Vassar pitching coach Beth Greenwood and Rosemont freshman pitcher Gisella "Gigi" Schiano were selected by team Boston of the Women's Professional Baseball League (WPBL). UMass-Boston assistant Coach Jacqui Reynolds was selected by the New York franchise in Round 3, Pick 6 of the WPBL Draft.

This was the inaugural draft for the league, with competition set to begin in August 2026. This historic draft marks the first time in history that women's professional baseball players heard their names called in a draft by one of the league's four founding teams.

Reynolds was one of more than 600 players who attended open tryouts that began in August at the Washington Nationals Youth Academy. Reynolds was invited to a final evaluation at Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals. There, players were divided into four teams and competed in two games on the Major League field. Reynolds played outfield, collected multiple hits, and even took the mound briefly before time expired. 

"Growing up, I wish we had more women's baseball representation," Reynolds said. "This league shows the younger generation that there is space for them in baseball—that they don't have to give it up or feel forced to choose softball if baseball is what they love. Being able to play in this league gives us the chance to be role models," she said. "If opportunities like this existed when I was younger, I would have pushed even harder to stay in the game." 

Reynolds credits her coaching experience at UMass Boston with helping her grow both as a coach and as a player. 

"Baseball is such a mental game," she said. "I try to practice what I preach, and that's made me a better player too. The guys push me just as much as I push them. I'm thrilled to have this opportunity. Not just to compete, but to represent the game and help show the next generation that baseball is a place where they belong." 

Both Greenwood and Schiano were selected in the third round of the six round draft. Each round consisted of 20 picks with each of the four teams making five selections per round for a total of 120 players.

Greenwood has been a member of the USA Women's National Baseball team program since 2018 where she was on the USA Baseball National Development Roster/Top 40 from 2018-22 before making the Top 20 National Team roster in 2023 and is still on the roster currently. In 2023, Team USA went undefeated in the World Cup Qualifier and went on to win Silver in the 2024 World Cup, which boosted their WBSC World Ranking to second place.

Greenwood was a two-year baseball student athlete at Rochester where she made history as the first American female to catch in a NCAA baseball game in 2021 and was the first female baseball player in Liberty League history. Greenwood enters her second season as the pitching coach on the Vassar staff as the Brewers finished last season at 14-19 overall and 5-9 against Liberty League rivals in her first season on the staff.

During the fall season at Rosemont, Schiano showed that not only is she a hard worker on the field, but she has been described as a great teammate. She fit in right away with the rest of the team and completely bought in to the program. Off the field, she has excelled in the classroom. Gigi is a Cornelian Scholar at Rosemont, which is one of the highest honors at the college. This is a testament to her commitment to academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to service.

Schiano had this to say on her thoughts going into the draft, " Honestly, I went into it thinking I probably wouldn't get drafted—and if I did, I assumed I'd be towards the end of the draft picks." She was attending a draft party at JetBlue park, the Boston Red Sox practice field, in Fort Myers, Florida. Gigi had no idea when her name would be called, "I was mid-conversation with a friend when we suddenly heard… We just stared at each other in shock. I truly wasn't expecting to be chosen that early. It was an incredible moment, and such an honor, something I will never forget!"

By NCAA rules, once an athlete agrees to a contract to be compensated for their play, then they are no longer amateur status. Since the league doesn't start until August, Schiano will be able to play her freshman year at Rosemont. The Ravens are very excited to be able to have her on the team for this upcoming spring. She made a name for herself this fall with dominant pitching performances, some big hits, and a sure handed glove at second base.

The WPBL will launch its first season in 2026 in Springfield, Illinois, at Robin Roberts Stadium. Teams will carry 15 players each and compete in 2-3 games a week during the regular season from August through mid-September, followed by postseason playoffs. The league marks the first women's professional baseball league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which operated from 1943 to 1954.