Pawol's rise to make MLB history came 28 years after the NBA gender barrier for game officials was broken and 10 years after the NFL hired its first full-time female official. The men's soccer World Cup first hired a female referee three years ago. The NHL has not had any women as on-ice officials.

Jen Pawol was in the middle of umpiring a Triple-A game Wednesday night when Nashville Sounds third baseman Oliver Dunn identified some exciting common ground between them. “When I make it to the big leagues and we get on the field together,

On Saturday, Jen Pawol has made history as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game in the major leagues.