Immaculata Student Selected as Phillies Ballgirl

Immaculata University’s Nadia Bhuiyan ’27, a sport and business management and marketing major, has earned a spot serving as one of just 20 Philadelphia Phillies ballgirl for the 2025 season at Citizens Bank Park.

Bhuiyan decided to become a Phillies ballgirl, driven by her childhood experiences and her desire to inspire young women to engage in sports. She recalls attending Phillies games with her family and being captivated by the ballgirls on the field. At the time, they represented one of the few visible roles for women in professional baseball.

“I always looked up to the ballgirls when I was younger and saw how much of an influence they had on me,” she reflected. “I admired what they were doing because they were the only women’s representation in baseball we had at that time.”

In their rookie seasons, ballgirls typically receive three to five on-field game assignments after completing their training, which typically consists of four training games and includes observing fellow ballgirls from the sidelines, participating in on-field practice and serving as the designated ballgirl for several innings. Bhuiyan has completed her training and will complete her first full-game assignment in early June.

Nadia Bhuiyan ’27, wearing her ballgirl uniform at Citizens Bank Park.

Bhuiyan’s role as a ballgirl allows her to immerse herself in her passion for the sport while embracing a dynamic range of responsibilities—from on-field support to fan engagement and community events, including clinics for young baseball and softball players, where recently, she worked alongside Phillies ambassadors and a member of the U.S. Women’s National Baseball team.

Bhuiyan oversaw check-in, where she met and interacted with girls from various local teams, and assisted in taking participants through a throwing progression session and through different skill stations. One of the highlights of Bhuiyan’s experience was helping to teach baserunning techniques.

As a lifelong athlete, she has always loved athletics. During high school, Bhuiyan served as captain for both the basketball and softball teams at Doane Academy in Burlington, New Jersey, leading them to the 2021 NJ Prep B State Championships and earning multiple all-star honors.

She was recruited to play softball at Immaculata during her senior year and initially knew little about the University. However, after attending a softball clinic on campus, she was drawn to the welcoming environment and campus. A subsequent shadow day with members of the softball team solidified her decision to enroll.

After enrolling at Immaculata University, Bhuiyan chose to major in sport and business management and marketing, driven by her vision to see an increase in female representation in the sports industry.

“We need more women in the sports world,” she expressed. “I was ultimately drawn to sports management because I saw the lack of women in sports, and I hope to inspire other girls to work in the sports industry.”

Her experience as a ballgirl, coupled with shadowing the ballpark operations department at Citizens Bank Park last summer, has proved invaluable—offering her both meaningful industry insight and a clearer sense of her career trajectory, whether as an event operations manager or an athletic director.