The baseball season is winding down, but MTSU’s relationship with the Nashville Sounds remains in full gear.

The Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers major league club has five MTSU students working as brand ambassadors. Their job entails greeting fans, passing out giveaways and ensuring that fans have fun that extends beyond watching the actual game.

“Having this relationship and getting referrals from professors who know these students and can speak to their character and work ethic is invaluable,” said Bryan Mayhood, vice president of sales for the Sounds.

The students are:

• Cody Gentile, a junior marketing major from White House, Tennessee, who is transferring to MTSU from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
• Kobe Hermann, a senior management major from Chattanooga, Tennessee.
• Jessie Steele, a senior journalism major from Sevierville, Tennessee.
• Emily Undieme, a master’s degree candidate from Orlando, Florida, majoring in leisure and sport management.
• and Mary Ruth Wheeler, a master’s degree candidate from Murfreesboro majoring in leisure and sport management.

Steele said being a brand ambassador lets her have fun working at games while gaining valuable experience in the front office.

“My sports media classes at MTSU have taught me a lot about working in this field, but getting this hands-on experience with the Sounds has really given me an idea of what working in a professional sports setting is like,” Steele said.

Hermann said he couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to work with a great organization.

“In our roles, we were given hands-on experience in every area of running a professional sports team, from marketing and sales to operations and social media,” Hermann said.

Shannyn Wong, the Sounds’ promotions and activation coordinator, is the direct supervisor for the brand ambassadors.

She said the MTSU students who have worked at First Tennessee Park this past season displayed the kind of professional comportment needed to keep a sports franchise running.

“The work ethic of these five students is nothing short of outstanding,” Wong said. “They come to work each day with the energy and desire to be at work. They have a good relationship with their peers and have made an impression on our full-time staff because of their work ethic. I know that I can count on each of them to get a job done and to do it well.”

With more MTSU students working for the Sounds than in any previous season, Mayhood said the connection between the university and the franchise is an important one.

“True partnerships are centered around relationships and the desire to help one another,” Mayhood said. “Our growing relationship with MTSU has uncovered an opportunity that benefits both partners, and it’s something that isn’t written into any legal contract.”

— Gina Logue (Gina.Logue@mtsu.edu)

MTSU students serving as brand ambassadors for the Nashville Sounds this season pose in the stands in front of the field and scoreboard. Pictured, from left, are Emily Undieme, Cody Gentile, Mary Ruth Wheeler, Kobe Hermann and Jessie Steele. (MTSU photo by James Cessna)