Olivia Pichardo of Brown University, who became the first woman to play in a Division I college baseball game, was seen throwing out the first pitch at Fenway Park in Boston on Wednesday night.
Pichardo had one at bat against Bryant University while Brown was down 10-1 in the bottom of the ninth. Stepping into the left-handed batter’s box, Pichardo made NCAA history.
The Red Sox wanted to shed more light on that feat when they invited her to throw out the first pitch for their game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
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Olivia Pichardo of Brown University, the first woman to play Division I baseball, throws out a ceremonial first pitch before a game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox on May 3, 2023 at Fenway Park in Boston. (Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
Pichardo stepped on the mound and fired one toward the plate, though the accuracy wasn’t quite there. But she got a laugh and definitely showed some speed in front of the cheering Boston crowd.
Pichardo, a native of Queens, is considered a utility player for the Brown Bears. As a freshman, he is waiting in the wings for his chance to play longer, as he only has one at-bat to his credit.
Before entering the Ivy League campus, Pichardo was on the US Baseball Women’s National Team this past summer. She also played basketball and volleyball at Garden School from seventh grade until she completed high school.
Olivia Pichardo of Brown University, the first woman to play Division I baseball, reacts with Wally, the Boston Red Sox mascot, before a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 3, 2023 at Fenway boston park. (Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
Baseball has always been a passion, however, having completed an internship with the New York Mets’ amateur scouting department in 2022.
OLIVIA PICHARDO OF BROWN UNIVERSITY BECOMES THE FIRST WOMAN TO PLAY IN AN NCAA DIVISION I BASEBALL GAME
And it’s only fitting that her biggest inspiration for wanting to play baseball at the college level comes from Kelsie Whitmore, who was the first woman to appear in a starting lineup for an Atlantic League game when she played for the Staten Island Ferryhawks. Whitmore, a native of San Diego, California, also remains with the team this season.
«Kelsie Whitmore has been an inspiration to me for a long time,» Pichardo said via Brownbears.com. «She was the first baseball player I had ever heard of and I have followed her journey ever since. I had the opportunity to play on the same team as her on the USA Baseball Women’s National Team.» .
Olivia Pichardo of Brown University, the first woman to play Division I baseball, throws out a ceremonial first pitch before a game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox on May 3, 2023 at Fenway Park in Boston. (Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
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Hitting left and throwing right, Pichardo is majoring in business economics while continuing to play the game he loves.