Veronica Rose Gajownik (born August 4, 1993) is a former American softball and baseball player, and an American baseball manager. She was a member of the United States women's national baseball team which won a gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games.[1][2] In 2023 she was named the Hillsboro Hops’ manager for the 2023 season;[3] this made her the first woman to manage a High-A team,[4] and the first openly LGBTQ manager in minor or major league baseball history.[5]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||
| Born | August 4, 1993 Winter Park, Florida | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| College team | Indian River CC Pioneers South Florida Bulls | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Biography
editVeronica Gajownik was born in Winter Park, Florida, on August 4, 1993.[6] She is the daughter of Marcel Gajownik and Glenn Richards, a chief meteorologist for WOFL.[7] Veronica was introduced to baseball by her father and started to play baseball with boys in Oviedo recreation leagues.[7]
Gajownik started playing softball when she attended Paul J. Hagerty High School in Oviedo, Florida.[7] She played for the Hagerty Huskies and has a .531 batting average as a junior with a .694 on-base percentage.[8] She also competed in summer competitions for Team North Florida, the Tampa Mustangs and Team Florida.[8]
Gajownik attended Indian River State College in 2013 and University of South Florida during 2014–2015 where she played softball for the South Florida Bulls.[9]
Gajownik joined the Arizona Diamondbacks organization as a video assistant with the Hillsboro Hops, their High-A affiliate, in 2021.[3] In 2022, Gajownik served as a coach for the Amarillo Sod Poodles of the Double-A Texas League[10] and for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League.[11] In 2023 she was named Hillsboro's manager for the 2023 season;[3] this made her the first woman to manage a High-A team,[4] and the first openly LGBTQ manager in minor or major league baseball history. She is married to a woman.[5]
References
edit- ^ "GAJOWNIK, Veronica". Toronto2015.org. Pan American Games. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
- ^ "Baseball - Event Overview - Women". Toronto2015.org. Pan American Games. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Ronnie Gajownik named High-A Hillsboro manager". January 21, 2023. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023.
- ^ a b "Diamondbacks affiliate Hillsboro names woman as manager". Laredo Morning Times. January 21, 2023.
- ^ a b Schultz, Ken (February 2, 2023). "Ronnie Gajownik becomes the first out LGBTQ manager in MiLB". Outsports.
- ^ "Veronica Gajownik profile". Team USA. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
- ^ a b c Bedell, John (July 20, 2011). "Diamond Girl". Seminole Voice. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
- ^ a b "Veronica Gajownik". South Florida Bulls website. South Florida Bulls. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
- ^ "Gajownik Named to USA Women's Baseball National Team". GoUSFBulls.com. May 26, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
- ^ Liska, Larissa. "One base at a time, Gajownik makes Sod Poodles coaching history".
- ^ "The Official Site of Major League Baseball". MLB.com.
External links
edit- Veronica Gajownik on Team USA
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