months after it became The first woman named to a Division I baseball rosterOlivia Pichardo made her NCAA Diamond debut on Friday.
The Browns freshman took the plate as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth inning against Bryant. I got out to first base where Bryant went to 10-1 win. she The first woman ever to play In the game DI.
Pichardo made the team in the fall after an open trial as one of 31 players named to the starting roster. Now she’s one of 36 and has had her first look in 11 games of the season.
“Olivia has gathered the most complete experience I’ve seen from a player since becoming a head coach,” said coach Grant Achilles in the fall.
Pichardo received a round of applause from her teammates when Achilles announced that she had joined the team in November.
“I’m really glad there are more and more baseball players at the collegiate level, and regardless of division, it’s really good to see that progress,” Pichardo said at the time via Brown’s statement.
Pichardo is not the first woman to play in NCAA baseball since the World War II era. It is believed that this honor belongs to Julie Croto, who made the list for Saint Mary’s College of Maryland in 1989. paved the way for Several women to play College baseball in Division II or lower. But none of them played in DII until Pichardo on Friday.
In her biography of the Browns, Pichardo got her start in baseball as a minor leaguer in New York. She then played varsity baseball in high school in addition to playing for club teams. she made Roster of the US Women’s National Team In 2022 as a pitcher and outfielder, he played against Canada in the Five-game friendship series.
Now she is officially 0 for 1 with a hold off as an NCAA player. With the Browns scheduled to play through the Ivy League tournament in May, there may be more opportunities in the future.
