MLB Twitter on Olivia Pichardo: "Baller. Love to see it" "This is amazing!! She’s dominating!"

Queens-native Olivia Pichardo made history by becoming the first female athlete to be selected for an NCAA Division I baseball team after the Ivy League's Brown University selected the 18-year-old walk-on to their roster.

The history-making move was announced Monday as Brown University unveiled their 31-person roster for next season. Pichardo was labeled as a utility player as she played both as a pitcher and as an outfielder for the United States women's national baseball team.

Pichardo's monumental inclusion to the team not only signals the fruition of her hard work, but also the advancement and inclusivity of women in a male-dominated sport.

MLB fans far and wide, united to send their regards and congratulations for the 18-year-old's amazing accomplishment.

People on social media have been sharing their stories about having encountered Pichardo during her youth playing days and to say that most of them are awe-inspiring is an understatement.

Olivia Pichardo's journey to D1

Pichardo's journey started early, playing for Forest Hills Little League starting at the age of five. She then progressed and played at Garden School in Queens during her high school days. Prior to being selected by Brown University baseball head coach Grant Achilles, the 18-year-old split her time between the New York Crush and Next Level Baseball clubs.

While she's away from the baseball field, Pichardo spent time as an intern on the New York Mets' scouting team. But with her commitment to the Brown University baseball program, the utility player has to spend all her time with the team.

Upon hearing the news and being introduced as part of the D1 school's varsity baseball team, Olivia Pichardo gleamed with excitement and said:

When asked how she felt about her magnanimous feat of being the first female player in D1 baseball history, Olivia Pichardo remained focused and maintained that she wanted to focus on winning games with the team rather than admiring the trail she blazed:

About the author

Daniel Santiago is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. He was drawn towards the sport after the underlying statistics and the analysis surrounding it grabbed his attention.

Daniel particularly enjoys furnishing reports about historic events in baseball and analyzing the game through a statistic-based outlook, based on Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference. This is in line with how he enjoyed watching baseball as a pastime. As a writer, he is very particular about cross-checking from reputable sources and doing his due diligence.

He became a lifelong Hideki Matsui fan after his exploits in the 2009 World Series for the New York Yankees. Among the current generation, Daniel's favorites include Shohei Ohtani and Jung Hoo Lee. Daniel is a huge follower of Asian baseball and both Ohtani and Lee have been in the top echelon of their respective leagues during their time with the NPB and KBO.

His favorite moment as a baseball fan was the final at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. He believes there aren't many words to fittingly describe the intensity of the moment.

As an avid sports fan, Daniel watches other sports and Esports when not writing about baseball.

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