For the first time in minor league history, two women represented their teams in the pre-game line-up exchange.

Tampa Tarpoons manager Rachel Balkovec went to home plate to exchange the lineups as all managers do. Of course, it is noteworthy in and of itself because she is the first-ever woman hired to manage a minor league team.

In a surprise, St. Lucie Mets manager Robbie Robinson did not join Balkovec for the exchange. Instead, St. Lucie sent New York Mets player development coach Gretchen Aucoin.

With that, history was made in St. Lucie, Florida.

As noted, Balkovec is the only woman manager. In fact, Balkovec and Aucoin are just two of the 10 women in baseball who serve as on-field coaches. Put another way, 20% of women on-field coaches were present at that lineup exchange.

While historic, this meeting takes extra significance for the women involved. This moment was largely possible because of Balkovec’s influence.

As Aucoin explained to Warren Kulo of the Mississippi Press, she tracked Balkovec’s coaching career, which led to her signing up for Balkovec’s mentorship program. Aucoin was a star pupil, and Balkovec was very impressed saying:

It was her overall demeanor, her very intense and no-BS demeanor. She has all the potential in the world. She has so much potential as a coach after playing as such a high level. There’s a YouTube video about her called ‘Killer Instinct’, for pete’s sake.

This relationship came just at the right time as Jeremy Barnes reached out to Balkovec to inquire if she knew any women interested in joining the Mets player development staff. Balkovec knew Aucoin had the necessary skills and recommended her.

That all led to this historic moment. The teacher and the student are now respected adversaries helping change the course of baseball. It happened because Balkovec inspired Aucoin, and there will be other moments as these two inspire many more.