Beth Greenwood: Catcher, Coach, and WPBL Pioneer

Beth Greenwood has built her baseball career by refusing to take no for an answer. From becoming the first American woman to catch in an NCAA baseball game to coaching in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, she's found ways to keep playing and growing in a sport where opportunities for women have been limited.

In 2026, she reached another milestone by taking the field as a catcher and player-coach for the Boston Hunters in the inaugural season of the WPBL, the first U.S. professional women's baseball league in almost 70 years.

Her story goes beyond the milestones. It's about a lifelong love of baseball, a determination to keep chasing her dreams and a commitment to creating more opportunities for the girls coming up behind her.

A Baseball Kid from New Hampshire

Growing up in Amherst, New Hampshire, Greenwood dreamed of playing for the Boston Red Sox. There was no women's professional baseball league, and girls who wanted to play baseball were almost always encouraged to switch to softball.

Greenwood was lucky to have parents who didn’t push her in that direction. They let her play the game she loved, and she made the varsity baseball team at Souhegan High School. She didn't get many opportunities at the plate in high school, but that didn't stop her from pursuing college baseball. Greenwood enrolled at the University of Rochester to study mechanical engineering, with plans to keep playing along the way.

Cut from the baseball team as a freshman and spent time playing club ball instead and she made herself a promise: She’d keep trying out. Eventually, her persistence paid off. She earned a spot on the team's practice squad and worked her way onto the varsity roster.

Making History, One Opportunity at a Time

In April 2021, Greenwood got her chance. Playing against Clarkson University, she entered the game as a pinch-hitter before taking over behind the plate. She became the first American woman to catch in an NCAA baseball game and the first woman to play for the University of Rochester's baseball team. She was also the first woman to play in the Liberty League's 111-year history.

Greenwood continued playing college and summer ball, where young fans began lining up for her autographs. Her ambitions extended beyond college. She’d worked toward a spot on the USA Baseball Women's National Team since 2018 and she earned a place on the roster in 2023. Since then, she’s represented the United States in international competition, including the Women's Baseball World Cup.

Greenwood has also made it a point to recognize the women who came before her. As a high school student, she wrote Between the Bases: A Baseball Girl's Journey, a history of women's baseball featuring interviews with players from earlier generations. She also appeared in Amazon Prime's A League of Their Own series.

From the Field to the Coaching Staff

Greenwood's mechanical engineering degree opened an unexpected door into professional baseball. She joined the Philadelphia Phillies as a Baseball Research and Development Fellow, working in the team's biomechanics lab and analyzing player data.

But sitting behind a computer wasn't enough. Greenwood wanted to be on the field.

In 2024, she became a minor league development coach with the Phillies High-A affiliate, the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. Working primarily with catchers, she helped players develop their skills and prep for games. She was the first woman to serve as an on-field coach in the team's history.

The following year, she joined Vassar College as its pitching coach, becoming the first woman to coach the school's men's baseball team. During this 2025 season, the 3rd base coach was injured Greenwood coached 3rd for 5 games in which we believe could be the first time a woman coached 3rd in NCAA baseball.

For Greenwood, continuing to play while coaching has always been important. She believes being an active player makes her a better coach because she understands firsthand what she's asking her athletes to do.

And while her coaching career was taking off, she still had one more playing dream to chase.

A Chance to Play Professionally

For years, Greenwood wasn't sure she'd ever have the opportunity to play professional baseball in the United States. Then the Women's Pro Baseball League announced it was launching its inaugural season.

She attended the league's tryouts in Washington, D.C., in 2025, joining hundreds of women hoping to earn a spot in the new league. Greenwood made the draft pool and began looking ahead to what could be the biggest opportunity of her baseball career.

The Boston Hunters selected her in the third round of the inaugural WPBL draft and the dream she'd been chasing since childhood became a reality.

Boston was a fitting destination for the New Hampshire native who grew up dreaming of playing for the Red Sox. Before the season began, Greenwood even had the opportunity to throw out a first pitch at Fenway Park.

"Being a part of the inaugural WPBL season and playing professional baseball was a dream come true. It was such a privilege to be able to lead and represent Boston but this is just the beginning. More information on the second season of the WPBL will be coming soon and we can’t wait!"

She joined the Hunters as a catcher, wearing No. 17, and was later named a player-coach, bringing her experience as both an athlete and a coach to the team's inaugural season.

The Hunters took the field for the first time in August 2026, with Greenwood helping lead the team both behind the plate and from the dugout. Boston finished the regular season with four wins and earned a spot in the playoffs, but its season ended in the semifinals against the San Francisco Firebells.

For Greenwood and her teammates, the opportunity to play professionally in the United States was a dream come true and a significant step forward for the game.

Making the path easier for the next generation

Even as Greenwood continued to chase her own baseball dreams, she never lost sight of the girls coming up behind her.

She first joined Baseball for All, a national organization dedicated to growing girls' baseball, when she was just 11 years old. Over the years, she returned as a coach, clinic instructor and board member. In July 2026, she joined the organization full time as its director of baseball development, helping create more opportunities for girls to play and grow in the sport.

Greenwood knows what it's like to be the only girl on the field, to have to prove herself at every level and to wonder where baseball might take her. Now she's helping make sure young players have more options than she did.

During the summer, she also helped lead Baseball for All's national tournament in Rockford, Illinois, bringing hundreds of young players together to celebrate the game.

She's continuing her education at Simmons University, where she joined the inaugural class of its master's program in management with a concentration in business and leadership in women's sports. Her long-term goal is to become a manager or general manager of a women's baseball team.


Still opening doors

Greenwood's journey has taken her from a high school field in New Hampshire to NCAA baseball, Team USA, the Phillies coaching staff and the first season of professional women's baseball in the United States.

Through it all, she's remained a player at heart while finding ways to help others follow in her footsteps.

Greenwood often shares a simple message: If you can see something, you can be something.

For the young girls watching her play, coach and lead, that message has never been more real. Greenwood is showing them what's possible while helping make sure they have a chance to pursue it themselves.

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