First woman to play in Division I baseball
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When Olivia Pichardo stepped up to the plate as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning for Brown University against Bryant, she grounded out to first in a blowout loss. What seemed like an ordinary at-bat on the surface was not as Olivia made history by becoming the first woman to play in Division I baseball. Earlier in the season, the 5'7 155 pound freshman became the first woman to make a Division 1 baseball roster.
Olivia has been breaking the baseball gender barrier since the seventh grade when she made her high school boys' varsity team. Even though Olivia did not get a hit in her only at-bat of the season, she proved it was possible to accomplish what many deemed impossible: a woman playing in a Division 1 baseball game.
Social Media
Quotes
Random chirps from parents or players in the stands or things that I've been told that people have said about me,...It just bounces off of me -- which is not an invitation for anyone to test.
Olivia Pichardo
Just because somebody has access to a keyboard or a social media account doesn't mean that they're somebody you should listen to.
Olivia Pichardo
When I was little, I didn't know there were other girls playing baseball,...Inspiring girls is my biggest motivator.
Olivia Pichardo
You're not a video game, The transition is hard, and you're a person too. You're not valued by just your performance. That's such a transactional way to look at life. We want to win, we want our players to perform at their highest, but they're more than who they are between the white lines.
Grant Achilles
References
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How Olivia Pichardo defied doubters to make baseball history
Pichardo, an outfielder and a pitcher who has played baseball since she was 5, had shined on stages from Little League to PONY baseball to MLB's Trailblazer Series and all the way to a stint with the USA Baseball Women's National Team in 2022. But when it was announced that she had made the Brown Bears as a walk-on, interest had perhaps never been higher.
ESPN
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Brown's Olivia Pichardo becomes first woman to play in Div. I baseball game
The freshman from New York City came on as a pinch hitter with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning and grounded out to first base in what ended up being a 10-1 loss to Bryant in Providence, Rhode Island.
ESPN
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Meet Olivia Pichardo, the First Woman in Division 1 Baseball: 'Inspiring Girls Is My Biggest Motivator'
As Pichardo began her studies last semester, she signed up to try out for the baseball team as a walk-on. Heading into the audition, she was confident in her ability to stand out. "I've always been able to not only just keep up," she says, "but also excel." Now she feels like just another one of the Bears. "My teammates treat me like they would each other, which I appreciate," she says. "It's all I could ask for."
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