Pioneer Pichardo reluctant to steal team's spotlight

Pichardo said she has never had any problem melding with her teammates. She prefers just being one of the guys and not taking spotlight away from the team. She does, however, understand the magnitude of what she's accomplished, not just in college, but also in summer ball. In 2023, she became the first woman to hit a home run in a summer league, connecting for Sag Harbor in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League.

"It's important for inspiring the younger generation of female baseball players, give them some kind of hope, I guess, that, if they want to play at the collegiate level, no matter what division, that door is open for them and it is possible," she said.

Pichardo, who graduates this spring with a degree in business economics, has been able to capitalize on name, image and likeness opportunities as the most visible woman in college baseball.

She's in her third year as an endorser for the baseball equipment and apparel company Warstic Sports, and she has a deal with Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards.

Once Brown's season ends, she'll turn her attention to trying out for the United States women's team that will play in the group stage of the 2027 World Cup. She has been a regular on Team USA since 2022 and pitched against Japan in the 2024 World Cup in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Pichardo said she's been grateful for every baseball opportunity since her father signed her up for a league in her hometown of Queens, New York, when she was six years old.

"He didn't have any sons, so I like to say I was his designated son," she said. "I've always been able to play at every level that I've progressed to, so there was never any reason for me to stop playing baseball just because I didn't see other women in the same space as me. It was my first sport, my first love, and I knew I wanted to try and play at the highest level possible."