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UTC’s Zalewska, Healey Named To All-SoCon Golf Team

June 29, 2023 by Tara S

Chattanoogan

-Senior Dorota Zalewska and freshman Kera Healey were among the honorees announced today by the Southern Conference in its annual postseason awards. Zalewska repeated on the All-SoCon team, while Healey netted All-Freshman consideration.

“I’m really pleased for Dori and Kera,” Coach Colette Murray shared. “Both have worked really hard this year, and I’m glad to see it recognized.”

It’s Zalewska’s second All-SoCon honor also earning it in 2022. “Dori” led the Mocs with a 72.93 though the Southern Conference Championships. She posted one top 5 and four top 10s for the year and is ranked No. 92 in the latest Golfstat rankings.

Zalewska set numerous season and team records along the way. She owns the marks for season rounds in the 60s (8) as well as career in the 60s (13) and total par or better cards (38). She has two wins, two runners-up, seven top 5s, 13 top 10s and 19 top 20 finishes over her last 24 events. She’s the 29th all-conference pick for the program and ninth to do it multiple times.

Healey is the 15th All-Freshman honoree under Murray. She’s the fourth in a row to get it in an odd-numbered year – Holly Morgan (2017), Rheagan Hall (2019) & Beatriz Barrios (2021).

The native South African averaged 75.83 strokes per 18 growing as the year progressed. She averaged 76.47 in five fall events before shaving more than 1.25 strokes in the spring (75.20). The numbers certainly showed in the results with a top 10 and three top 20s.

The Chattanooga Mocs look eagerly toward Wednesday’s NCAA Selection Show. This year’s NCAA Tournament field is announced at 1 p.m., on the Golf Channel. Zalewska is expected to repeat on her appearance from a year ago.

2023 SoCon Women’s All Conference Teams

All-Conference Team
Dorota Zalewska, Sr., Chattanooga
Hollie Muse, Sr., ETSU
Sophie Bert, So., ETSU
Anna Morgan, Sr., Furman
Chloe Johnson, Fr., Furman
Kate Song, So., Mercer
Grace Holcomb, So., UNCG
Brielle Mapanao, Fr., Western Carolina
Elizabeth Lohbauer, So., Western Carolina
Madison Isaacson, 5th, Western Carolina

All-Freshman Team
Kera Healey, Chattanooga
Chloe Johnson, Furman
Faith Johnson, Furman
Julia Baeumken, UNCG
Brielle Mapanao, Western Carolina

Player of the Year – Anna Morgan, Sr., Furman

Freshman of the Year – Brielle Mapanao, Western Carolina

Coach of the Year – Courtney Gunter, Western Carolina

Alyssa Thomas breaks her own WNBA record with sixth triple-double

June 27, 2023 by Tara S

Emma Hruby | Just Women’s Sports

Alyssa Thomas is picking up right were she left off last season, breaking her own WNBA record for triple-doubles for the second time in less than a week.

Her 14-point, 11-rebound and 12-assist performance Sunday, which propelled the Connecticut Sun to an 96-72 victory over the Chicago Sky, came just five days after her first triple-double of the season. Thomas now has six overall in her career, and four in regular-season competition, both WNBA records.

The WNBA is coming off the year of the triple-double, with nine recorded during the 2022 season, including four by Thomas. That includes the first two in WNBA Finals history. She also is the first player with more than two triple-doubles in a single season. Her first four triple-doubles all came after July 21 in the 2022 season.

In addition to Thomas’ staggering success, Candace Parker and Sabrina Ionescu each had two apiece in 2022, and Moriah Jefferson had one.

“I think the game is changing,” Parker said following the third triple-double of her career in June 2022. “I think we’re gonna very soon see this on a nightly basis. We’re going to see those playmakers who have the ball in their hands. So I don’t know how long I’m going to hold onto this. But I’m grateful for this opportunity to play on a team where we can spread the wealth.”

How many triple-doubles have been recorded in WNBA history? There have been 22 triple-doubles in the league’s 27 seasons, with 18 being recorded during the regular season and just four during the playoffs.

Sheryl Swoopes recorded the first playoff triple-double in 2005, while Courtney Vandersloot did so last year. Thomas joined their club in this year’s Finals.

Swoopes, Vandersloot, Thomas, Parker and Ionescu are the only players with multiple triple-doubles in their careers. While 22 triple-doubles have been recorded, they have come from just 11 total players.

Sheryl Swoopes (2)

Swoopes recorded the league’s first-ever triple-double on July 27, 1999, while playing for the Houston Comets. She recorded 14 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. She would later get her second triple-double on September 3, 2005, with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Margo Dydek

While with the Utah Starzz, Dydek had 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks on June 7, 2001. Dydek remains the only WNBA player to have recorded a triple-double through blocks and not assists.

Lisa Leslie

Leslie set a new bar on September 9, 2004, recording 29 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocks for the Los Angeles Sparks. That stood as the record for most points in a triple-double until Ionescu broke it in 2022.

Deanna Nolan

On May 21, 2005, Nolan recorded the first of two triple-doubles that year. That season became the first with multiple triple-doubles in a season. She had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists for the Detroit Shock.

Temeka Johnson

As a member of the Seattle Storm, Johnson recorded 13 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists on July 24, 2014.

Candace Parker (3)

It took nine seasons for Parker to record her first triple-double. On July 28, 2017, she had 11 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists for the Sparks.

Her other two came in 2022, with Parker recording the first triple-double of the year on May 22, with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. While she became the oldest player to record a triple-double in WNBA history in that game, she later became the first player to record three triple-doubles in league history with another one on June 23 (10 points, 10 rebounds, 14 assists).

Courtney Vandersloot (2)

Vandersloot recorded the first of her two triple-doubles on July 20, 2018, recording 13 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists. She recorded her second triple-double during the 2021 postseason, notching 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Chelsea Gray

As a member of the Sparks, Gray recorded a triple-double on July 7, 2019. She had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists.

Sabrina Ionescu (3)

Ionescu’s first triple-double came on May 18, 2021, as she recorded 26 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists – the highest point total since Leslie’s triple-double in 2004.

She bested that number with a 27-point, 13-rebound and 12-assist performance on June 12, 2022. Then, against the Aces on July 7, Ionescu set the record for points in a triple-double, recording 31 points – the first 30-plus point triple-double – and adding 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

Moriah Jefferson

Jefferson added her name to the list on June 28, 2022, with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, for the first triple-double in Minnesota Lynx history.

Alyssa Thomas (6)

Thomas recorded the first triple-double of her career and the first in Connecticut Sun history on July 22, 2022. The star forward tallied 15 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

Less than two weeks later, on Aug. 2, Thomas recorded 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to become just the third player in WNBA history to record multiple triple-doubles in a single season — joining Parker and Ionescu, who also did so in 2022.

She added yet another — and the first in WNBA Finals history — on Sept. 15, with 16 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists in a Game 3 win against the Las Vegas Aces. Then she followed it up with still another in the team’s Game 4 loss to Las Vegas, notching 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to become the first WNBA player to post back-to-back triple-doubles.

On June 20, 2023, Thomas posted her fifth career triple-double, with 13 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists. And her sixth came just five days later, on June 25, in a 14-point, 11-rebound and 12-assist performance.

Rose Zhang’s star continues to rise with top-10 finish in pro major debut

June 27, 2023 by Tara S

Emma Hruby | Just Women’s Sports

Rose Zhang’s star continues to rise in the LPGA, as she followed up her winning professional debut with a top-10 finish at her first pro major at the Women’s PGA Championship.

The 20-year-old American finished tied for eighth place behind a final-round charge at Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey. She shot a 67 on Sunday to finish at five under par, three shots back of the lead.

“I would say I’m content with the result. I’m not content with how I played,” Zhang said. “From the beginning of the week, I feel like there’s always room to work on things, and I’m really satisfied with my overall performance, but there’s little mistakes that I made that you just can’t really afford to make.

“I felt really confident with my putter the whole day, and the last couple days I feel like that really saved me this entire week. But the last couple holes, putts fell a little short, they lipped out a little bit.”

Ruoning Yin won the title at eight under par, becoming just the second woman from China to win a major championship. She beat Japan’s Yuka Saso by one stroke, birdying the final hole to join Shanshan Feng in Chinese golf history. Feng won 10 times on the LPGA Tour, though her only major win came at the PGA Championship in 2012.

“I would say she’s definitely the goal that I’m chasing,” Yin said of Feng. “But I think she is the person who inspired me the most.”

For Zhang, who just made the jump from college (where she won back-to-back national titles), the difficulty of the court stood out as the main difference from her past competitions.

“I feel like it’s still golf, so I still felt the same energy as any other event except this is major week, and the golf course is a lot harder,” she said. “It’s playing a lot more difficult. You have to be on your toes at all times. Losing a little bit of focus causes you to have errors, and that’s just something you can’t afford at a major championship.

“But I think that was the different part, was just making sure that you’re still in the moment and you’re still hitting it shot by shot, regardless of what the result is.”

Zhang climbed to within one shot of the lead Sunday before a few mistakes on the back nine sunk her shot at victory. But she still recorded her best-ever finish at a major (she played in several as an amateur), which she called “pretty special.”

“It’s definitely a different dynamic when you’re a professional versus an amateur,” she said. “And when you’re playing your game, you really have to be precise with your numbers, really understand what your swing is doing, and there is no room for error. Therefore, I’m excited to keep working on my game.”

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark wins Honda Cup: ‘Sky’s the limit’ for women’s sports

June 27, 2023 by Tara S

Emma Hruby | Just Women’s Sports

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is no stranger to winning, be it awards or basketball games. And she won one of the biggest awards of her career Monday, as she was named the 2023 Honda Cup winner and Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year.

The 12 finalists for the Honda Cup came from 12 NCAA women’s sports, including Florida gymnast Trinity Thomas, Virginia swimmer Kate Douglass and UCLA soccer player Lilly Reale.

Two other athletes joined Clark among the top three finalists — Texas volleyball player Logan Eggleston and Stanford golfer Rose Zhang — but the Iowa basketball star took home the honors.

Clark, who also won player of the year accolades in her sport, led Iowa to its first national championship game in school history this April. She also became the first Division I women’s basketball player to have more than 1,000 points and 300 assists in the same season.

“It’s truly a tremendous honor. And, to all these women, you guys are incredible. It could have gone to any of you. I’m just lucky to be up here in your guys’ presence and obviously my two coaches who are amazing women. We have an all-woman coaching staff. I get inspired by the best every single day, whether it’s them, whether it’s my coaches,” Clark said as she accepted the award. “I know my family is watching back home. Just a tremendous honor. I’m lucky to be here.”

The summer already has been a busy one for the star. After throwing out the first pitch at an Iowa Cubs baseball game in early June, she traveled north to see Taylor Swift in Minneapolis. Next, she’ll take her talents to the golf course at the John Deere Classic Pro-Am golf event on July 5.

Clark noted that getting to spend the weekend alongside the other athletes was “so much fun.”

“I get to learn what the other athletes’ daily lives are like. I’m their biggest fans as well,” she said. “I try to make time for every women’s sport and want to help elevate their sports to the next level, too.”

She also said that while she attends sporting events to cheer on other Iowa women’s sports teams and athletes, the weekend has helped fuel the fire to attend even more of those events.

“It makes me want to watch and support them even more,” Clark said. “If you’re not watching women’s sports, you’re truly missing out. Now is the time to tune in, as the sky’s the limit for women’s sports.”

Cardinals Women’s Sports Teams Win MAC’s Jacoby Trophy for First Place in All-Sports Standings

June 2, 2023 by Tara S

Ball State University

CLEVELAND, Ohio – – Ball State University women’s sports teams have been awarded the 2023 Jacoby Trophy, presented annually by the Mid-American Conference to the school whose women’s teams win first place in the league’s cumulative standings. Ball State men’s teams finished second in 2022-23 men’s standings, their best standing since 2013. BSU’s 1-2 finish for both awards marks the school’s best combined finish since 2001.

Bolstered by regular season titles in volleyball, gymnastics and outdoor track, Ball State women’s teams edged Miami and Kent State for the Jacoby Trophy title. It is the Cardinals’ sixth Jacoby Trophy and their first since 2003 (also won in 2002, 2001, 2000, 1998).

“We are proud to celebrate the athletic accomplishments of our talented female student-athletes who have set the standard for excellence in the MAC this season,” said Ball State Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell. “We applaud our devoted coaches and dedicated staff for establishing programs in which our student-athletes thrive.”

Ball State men finished second to Toledo in this year’s competition. Cardinals men’s teams are four-time winners of the Reese Trophy and this year’s runner-up finish is Ball State’s fourth (2013, 2001, 1992). BSU men’s teams were led by second-place MAC finishes in golf and baseball.

Together, BSU men and women finished among the MAC’s top two in their respective all-sports standings for the third time since 1998. Cardinals women’s teams finished first, and men’s teams finished second, in each of 2023, 2001 and 1998. During that 26-year span, only Ball State and Kent State boast multiple 1-2 finishes for the two league trophies.

Mitchell added: “Winning the Jacoby Trophy and placing second in the Reese Trophy standings reinforces our commitment to make excellence routine as we develop leaders and winners. Today is a great day to be a Cardinal!”

Out of 18 sports who compete in the MAC, eight finished first or second in the league and 10 had teams or individuals reach national postseason competition – including baseball and women’s track teams who remain active in NCAA championships.

‘We’re not stopping’: Marketing efforts elevate OU women’s sports growth amid record-breaking athletics seasons

June 2, 2023 by Tara S

Colton Sulley | OU Daily

Since being hired as OU’s executive associate athletics director for external engagement on April 21, 2022, Leah Beasley and her team have been trying to keep up with the records being broken by the Sooners’ women’s athletics teams.

They’ve tried many marketing tools, including newspaper ads, mass emails and social media videos to properly highlight the growth and successes the various sports teams have garnered this season.

A November 2022 report from Samba TV found the fastest-growing audiences are for women’s sports compared to men’s as the WNBA, NWSL and NCAA women’s basketball grew more than the NBA, MLS and NCAA men’s basketball in 2022.

Beasley says OU women’s athletics has grown, especially since its major programs led by Patty Gasso (softball), K.J. Kindler (women’s gymnastics) and Jennie Baranczyk (women’s basketball) have won more than their male counterparts the last few seasons.

“I think it’s on an upward trajectory and I think it has been,” Beasley told the OU Daily. “And now the national awareness of it has grown so much.”

The Women’s College World Series will be on a national stage when it begins Thursday as all four contests will be broadcasted live on ESPN.

Gasso, who is known to speak her mind when it comes to women’s sports equality issues, credits the rise of social media for the increased interest in women’s college softball and the awareness of the history of inequalities female college athletes have endured.

“People are speaking and being heard and I think social media has been a really good thing in that way,” Gasso, who will lead No. 1 OU in its quest for a third consecutive national title over the next week in Oklahoma City, told the Daily. “People are showing comparisons of what men are getting and what women are getting and there’s an outrage now.”

When asked if she thinks OU is leading the charge for women’s college athletics, Beasley, who arrived in Norman from Mississippi State, said: “a hundred percent.”

“It obviously starts at the top,” Beasley said. “It starts with (athletic director Joe Castiglione) and just his vision of making sure that we are pouring into our student-athletes, but that we’re giving them the tools to then help out OU in return.”

Stacey Dales, a former two-time All-American basketball player at OU and current NFL Network reporter, has watched and marveled from afar at not only the success of the Sooners’ women’s athletics programs, but the access and the engagement.

The key to interest both fans and recruits who end up attending OU is the longevity of the women’s staff. Sherri Coale, who coached Dales, was in Norman for 25 seasons. Gasso is in her 29th season, while Kindler just coached her 17th with the Sooners.

“A lot of (the) time, you look at the men’s game,” Dales told the Daily. “And sometimes the coaches in the men’s world don’t have as long of a time to develop necessarily and … I love the fact that (Coale) was there for as long as she was. I know (Baranczyk) will be a staple for a very long time and Patty is another example of sustained success over time and when you have success, players want to come and play for you.

“It’s a commitment from the university to not only invest in the programs, but to make sure that the best coaches are in a position to lead and guide and I think that’s why you have sustained success.”

Coming from Mississippi State, Beasley was excited by the prospects of working at a school with great success in athletics, especially in women’s sports.

Beasley frequently travels to as many away games as she can and sees unlimited potential for the Sooners as they enter the SEC, a conference she’s familiar with, in 2024.

“It’s a dream come true. … It’s been an amazing year,” Beasley said. “And all I can see is a higher trajectory in the future. We’re not stopping. And it’s amazing. It’s because our coaches won’t either and our coaches want the best, and we want the best for our coaches and their teams.”

Maggie Nichols, a two-time medalist at the World Championships and Pan American Championships and former Sooners gymnast who’s considered one of the greatest athletes in OU history, sees the increased media attention women’s sports are getting as the reason for the growth and success of both collegiate women’s gymnastics and softball.

“I think OU women’s sports is just very energetic and has a lot of talent,” Nichols told the Daily. “Which really makes the media come to us. But I think us continuing to be so successful in both gymnastics and softball really helps with that. Especially with all that media attention and I know softball gets so many viewers during their national championships so that always helps as well.”

[Read more…]

Under Armour’s new marketing strategy will maximize womenswear and footwear

May 15, 2023 by Tara S

By: The Gist

CEO Stephanie Linnartz said Tuesday that womenswear and footwear will star in the company’s growth strategy, declaring that it “will go after women harder than this company has ever seen.”

SPORTS BIZ

Picture Source: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

The GIST: Under Armour’s (UA) new chief doesn’t want to leave money on the table. CEO Stephanie Linnartz said Tuesday that womenswear and footwear will star in the company’s growth strategy, declaring that it “will go after women harder than this company has ever seen.”

The details: Linnartz said footwear is essential to growing UA’s womenswear business. It will kick off efforts by remarketing existing products but will eventually launch new shoes with the help of sneaker and branding experts. The strategy aligns with UA’s refreshed focus on Sportstyle, its athleisure division.

The context: The company’s revenue rose 8% to $1.4B in Q4, but UA hasn’t maximized its footwear or womenswear businesses. Shoes comprise 25% of UA’s annual revenue and women’s products account for even less, so both industries are the definition of untapped potential.

The global footwear industry is expected to generate almost $400B in revenue this year, up 3.5% YoY, while the women’s athleticwear market will approach $200B globally in 2023. Sheesh.

Zooming out: A rejuvenated marketing effort and the promise of new products also opens the door for UA to incorporate female athletes into its brand identity. If the company decides to grow its women’s sports endorsements, basketball should be its first play — hoopers lead the pack for sartorial currency, especially for footwear.

Aliyah Boston may not be on UA’s books anymore, but the brand can tap WNBA champ Kelsey Plum after the parties struck an agreement last November and try to recruit popular talent in the pros and college. Watch this space.

Olivia Pichardo is the first woman to make the roster of Division I baseball team

February 7, 2023 by Tara S

Laurel Wamsley, Jonathan Franklin | NPR

When Brown University’s baseball season starts in February, one of the players taking the field will make history. Olivia Pichardo, a first-year student from Queens, N.Y., will be first woman on the roster of a Division I college baseball team in the U.S.

“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 said in a media release. She said being named to the team is surreal, as it has been her goal since eighth grade to continue playing baseball in college.

Pichardo walked on to Brown’s team following tryouts and a grueling assessment process – during which she immediately impressed the head coach, demonstrating her abilities as an infielder, outfielder and pitcher.

“It’s a workout common for baseball and allows us to evaluate athleticism and arm strength, as well as both offensive and defensive skills,” said Brown baseball head coach Grant Achilles. “Olivia put together the most complete walk-on tryout I have seen from a player since becoming a head coach.”

The first of many successes on the ballfield for women

Making the cut is just the latest achievement on the ballfield for Pichardo. This year, the 18-year-old was named to the roster of the USA Baseball Women’s National Team as a right-handed pitcher and outfielder.

Pichardo will be a utility player for Brown, able to play in both infield and outfield positions.

Brown University Athletics

Women have been making strides onto the rosters of baseball teams in recent years. In May, Kelsie Whitmore became the first woman to start in a game in pro baseball’s Atlantic League, taking left field for the Staten Island FerryHawks.

Baseball For All, an organization that advocates for girls and women in baseball, keeps a list of colleges and universities that will consider talented players, regardless of gender. There are 8 women (including Pichardo) who are rostered to play varsity college baseball in the spring of 2023, according to the organization.

Pichardo says her teammates have been welcoming, and cheered when she was named to the roster.

Brown University Athletics

Baseball has always been her sport of choice, despite critics’ opinions

Pichardo will be a utility player in both the infield and outfield when the college season starts. She says when Achilles announced during an October team meeting that she had made the cut, her new teammates broke out into applause.

“I did not expect that at all — that definitely took me by surprise,” Pichardo said. “Everyone was super happy about it.”

But in an interview with Morning Edition, Pichardo tells NPR’s A Martinez that throughout her baseball career, there have been countless times where many tried to discourage her away from the sport.

“Throughout all of my baseball career, every time I progress to the next level, more and more people would ask me about maybe switching to softball,” Pichardo said.

“There’s no shade towards softball, but it’s just that I’ve never played softball before,” she added.

Nevertheless, with any luck, she’ll be far from the last woman to play college baseball at the highest level.

“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.”

Meet Olivia Pichardo, the First Woman in Division 1 Baseball: ‘Inspiring Girls Is My Biggest Motivator’

February 7, 2023 by Tara S

By Natasha Dye | People

In November, Olivia Pichardo’s dreams came true. After weeks of tryouts — preceded by years of practices and games and time spent throwing a ball with her dad — the 18-year-old athlete earned a spot on Brown University’s baseball team, making her the first woman to play for a Division 1 varsity college baseball team.

On the last day of tryouts, Pichardo sat among rows of male hopefuls in an auditorium at Brown, eager to learn if she made the cut.

That’s when Head Coach Grant Achilles delivered the best news of her life: “Olivia, thanks for joining us for the Fall and officially for the Spring.”

Everyone clapped for Pichardo, a pitcher, as she lit up with a smile, displaying the “quiet confidence” — as her mother Maximo calls it — that wowed Bears leadership. “I’ve always set a standard to perform at a certain level for every single game,” says Pichardo. “Throughout my life, I’ve had pretty high expectations for myself.”

It’s a drive that began developing at the age of 6, when Pichardo made her Little League debut in her hometown of Queens, New York.

But in those early days, baseball was just an excuse to have a good time with her father Max, who volunteered to be a coach on all her teams. “He grew up playing baseball in the Dominican Republic,” she says. “He helped me develop a love for the game rather than developing all of the technical skills, because at that age it’s mostly about having fun.”

Pichardo says the fun of baseball temporarily faded at the age of 14, when she started “getting insecure about being a girl playing baseball,” while others switched to softball.

Participating in baseball camps sponsored by MLB and USA Baseball helped her overcome the discomfort. “That was a big motivator for me to keep going,” she says, “and not really care about what other people might have to say about me.”

After finding success at the MLB Breakthrough Series and an MLB Grit event, she made the USA Baseball Women’s National Team at just 18, playing as a right-handed pitcher and outfielder last summer.

Hustling on the global stage made her even more determined to find a university where she could continue pursuing her passion. “I knew that I wanted and could play college baseball,” she says, “but the problem was finding the right school that fit me academically and where I would join the baseball team.”

The perfect place turned out to be Brown, the Providence, R.I. Ivy League university where she became just one of the 5.5% of applicants to be accepted into the class of 2026, partly thanks to her impressive 5.2 GPA.

Receiving her acceptance letter was “a happy moment” for Pichardo, who says Brown was her mother’s top choice. “She cried when I got in, which made me uncomfortable,” she says, laughing.

As Pichardo began her studies last semester, she signed up to try out for the baseball team as a walk-on. Heading into the audition, she was confident in her ability to stand out. “I’ve always been able to not only just keep up,” she says, “but also excel.” Now she feels like just another one of the Bears. “My teammates treat me like they would each other, which I appreciate,” she says. “It’s all I could ask for.”

Currently, she’s leaning towards a major in business economics “because it’s a versatile degree” that will give her options if she doesn’t go pro. “I’m thinking about maybe pursuing an MLB front-office job one day,” says Pichardo, who became fascinated with the “behind-the-scenes” of baseball as an intern with the New York Mets last Spring.

But for now Pichardo is focused on the upcoming season, kicking off Feb. 24. against the Memphis Tigers.

Her preparation has included reading Training Camp by Jon Gordon, a mandatory assignment for the Bears that encourages baseballers to find “something outside of yourself to play for,” she says.

When Pichardo hits the field, she’ll play for the next generation of female baseball players. “When I was little, I didn’t know there were other girls playing baseball,” she says. “Inspiring girls is my biggest motivator.”

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