She’s in an Ivy League of her own.
Queens native Olivia Pichardo is making history as the first woman on a Division I varsity baseball team after making the Brown University Bears roster.
The 18-year-old first-year undergrad made the squad after a stellar walk-on tryout performance, according to her new coach.
“It was definitely a surreal moment for me because it’s something that I’ve wanted since eighth grade,” Pichardo said in a statement
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from Brown University. “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.”Pichardo, who started playing Forest Hills Little League as a kindergartener and attended Garden School in Jackson Heights, was named to the USA women’s national baseball team in July.
Brown head coach Grant Achilles was astonished by Pichardo’s “athleticism and arm strength” and impressed that she “put together the most complete walk-on tryout I have seen from a player since becoming a head coach.”
The team erupted in applause during a meeting when Pichardo was announced as making the cut, according to Brown University.
An outfielder and right-handed pitcher in high school and with the national team, Pichardo is expected to play multiple positions in the infield and outfield for the Bears.
Pichardo has also interned with the New York Mets’ amateur scouting department with an eye toward a possible future career in the sport.
As many as eight women could be on NCAA rosters this season, but Pichardo is the sole woman in Division I, according to Baseball for All.
“I’m just really glad that we’re having more and more female baseball players at the collegiate level, and no matter what division, it’s just really good to see this progression,” Pichardo said. “It’s really paving the way for other girls in the next generation to also have these goals that they want to achieve and dream big and know that they can do it.”
Brown will start its spring season on Feb. 24 with a four-game series at Georgia State.