Melissa Ott

Melissa Ott was the communications officer of the Ares III. A baseball fan, she broke the news of Fernando Valenzuela's death, which the crew discussed until they were distracted by the sight of the Roxolan invasion fleet. Ott tried unsuccessfully to hail the aliens ships.

Literary comment
Given the character's (and Harry Turtledove's) fondness for baseball, Melissa Ott is presumably named after legendary New York Giants right-fielder Mel Ott (1909-1958).