Moorhead Public Schools

Moorhead residents may hear a familiar voice when they tune into Minnesota Twins Radio Network this season. MHS Alum Riley Swenson landed his dream job with the Minnesota Twins. Although today, his work can be heard on the pregame and postgame shows on the Minnesota Twins Radio Network, not so long ago Riley Swenson, MHS Class of 2021, was cutting his teeth broadcasting Spuds athletics.
Riley had a passion for sports broadcasting as a student at Horizon Middle School. His excitement for the field caught the attention of Horizon orchestra teacher Brian Cole, who arranged his first broadcast opportunity.
“I loved that when you think of big sports moments, you have someone’s voice there describing it as an indelible part of that moment,” explained Swenson. “Mr. Cole knew that calling games was something I wanted to do, so he invited me to broadcast an MHS Girls Basketball game. It probably wasn’t very good, but it was fun and it’s where things started for me.”
Riley’s time at MHS coincided with the creation of SpudsTV during the 2018-19 school year. SpudsTV creators Rick Westra, Corey DeLorme and Larry Knutson were aware of Riley’s work with Cole and invited him to be the first student on-air personality when the network launched. He was able to gain valuable experience not only providing play-by-play for Spuds athletics but also hosting weekly programs.
After graduating from MHS, Swenson attended Arizona State University’s prestigious Cronkite School of Journalism and majored in sports media. At ASU, he traveled the country to cover the Sun Devils’ major athletics programs—including games at major pro venues in Dallas and Las Vegas. While enrolled at ASU, he also worked jobs back in the region: reporting television news for WDAY and then calling games for the Willmar Stingers baseball team.
“At ASU, I would get to do maybe four or five games per semester,” said Swenson, “but working for the Stingers I was able to call 36 games and get a taste of what that life was like—and it confirmed that this was what I wanted to do.”
His experience, combined with a strong recommendation from the Stingers, helped land him his role with the Twins this season. Having grown up a Twins fan, it’s a dream situation for Sweinson.
“In the sports broadcasting and media world, you’re not really supposed to be a fan,” Sweson said, “but in my situation, my paycheck says ‘Minnesota Twins’ so I get to be in a place where I can do what I love. I get to support the team I grew up cheering for—through the stories we bring to fans.”
As coincidence would have it, Swenson’s new role would cause him to cross paths with his Spuds background almost immediately.
“I was with a group of students touring Target Field in April,” stated Cole, who regularly takes orchestra groups to the Twin Cities, “and who should I run into but Riley! It was amazing to see a young man who started broadcasting games in Moorhead for the Spuds now working with our own team in the Twins.”
Swenson’s work can be heard on the Minnesota Twins Treasure Island Radio Network, which broadcasts in the Fargo-Moorhead area on KFGO 790 AM.