The Horizon High School freshman baseball team in Arizona is making program history: This season, a girl made the baseball team alongside her twin brother.
Chloe McKendry became the first girl in school history to make the team when she and her brother Aidan earned spots on the freshman team this season, according to AZ Family.
“She was judged just like everyone else,” head coach Pete Crimando told the outlet. “We put her through same amount of drills, same amount of throwing and batting practice. She wasn’t given any breaks; just had to compete like everybody else.”
Now 15, Chloe and Aidan started playing baseball when they were 7. Both play infield and pitch.
“I feel people don’t really see her as a girl, just another teammate,” Aidan said. “They definitely respect her a lot more since she’s on the team, and she’s proven she works hard and is good enough to play here.”
Chloe told the outlet that having her brother alongside her has helped.
“He helps get me out of my comfort zone,” she said. “He’s just always there for me and has been my number one supporter.”
Crimando told AZFamily that the last time a girl tried out for the team was 2003. After a 21-year gap, the Huskies baseball program finally saw another girl take the chance. She impressed.
This isn’t the first time this year that a female athlete has made waves in traditionally boy spheres in Arizona high schools. In February, wrestler Audrey Jimenez of Sunnyside High School became the first girl to win an Arizona state championship against male competitors.
