Who’s on First? On Men’s Team at St. Mary’s College, It’s a Woman

An 18-year-old St. Mary’s College freshman appears to be the only woman in the country who has earned a place as one of the guys on a varsity baseball squad, and her acceptance comes after years of uphill battles.

Julie Croteau of Manassas, Va., a first baseman who bats and throws left-handed, says she has noticed signs of acceptance by her college teammates--such as no more apologies for swearing and no exceptions when they yell, “Come on, guys.”

It hasn’t always been easy for Croteau, who has played some form of baseball since the age of 6. She recalls humiliations, rejections, charges of discrimination filed against her high school and even a lawsuit.

“It’s hard to prove discrimination, and we lost in court,” she said.

When it came to choosing a college, she said, “I wanted to go to a small school for academics and one where I was hoping I could try out for the baseball team.”

Baseball Coach Hal Willard said: “At St. Mary’s, our attitude is the sports are available for the students. Baseball is a sport that’s available. Julie is a student who wanted to come out for the team, and her skills enabled her to make the team. It was that simple.”

Croteau, 5-foot-7 and 120 pounds, enrolled at St. Mary’s last fall. “I was hoping there would be no big deal, but the other players knew I was coming,” she said. “I was really nervous the first few days, but they helped me relax.”