Alexia Jorge starts at catcher in college game

Alexia Jorge is used to blazing a trail.

She was the youngest player on the gold medal-winning U.S. Baseball Women’s National Team in the 2019 Pan-American Championships. Two years later, the New Jersey native became the first female baseball player at Division III Saint Elizabeth University and approximately one of 16 in NCAA history.

On Sunday afternoon, she reached another major milestone.

With her Eagles playing at The Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Jorge became just the second woman to start at catcher in a college game, following Rivier University’s Marika Lyszczyk in 2020.

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Although the junior went 0-for-3 at the plate in a 3-1 loss to Rivier, Jorge was proud of how she saw the ball and made hard contact on a trio of lineouts to the outfield corners. She was defensively flawless and helped call a strong game behind home plate for a pitcher who ended up throwing a seven-inning complete game in the first half of a doubleheader.

The moment in baseball history was not lost on her.

“I had been waiting for it since the first game of the fall this season,” Jorge said. “Coming into this season, I had hopes and I had high expectations for myself, and I was really prepared. I finally got the opportunity to do something special.”

Jorge’s first start behind the plate was not initially slated for Myrtle Beach. Saint Elizabeth head coach Dan Furbeck planned to start Jorge in the Eagles' home opener on Wednesday, where Jorge would’ve played in front of dozens of family and friends. But a rainout scattered those plans and made for a more low-key debut.

Now 600-plus miles from home, in warmer weather, Jorge was able to get dinner the night before with her parents and grandmother and relax ahead of Sunday’s 4 p.m. game. She had time to listen to country music and read a new book she had bought for the trip with a beach-front view out of her hotel room.

Plus, she had been much more nervous for big games in the past.

When Jorge played for Team USA in 2022, she remembers trying so hard to be perfect that she questioned everything she was doing. She was nervous about catching professional pitchers and worried about what would happen if she messed anything up. But before long, she stroked an RBI single up the middle and learned more about herself and how to relax.

“I was preparing myself a lot for that moment because in past years where I've worried about stuff like that, I remember feeling a little shaken up and I remember feeling really nervous,” Jorge said. “And so honestly, ever since Wednesday's game got canceled, I was just telling myself, ‘Just stay calm, relax, it's just another game.’ I think that’s why I hit really well at the plate. … I was just trusting my body and knowing I prepared for it. I tried not to think too much about it because, in essence, I'm here for a reason. The hard work has already been done, and now it's just time to win a baseball game.”

Jorge may be used to making history, but she remains thankful for the people who helped get her to this point. Experiences with Team USA and MLB Develops programs such as the Breakthrough Series, MLB GRIT, Take the Field and more helped create goals and a mindset that let her forge a path to college baseball.

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Sunday’s game was the first of many milestones for Jorge at Saint Elizabeth, and she’s confident that more is in store.

“I keep saying this, my motto right now is to start the last game of the year, to be that go-to guy the last game of the year,” Jorge said. “I think that just comes with a little bit more of a time out on the field and showing everybody what I can do.”