Queens Native Is First Woman To Play Division I College Baseball

QUEENS — A Queens native became the first woman to make it in an NCAA Division I varsity baseball team.

Brown University’s undergraduate student Olivia Pichardo, 18, received the spot on the roster for the 2023 season, which starts next February, as she completes her first semester.

“It was definitely a surreal moment for me because it’s something that I’ve wanted since eighth grade,” Pichardo told 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 first played baseball with the Forest Hills Little League in Queens when she was a kindergartener.

She then competed in Long Island and played varsity high school baseball at Garden School in Queens in middle school. She also played club baseball for the New York Crush and Next Level Baseball.