By Jennifer Roback
It was announced on September 21, 2021, that Melanie Newman and Jessica Mendoza will make history once again by becoming ESPN's first all-woman broadcast team for a nationally televised Major League Baseball game.
The game will also mark ESPN's first all-woman broadcast team for an MLB, NBA, NFL regular season, or playoff game.
While the teams playing have yet to be determined, Newman and Mendoza will be broadcasting the nationally televised MLB game on September 29.
"Honestly, each earmark is just another page," Newman told CNN Business. "I feel fortunate to be the one handed this chance, it's our responsibility until there are no more firsts, and it's just an even playing field of all-qualified professionals who happen to look different."
This is not Newman's first time in the history books, earlier this year, she was a part of MLB's first all-female broadcasting team alongside Sarah Langs, Alanna Rizzo, Heidi Watney, and Lauren Gardner.
Newman, a graduate of Troy University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, Leadership, & Sports Information, started out working in the minor leagues as an announcer before being called up to the major leagues back in 2020 when she also made history as the first woman in Orioles' history to call a regular-season game.
Mendoza, who is a former collegiate 4-time First Team All-American, two-time Olympic medalist, and retired professional All-Star softball outfielder, has been working with ESPN since 2007 and has also created a respective resume when it comes to broadcasting firsts.
In 2015, the two-time Olympic medal winner became ESPN's first female analyst on an MLB game and in the same year, was the first female analyst to call an MLB playoff game on a national network.
Mendoza later added to Newman's remarks saying, "it is important to have more people represent the game of baseball."
"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," she continued.
While a game has yet to be determined, a few possibilities on September 29 include the Yankees vs. Blue Jays, Phillies vs. Braves, Brewers vs. Cardinals, Reds vs. White Sox, Rays vs. Astros or Padres vs. Dodgers.
"Representation absolutely matters," Newman concluded. "The number of younger girls who have felt they couldn't be a fan of sports in general solely out of not seeing women in front still amazes me."
Melanie Newman earlier this year alongside Sarah Langs, Alanna Rizzo, Heidi Watney, and Lauren Gardner