Lady can throw

There’s a new Outlaw in town, and her name is Eri Yoshida.

The Chico Outlaws have signed the female sidearm knuckleball pitcher to play this summer in the Golden Baseball League.

Yoshida (pictured) was the first woman to play professional baseball in Japan, where she debuted last summer with the Kobe Cruise 9. The 18-year-old credits pitcher Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox as the inspiration for her pitching style and had the opportunity to train with the famous knuckleballer last month.

According to the GBL, Yoshida is the first woman to pitch for a pro team in the United States in more than 10 years and the only woman to pitch in pro leagues in two countries. The Japanese native clocks a 50 mph knuckleball. She will report to spring training next month.