It’s taken way too long to get here, but it’s finally happened. ESPN will feature an all-women broadcast team for a nationally televised Major League Baseball game on September 29th. Jessica Mendoza and Melanie Newman will be the announcers for a yet-to-be-determined matchup.
This marks not just the first time an all-women team has called a baseball game, but the first time ESPN has had an all-women broadcast for any of the major sports leagues.
Neither Newman nor Mendoza are strangers to being first. Mendoza was the first woman to call a nationally televised MLB playoff game in 2021, while Newman – the Orioles radio play-by-play announcer – was part of MLB’s first all-women broadcast in July. ESPN is one of the biggest sports-broadcasting networks, and the move towards inclusivity is sure to open more doors for these women, and many others.
“For young girls, women, and Latinas, to hear a voice that represents them is so impactful for not only the sport to grow its audience, but to continue to broaden the opportunities for more young girls, women, and Latinas to do the same,” Mendoza told CNN Business.
Mendoza, who has been with ESPN since 2007, is a two-time Olympic medal winner, as well as a four-time All-American from her time at Stanford University’s softball team.