2024 SUMMER INTERNS

Gracie Pugliese returns to the Orange County Riptide 2024 staff as the Director of Analytics and Baseball Operations. She is a junior at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ and majoring in Sports Management and Entertainment. Gracie has continued to stay involved within the baseball community from filming and editing all the videos on GCU’s Baseball media pages and contributes in the analytics department for the team.

Gracie spent the 2024 season working for the GCU Athletic Department as a Videographer and Live Stream Camera Operator for ESPN+, focusing on Baseball and Softball. She loves pushing the style boundaries of sports videos, creating much of the video content used by GCU, Jserra, and last year’s Riptide Social Media. Her goal working in operations is to make sure the players and coaches are always taken care of so they can work and play to their best abilities.

Gracie grew up in Orange County surrounded by her brothers and cousins who all played baseball. Once she became involved in sports film she was fascinated by the mechanics of baseball; intrigued by mechanics that make the game roll which has lead her to working in player development/analytics department.

Fun fact is she is currently trying to break her record of games she has attended last year of 163 games.

Jaysen Armas is a sophomore attending California State University Fullerton in Fullerton, California. He is majoring in business administration with a concentration in marketing. His hometown is Whittier, California.

During his first year at Cal State Fullerton, Jaysen was an intern for the communications department and did photography for Titan Athletics. He covered various sports and his pictures would be posted to the corresponding sports instagram page.

Jaysen is looking forward to his first season working with the OC Riptide and sees this internship as an opportunity to meet new people through networking and improve his videography skills in hopes of becoming a social media manager of a professional sports team.

Instagram: @Jaysens.pics

Nicolas joins the OC Riptide as an Equipment Manager / Press Box Operations internand hopes to learn and gain experience in sports management while supporting the Riptide.

His interests include hiking, watching sports, playing football, basketball, and lacrosse with friends.

Kennedy Beltran recently graduated from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) in the spring of 2024 with a degree in Marketing. Originally from Bakersfield, Calif., Kennedy brings her passion and skills to the OC Riptide team this summer.

With a strong foundation in marketing, Kennedy aims to expand her digital marketing expertise during her internship with the Riptide. She is excited to learn more and gain hands-on experience that will help her in achieving her goals with a career in marketing.

In her free time, she loves to watch sports, play pickleball, and volunteer with her local Rotaract club. She is looking forward to making valuable connections and contributing to the success of the OC Riptide this season.

Dani was raised in Northern California, and is now a rising senior at the University of Michigan, where she studies Sport Management with a minor in Criminology.

She is a Big Ten Network sideline reporter for Michigan Athletics and operates the social media for the Men’s Lacrosse program. After eight years of softball, she started cheerleading, and competed in cheer through her first year of college.

Aside from watching and playing sports, she loves surfing and yoga. Though she misses the Big House, she’s excited for her first year with the Riptide!

Instagram: @DaniiColmann

Paige Creason was born and raised in Apple Valley, California, and has been running a Freelance Sports Photography business since her Freshman year of high school. She just graduated class of 2024 from Excelsior Charter School.

Paige has had a passion for photography since the age of 10 but discovered her love for sports photography when she was 14. Ever since she has been chasing her dream of becoming a Major League Baseball photographer by shooting for many high schools and colleges around the High Desert and Inland Empire. Paige will not attend college but will continue her freelance business while interning for the Riptide. During this internship, she hopes to enhance her photography skills and network with like-minded people. She likes to weightlift, watch baseball, read personal development books, and spend time with family in her free time.

Instagram: @dingersphotography

TikTok: @dingersphotography

Portfolio: Dingers Photography

Emry is a rising junior at Concordia University Irvine, pursuing a degree in Business Administration. Emry hopes to work in Sports Management for the NBA or WNBA.

Her interests include tennis, beach walks, and spending as much time as possible with friends and family. Emry is excited to be part of the Riptide family this summer and is looking forward to what comes next!

Katelyn Dominik is a rising senior at San Diego State University, where  she is studying Media Studies with a minor in Television, Film, and New Media.

Originally from Huntington Beach, Calif., she hopes to expand her knowledge on all things baseball operations this summer with the OC Riptide..

Elizabeth Dunning is a rising junior at the University of Oregon, majoring in public relations and sports business. Passionate about strategic communications and creative strategy, she is spending her second summer with the Orange County Riptide, now as a Digital Media and Marketing Intern after previously working as a Sports Media and Communications Intern.

At the University of Oregon, Elizabeth is a Team Lead in the Oregon Accelerator’s Public Relations and External Education department, focusing on social media strategy and brand education for student-athletes. She also works as a Marketing Intern for Oregon’s Athletic Department, gaining hands-on experience in game-day operations and marketing for athletic events.

Lizzie is a junior at Louisiana State University, majoring in journalism with a minor in sports studies. She is from Orange County, California, and has always had a passion for college and pro sports.

At LSU, Lizzie works as a deputy sports editor for the school’s newspaper, the Reveille, where she covers football, baseball, soccer and softball. She is also president of LSU’s Society of Professional Journalist chapter.

In her role as live game producer for The Riptide, Lizzie aims to learn more about the game of baseball and what it takes to run “the show” behind the scenes at a baseball game.

Benjamin is a rising Senior at Milken Community School in Los Angeles. Benjamin is looking forward to improving his graphic design, photography, and digital journalism skills alongside the team of talented OC Riptide interns.

During the school year, Benjamin is currently a captain on his varsity baseball team and works as the football team photographer. He’s been working with the Athletics Department of his high school to create graphics and take photos since his freshman year.

During Benjamin’s free time, his hobbies include, lifting weights, throwing fastballs, contributing to his Podcast (All Things Sports), and working as a freelance photographer. Benjamin is beyond excited to get started this year! Go Riptide!

Jack Frankenfield is a rising sophomore attending The University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina, and he is originally from Laguna Niguel, California. He is majoring in Broadcast Journalism with a concentration in sports media, along with a minor in Business Administration.

At South Carolina, Jack works with Student Gamecock Television (SGTV) as a Sports Journalist. He covers a wide variety of sporting events for South Carolina. Some of these sports being Football, Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Soccer, and Volleyball. He was selected to cover the first 2 rounds of the 2024 Women’s March Madness Tournament for South Carolina Women’s Basketball Team. He is also on the President’s List for his freshman year, which is for students who earned a 4.0 GPA for the school year.

Jack is looking forward to his first season working with the OC Riptide as public address announcer. He is eager to gain valuable experience that will allow him to pursue his career goal of becoming a sports broadcaster.

Instagram: @jack_frankenfield

Sydney Freeman is a passionate and ambitious sports marketing student with a minor in Spanish at The Pennsylvania State University.

Originally from Laguna Beach, California, Sydney has always had a strong passion for baseball, especially the Dodgers. Sydney is a member of the Penn State Women’s Rugby team.

As a child, she spent most of her time watching her brother play baseball. The excitement and passion for her teams finds a new home as Sydney is eager to join the OC Riptide family, where she will continue to pursue her love for sports in her work.

Richard graduated from UC Riverside’s Theatre, Film, and Digital Production program in 2020 and is currently attending Long Beach City College to study Radio and Television.

A lifelong sports fan and player himself, he has been fortunate to land positions with the LA Dodgers, Galaxy, Rams, and currently OC Riptide.

His favorite hobbies include running, cosplay photography, and watching/playing rugby.

Joey is from Orange County, Calif., currently attends Saddleback College, pursuing his associates degree in photography.

He hopes this internship with OC Riptide will help him gain more experience, connections, and further build his portfolio to further advance his future as a sports photographer.

Instagram: @jgray.media

Taylor just completed her senior year at Loyola Marymount University where she majored in Communication Studies and received a minor in Education.

Taylor has been very involved in athletics. She was a member of the LMU cheer team and worked as Operations Assistant for their baseball team. This will be Taylor’s second summer with the CCL and she looks forward to continuing to grow and apply her skills.

Her love for baseball comes from bonding with friends and family at St. Louis Cardinals games throughout her childhood. Taylor is thrilled to utilize her love for sports to contribute to the success of the Riptide game day experience this summer!

Mya is a junior at the University of California, Irvine, pursuing a double major in Business Economics and Psychology.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Mya grew up in a family of sports fanatics, cultivating her passion for sports culture. She specifically credits her brothers for sparking this interest, as she involuntary attended all their baseball, soccer, and basketball practices and games throughout her childhood.

While simultaneously interning for the UCI Athletics Digital Marketing and Creative Services Program, Mya is still exploring which area of the industry suits her best. She is eager to begin her journey with the Orange County Riptide and is excited to see where the Lord leads her.

Instagram: @hallah4kallah

Shane Levey is a rising senior studying Sports Business at Indiana University. He actively contributes to campus life as a member of the club baseball team and a brother of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity.

Shane gained valuable industry experience through internships with the Los Angeles Rams and the Cal Berkeley Athletic Department, where he honed his skills in sports business and marketing.

Shane wishes to pursue a career in the sports business industry, where he hopes to work in corporate partnerships or sales. Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, Shane is a lifelong baseball player and was selected to the All-City Baseball Team at Hamilton High School.

Shane is excited to get to work and be part of the OC Riptide.

Hailey Lewis is an upcoming senior at the University of Central Florida. She grew up in Irvine, California playing softball for 14 years before transitioning into the marketing space of the sports industry.

As a growing, committed individual, she plans to take advantage of this opportunity with the Riptide to help further her career development. Her career goals are to gain as much knowledge and experience as she can and someday break into the industry full time with an organization.

Email: haileyllewiss@gmail.com

Alexandra Love, a junior at Brown University, is studying Cognitive Science and Entrepreneurship. She grew up playing water polo in Newport Beach, with her high school team winning the CIF Open Division.

In her freshman year on Brown’s Water Polo team, Alex was named CWPA Rookie of the Week, finishing the season with 30 goals, 19 assists, and 16 steals. A concussion prevented her from playing in her sophomore year. During this period, she pursued her interest in graphic design and sports media, driven by her personal history in athletics and her love for creative work. Outside of academics and sports, she enjoys wakeboarding with her family, traveling, and spending time with friends. She also serves as an artist for the RISD-Brown Game Developers and Brown’s “Sole Magazine.”

Alex looks forward to her first season with the OC Riptide, aiming to gain experience and skills that she hopes will serve as a foundation for a career in professional sports graphics.

Instagram: @aloveha.designs

Dylan is from Rancho Santa Margarita, Caliof. and is a junior studying journalism at the University of Southern California. Dylan is returning to the Riptide after working in the journalism department last summer.

At USC, he helped broadcast football and baseball games for KXSC Radio, the school’s student-run radio station. Besides broadcasting at USC, Dylan also writes for Annenberg Media and is a part of a podcast called, “The Talk of Troy.”

Before USC, Dylan graduated from Trabuco Hills High School and attended Saddleback College. At Saddleback, he helped broadcast baseball and soccer games. This summer, Dylan is looking forward to working on developing his broadcasting skills and working alongside everyone on the Riptide!

Instagram: @dylanl.4

Kylie is from Tustin, Calif. and recently finished her freshman year at Texas Christian University majoring in Strategic Communications and minoring in General Business. 

At TCU, Kylie plays club women’s lacrosse, joined a sorority, and watches a bunch of college sports.  In her free time, Kylie likes to go to the beach, hangout with friends and family, and go thrifting.  She is obsessed with her two golden retrievers, Gronk and Quincy.

Kylie hopes to eventually work in the marketing department for either the MLB or NFL one day.  This spring, she worked with OC Riptide as an online marketing intern.  She is eager to expand her knowledge and experience in the sports marketing field this summer.

Instagram: @kylieemcmahonn

Colin is originally from Irvine, California having spent time living in Las Vegas. This will be his first season with the Riptide. He is an avid sports fan spending his summers watching and going to baseball games with friends as well as adding to his collection of hats. 

Colin is a rising Junior this summer attending Louisiana State University (LSU) majoring in Sports Management with a concentration in Leadership. His main passion is everything sports, looking to find his footing and try to find his place in sports. In his first year with the Riptide in Gameday Operations and is excited to learn as much as he can.

Jordy was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He is a rising senior majoring in Finance and Information Systems at Boston University. 

Jordy is excited to learn more about how baseball games are prepared and fluctuate before, throughout, and after games. He wants to experience what it’s like to work within the sports entertainment industry. 

Fun facts about Jordy are that he has three years of barista experience and knows how to create latte art. He is currently employed with Central Perk Coffee Co. and has been featured in People Magazine.

Instagram: @Jordym04

Lindsey Parker is a rising senior at San Diego State University, pursuing a degree and Journalism and Media Studies.

She grew up in Orange County and hopes to pursue a career in social media marketing and management. Her interests include going to the beach, spending time with friends, trying new recipes and listening to music! She can’t wait to be on the Digital Marketing and Media team this summer and is looking forward to an exciting season of Riptide baseball!

Andrew Relvas returns to the OC Riptide again as a Broadcaster for the 2024 Season. Andrew is a Rising Junior at Miami University in Ohio, and is pursuing degrees in Journalism and Sports Communication and Media.

At Miami, he has had numerous experiences in the sports broadcasting field. He has been a part of Miami Radio productions on RedHawk Radio for both years announcing football, basketball and baseball games for Miami. He is also a part of the Miami Television News Club which produces a highly informative student-ran news show about the university every two weeks throughout the school year.

Andrew has also enjoyed broadcasting outside Miami for Chatterbox Sports, Earlham Athletics and Game On Live Studio. At Chatterbox Sports, he has been able to call high school sports in the Greater Cincinnati Area on a regular basis. He has also worked with Earlham College Athletics and been able to call different sports at the Division 3 level in Eastern Indiana. At GOLS, Andrew has been able to produce and announce many high profile water polo tournaments all across Southern California.

He is also a big sports fan and loves to follow each major professional league intently. Andrew’s favorite MLB team is the Dodgers, and he loves listening to Dodger Radio Broadcasts, and visiting Dodger Stadium each year to catch a game.

Relvas is a 2022 graduate from Santa Margarita Catholic High School, and was a part of Eagle TV 2.0 during his Santa Margarita career. Being in Eagle TV 2.0 and producing daily shows and content for campus really captivated him to pursue a Sports Broadcasting career.

With the OC Riptide this season, he hopes to continue to grow his broadcasting skills, and is excited to establish long lasting relationships in an awesome organization.

Daniel is a senior at Arizona State University, majoring in Sports Journalism.

From Santa Clarita, Calif., this is Daniel’s first season working as a Game Day Operations intern with the Riptide and he is looking forward to the opportunities it will bring. He’s excited to learn the work and challenges that it takes to run a Riptide game.

His passions within sports journalism are writing and production. He is set to have a fall internship with the Varsity Sports Show as a technical director where he hopes to gain even more knowledge in the industry. He can’t wait to see what this summer will bring!

Lillian is a rising senior at Chapman University majoring in communications with an inquiry in leadership. She was born and raised in Tustin, California. She has been a dancer for 19 years of her life.

Lillian could not be more excited to work as a game day operations intern for the Riptide this summer. She hopes to gain valuable insight into the behind the scenes of what goes into baseball.

Her goal is to work for Major League Baseball after college. Her interests include watching Yankees baseball, dancing, and reading. 

Instagram: @lillian.ryann

Chase is excited to gain experience with the Riptide and hopefully pursue a career in baseball.

Drew is a rising Junior at Swarthmore College, where he is studying Mathematics (with emphasis in statistics) and Economics.

Caroline West is from Newport Beach, Calif. but lived in London for five years before living in Newport. Caroline is a rising senior at Loyola Marymount University and is double-majoring in Communication Studies and Environmental Studies.

She hopes to learn more about the sports industry and managing event operations while interning with OC Riptide. Caroline wants to potentially work in Human Resources, the events industry, or be a sustainability consultant.

Jeff Woolson is from San Diego and graduated from Biola last year with a degree in Journalism. When he doesn’t have the headset on, he loves to spend free time golfing.

A retired college pitcher, he plays golf so much that he enjoys it more than he ever enjoyed playing baseball. Jeff is blessed to have loving parents who are his biggest motivation because he knows whatever he does and wherever he goes, he knows that they will always
support him.

He will never get tired of both my parents texting him, “Send me the link to your broadcast so we can watch!” They are a big reason why he loves what he does.