Jen Pawol made history on Saturday, becoming the first woman to umpire a Major League Baseball regular-season game. The 48-year-old New Jersey native took the field as the first base umpire for the opener of a split doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins at Truist Park, capping an eight-year climb through the minor leagues.

“It was amazing when we took the field,” Pawol said afterward. “It seemed like quite a few people were clapping and calling my name. That was pretty intense and emotional.”

Her debut went swimmingly. In the third inning, Pawol made a close call at first base, ruling Braves catcher Sean Murphy safe. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough opted not to challenge. Later that inning, she punctuated a double-play call with an animated fist pump and leg lift — a signal that her style would be both precise and expressive.

Pawol was cheered between innings when the stadium video board focused on her, prompting a quick glance and smile. She had about 30 family members and friends in attendance, including her father. Unlike in the minors, she couldn’t spot them easily in the expansive stands. “When I looked up they weren’t in the lower tier like in the minor leagues… they were way up there,” she said with a laugh.

After the game, she donated the cap she wore to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Crew chief Chris Guccione, a veteran of World Series and playoff games, called it one of the proudest moments of his career. “The magnitude… it just hit me now how hard she’s worked. This is a great role model for girls and women out there,” he said.

Pawol was scheduled to work third base in the nightcap and will call balls and strikes in Sunday’s series finale. She has been umpiring professionally since 2016, beginning in the Gulf Coast League. In 2023, she worked the Triple-A championship game and earned spring training assignments in 2024 and 2025. Before baseball, she was a three-time all-conference softball player at Hofstra and later an NCAA softball umpire.

Her promotion comes decades after other major sports began integrating women into officiating roles. The NBA broke its gender barrier 28 years ago, the NFL followed 10 years ago, and the men’s soccer World Cup appointed its first female referee in 2022.

For Pawol, the milestone was deeply personal. “The dream actually came true today,” she said. “I’m still living in it. I’m so grateful… I’m just so thankful.”