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Softball On SI

The First Woman to Play Division I Baseball Is About to Make Her Softball Debut

The first woman to appear in an NCAA Division I baseball game is going to play organized softball for the first time in her life.
Maren Angus-Coombs|
Olivia Pichardo was the first female to play Division I baseball and is transferring to Cal to play softball in 2027.
Olivia Pichardo was the first female to play Division I baseball and is transferring to Cal to play softball in 2027. | Brown Athletics

The first woman to play Division I baseball has found her new home to begin her collegiate softball career.

Former Brown baseball player Olivia Pichardo is transferring to the California Golden Bears, the program announced with a press release on Monday

"We are really excited to welcome Olivia to our program," Cal head coach Steve Singleton said. "She is an elite athlete for our game who brings a great combination of speed, strength, arm strength and bat speed to a new sport. Her experience playing baseball her entire life will bring some intangibles to our team that will be helpful for the group. Her story is one that is fun to be a part of and we see her ability translating on the field this year."

Pichardo has never played organized softball before, but if there is anyone who can work with a baseball player, it is Singleton.

Before joining the Texas Longhorns in 2019, Singleton spent most of life in baseball. He played collegiately at San Diego for three years before entering the MLB draft in 2006, when he was selected in the 11th round by the Minnesota Twins. He played 654 career games from rookie to AAA as a middle infielder.

After Singleton finished playing in 2016, he transitioned to coaching. He crossed over to softball in 2019 after spending spring training with the Twins, working with hitters, infielders and outfielders.

"I'm super excited to start my softball career playing in the ACC at Cal," Pichardo said. "I'm excited to have the Bay Area as my new home and help brings some wins to a brand new ballpark with a great group of girls."

Pichardo, a right-hander from Queens, N.Y., appeared in six games for the Bears – one as a pitcher, and five as a pinch hitter. She finished her career 0-for-4 at the plate with a hit-by-pitch and a run scored. On the mound, she retired the only batter she faced on two pitches.

The right-hander wasn't always focused on pitching. When she first arrived as a freshman, she was an outfielder. She made one appearance in right field during her collegiate career and caught two fly balls.

As a senior, Pichardo's main focus was pitching. She had not appeared in a game all season until April 25 against Cornell. She entered the game with the bases loaded and threw two fastballs to Tyler Beaulieu, who grounded out to short to end the game and secure a 16-4 victory for the Bears.

Pichardo has been a member of the United States Women’s National Baseball Team since 2022.

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.

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