as sports director, producer, and host on Chapman Radio and public address announcer for Chapman Athletics. He also interned with KTLA-TV and Fox Sports West before graduating a semester earlier than his peers in Winter 2010. 

Graduating early didn’t smooth the road. “I couldn’t get a job to save my life. I couldn’t get an email back,” Nelson said. “I would send physical copies of my reels to big markets, small markets, roles on the coast, even middle America, but nobody would nibble.” That is until a 2011 unpaid internship with the Rockford IceHogs in Illinois finally opened a door. 

The IceHogs gig let him host pre- and post-game shows and fill in on play-by-play. A 2012 stint as a sports reporter/anchor at KEZI-TV in Eugene followed, then a 2014 on-air role with Bleacher Report. 

What began as a slow start in the industry had turned into a career that caught the attention of Forbes. Nelson was listed in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in 2016 where editors praised his “voice destined for broadcast” and a millennial-friendly style. 

After a short stint calling games for the Chicago Blackhawks and on Apple TV’s “Friday Night Baseball,” Stephen Nelson got the call to join one of MLB’s most storied franchises. The Los Angeles Dodgers hired Nelson in early 2023. 

“Not losing faith in myself and leaning onto the tight crew that I had built at Chapman to keep me afloat through my time of doubt and uncertainty was key,” Nelson said. “They really helped me get my journey started.”  

Since joining the Dodgers, Nelson has already called many monumental moments in the team’s history, most notably the final moment of the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series championship.  

Nelson was on AM570 shouting, “That’s it! That’s a World Series win for LA! They’ve finished the job and give Los Angeles the parade it’s been waiting for!” 

Stephen Nelson (left) and Trent Rush (right) sit for an interview in front of a commemorative case of Angels memorabilia.

“From day one, you knew Stephen Nelson was destined for great things,” Trent Rush said. “I always thought, ‘What is this guy doing right? I want to learn from him,” and 15 years later, nothing has changed.” 

Nelson’s mentorship has continued to shape the next generation of Panthers, and his friendship with Rush remains a cornerstone of that support. 

Storytelling Beyond Stats: Trent Rush’s Path to The Los Angeles Angels 

Just down the road from Dodger Stadium, Trent Rush ’14, is quickly becoming a trusted voice of professional and collegiate sports across Southern California. 

Trent Rush sits in the Angeles Radio studio and gives fans an update over the radio about the Angels and Dodgers games.

“I went to Chapman with the idea that this is what I wanted to do,” Rush said. “Mostly because I was a really bad football player.”  

Orange native Rush recalled his high-school championship game he didn’t play in. Instead, he provided play-by-play commentary to his teammates on the sideline, discovering that his passion lay behind the microphone, not on the field. 

Rush said he still draws from his early, on-the-ground experience, and the storytelling skills he learned at Chapman to deliver coverage that connects fans to the people in the game.

“Anyone can pick up game notes, know some stats, and call a game, but there’s so much more to reporting than that,” Rush said. “What Chapman taught me is that the real stories come from talking to the players and coaches, and building those relationships to find the stories no one else can tell.” 

In 2011, Rush landed an internship at KEQS-TV in Palm Springs, where he assisted writers, shot and edited sports segments, and anchored a weekly high school sports news show. Those behind-the-scenes tasks honed the storytelling instincts he still relies on today. 

For the past decade, Rush has been the primary voice of the Los Angeles Angels on KLAA 830AM but has also spread his voice and talents to markets as far as San Diego.  

Stephen Nelson (left) and Trent Rush (right) reconnect before their respective teams face off at Angels Stadium.His expertise in covering Big West Conference collegiate sports has continued to help him grow his career. He currently covers multiple sports across Southern California for networks like MLB Network, Bally Sports West and FOX Sports.  

Strength in the Panther Network 

Though their journeys began at different times and led them to various corners of the sports world, Jeff Levering, Stephen Nelson, and Trent Rush share more than a love of baseball—they share a foundation laid at Chapman University. 

Each discovered their voice at Chapman, sharpened their craft through hands-on experiences, and leaned on the lessons and relationships built on campus to launch their career. 

This pattern repeats across industries. Chapman alumni stay connected across generations, lifting one another, celebrating successes, and keeping the Panther Network alive wherever their careers take them. Levering’s, Nelson’s, and Rush’s journeys show how Chapman turns shared beginnings into lifelong connections. 

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