NBC Sports names Jenny Cavnar as first woman MLB play-by-play announcer

Feb. 13 (UPI) -- A veteran broadcaster will be the first woman to cover the primary play-by-play of a Major League Baseball team for the first time ever with this coming season.

NBC Sports California said Tuesday that Jenny Cavnar -- the daughter of a baseball coach -- will be calling the large majority of the coming season for the Oakland Athletics baseball team.

Cavnar -- a Colorado State University graduate -- said her new role is a "dream come true" to voice for the Oakland A's with "their rich baseball history."

"I have loved the game from a young age, along with the stories, history and relationships the game provides," Cavnar said. She added that she is "excited" to begin her 18th season an an MLB broadcaster "with my good friend, Dallas Braden, and share our experiences with the loyal fans of the Athletics as we go on this ride together."

Braden celebrated Cavnar's announcement in a video clip posted to social media, saying people will love her insight and energy and that he is honored to sit next to the first woman to have Cavnar's new job.

"I could not be more excited to roll up the sleeves and get to work with somebody who I've known for a very long time, and her depth and wealth of knowledge when it comes to the baseball diamond is going to be apparent in the first pitch," Braden said on X.

Cavnar's new role signals a shift with women becoming more involved with sports broadcasting and joins other names in sports broadcasting such as Suzyn Waldman, Jessica Mendoza, Doris Burke and Hannah Storm.

NBC Sports California's top executive called Cavnar a "very talented announcer with significant experience covering baseball."

"She's been a groundbreaking professional who's earned the admiration of fans and her peers throughout her career," Matt Murphy, president and general manager of NBC Sports California and NBC Sports Bay Area, said.