Brown freshman makes history as first woman on D-I baseball team

Olivia Pichardo, a freshman walk-on at Brown, is the first female athlete in Division I history to be named to an active varsity baseball roster.

Driving the news: Pichardo, a utility player who can play in the infield and outfield, was one of 31 players to make the roster for the upcoming spring season.

• Coach Grant Achilles said Pichardo had "the most complete walk-on tryout I have seen from a player since becoming a head coach."
• Pichardo played varsity baseball in Queens, New York, and was a member of the U.S. baseball women's national team this past summer.

What she's saying: "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," said Pichardo.

State of play: Nearly 20 women have been members of collegiate baseball rosters, per nonprofit organization Baseball for All. Pichardo is the first to do so at the D-I level.

The big picture: Women continue breaking ground on the diamond. Consider all the "firsts" that have happened in the past seven months alone.

• Kelsie Whitmore became the first woman to play in a league with ties to MLB.
• Rachel Balkovec became the first full-time female manager in affiliated baseball history.
• Alyssa Nakken became the first woman to coach on an MLB field.

Plus: They're breaking ground in the front office, too. The Marlins recently became the first major U.S. sports franchise to have women operating the entirety of team day-to-day business.

Watch: Olivia's story (YouTube)