ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The University of Rochester is hosting the NCAA Division III men’s baseball tournament starting Friday. One of the team’s biggest inspirations is a hardworking player who barely makes it off the bench during games. But she — yes, she — is as big a part of the team as anyone.

Behind a plate called home is the toughest position in baseball.

“They’re the general,” said teammate Jason Cobert. “They kind of direct the play of the game.”

The backstop.

“You’re essentially the quarterback of the defense,” said pitcher Nolan Sparks.

The catcher.

“They’re your last defense,” said Cobert. “You throw the ball, you have to have trust in your catcher.”

To a man, on the University of Rochester men’s baseball team, a woman has all of those skills. Beth Greenwood is a pioneer. 

“Oh, she’s an absolute badass,” said Cobert. “She’s a great catcher.”

Greenwood, a U of R senior, was the first woman to catch in an NCAA men’s baseball game. On this team, she’s just one of the guys.

“I know these guys would all go to fight for me,” said Greenwood. “It’s like having 40 brothers, and I really do appreciate all of them so much.”

“Entering the team, there was almost no hint of her not being accepted,” said Sparks. “She's like, kind of like one of the bros, I guess you would say.”

When coach Joe Reina talked to an incoming freshman who was interested in trying out for the team a few years ago, he didn’t give it much thought.

“I said hey, listen, we have an open tryout policy, anyone can try out in the fall,” said Reina, who’s coached the baseball team for over two decades. “If you're good enough, we'll take a look at you and we’ll make a decision.”

Sure enough, in the fall, Beth Greenwood came to play. Reina suggested she consider the women’s softball team.

“I couldn't even get ‘soft’ out of my mouth and she said, I'm not playing softball,” the coach recalls. “I’m here to play baseball."

“It’s just kind of funny because I've never played a day of softball in all my life,” said Greenwood. “I've played catch I think once, and it was so weird.”

As a freshman, Greenwood made the practice team. In 2021, she made the roster. Though Beth has appeared in just a few games, teammates say she works harder than anyone.

“My parents, I was really fortunate. They always told me, if you can continue to compete with the boys, there's no reason to stop doing what you love,” she said. “So I was really fortunate to have their support, because I know there's a lot of girls out there that don't get that support.“

Greenwood, who carries a 3.9 GPA in mechanical engineering, also recently shot scenes for an appearance in an upcoming Amazon Prime show based on the women’s baseball movie “A League of Their Own.” Greenwood has an interesting summer coming up. She will take part in tryouts for the U.S. Women’s national baseball team. In August, she begins a fellowship with the Philadelphia Phillies MLB club.

Baseball is life.

“It’s a game that's so applicable to life lessons and you're supposed to fail,“ said Greenwood. “And it's a sport where you fail so much individually, and it teaches you a lot about yourself. And so it forces you to hold yourself accountable, and that’s my favorite part. But also, it’s just fun.”

Fun. It’s why ballplayers do what they do. It’s why Beth Greenwood embraces the role of a role model. On a field, she calls home.

“You know, I’m fortunate to be playing,” she said. “I want to extend it as long as I possibly can because it's a fun game and it's always been a huge part of my life.”