Brown’s Olivia Pichardo Makes History As First Woman to Play D-I Baseball

In late November, Brown walk-on Olivia Pichardo made NCAA Division I history by becoming the first woman to earn a spot on a varsity baseball roster. Now, nearly four months later, the 18-year-old has earned another place in the record books after adding another landmark accolade to her budding résumé.

Pichardo, a freshman utility player from Queens, N.Y., became the first woman to play in a D-I baseball game on Friday after making her collegiate debut during Brown’s home matchup against Bryant (6–7). 

Appearing as a pinch hitter for her first at-bat, Pichardo logged her first stat of the season after recording a first-pitch groundout in the bottom of the ninth inning. Brown (1–10) trailed Bryant 10–1 at the time of Pichardo’s historic at-bat, and went on to lose the contest by that margin following a strikeout on the next at-bat.

Although the 2023 season has proven challenging for Brown, the year will go down as a special one for Pichardo as she continues to live out her dream. In a statement released after the team announced her addition to the roster, Pichardo, who’s played baseball since she was in kindergarten, expressed how “surreal” it felt to join the team.

“It was definitely a surreal moment for me because it’s something that I’ve wanted since eighth grade,” she said, via Brown’s press release. “It’s kind of crazy to know that I’m living out my dream right now and my ideal college experience that I’ve always wanted, so that’s really cool.”

Prior to arriving at Brown, Pichardo earned notoriety after making the roster for the 2022 USA Baseball Women’s National Team as a right-handed pitcher and outfielder. She has also played club baseball for the New York Crush of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, and travel team Next Level Baseball.