Southern Girls Playing Baseball In A League Of Their Own

Southern Girls Playing Baseball In A League Of Their Own

While no players native to Alabama are listed on the rosters of the San Francisco Firebells, New York Heights, Los Angeles Queens, or the Boston Hunters, there is a former softball player from Auburn on the roster as well as several players from the South playing in the inaugural season of The Women's Pro-Baseball League. A league which had its first game on August 01st with the ceremonial first pitch being pitched by the 99 years of age, Maybelle Blair. With Blair throwing the first pitch due to Blair having been a pitcher for the Peoria Redwings in its 1948 season. When an all-professional, all-female baseball league was popular due to the depletion of athletic young men during World War II.

The original All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was founded in 1943 by the owner of the Chicago Cubs, Philip K. Wrigley. The league lasted until 1954 when it was disbanded. With the original first four Midwest teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League being the Rockford Peaches, the South bend Blue Sox, the Racine Belles, and the Kenosha Comets. Now, women's baseball has returned in the form of The Women's Pro-Baseball League. Which was co-founded by Justine Siegal and Keith Stein.

Justine Siegal, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, became the first female coach of a professional men's baseball team in 2009. She also previously founded the non-profit organization, "Baseball For All", with over one-third of the baseball players who were drafted in the Women's Professional Baseball League having previously participated in Baseball For All. Siegal has stated that, "I'm so grateful to be a part of the WPBL, knowing girls have a chance to be a professional baseball player, just like their brothers have for decades. Now is our time."

The other co-founder of the Women's Professional Baseball League is Keith Stein, who is the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs in Canada. Stein has stated that it is "mind-boggling that we're only starting a league like this in 2026. We're talking about America's pastime, America's oldest sport. . . . We had over 600 women who came out at their own expense from 10 difference countries. We're privileged to have this opportunity now."

Out of those 600 women who tried out for the Women's Professional Baseball League, sixty were chosen for the inaugural season. With several of those women hailing from the South. Such as the San Francisco Firebells' Joely Leguizamon from Jacksonvile, Florida, Amanda Gianelloni from New Orleans, Louisiana, and Kailyn Bearpaw form Sapupla, Oklahoma. With Kailyn Bearpaw stating that when she plays ball, she thinks, "about the younger Native girls watching, wondering if they belong in this sport or spaces where they don't often see themselves represented. I want them to know they do."

While New York claims the New York Yankees, there are some Southern girls playing for the New York Heights women's baseball team. They include, McKenna Huff from Fairfax, Virginia. With Huff having played baseball in high school when she became the first female player to make the baseball team at Robinson High School in Fairfax. She is described as, "A shortstop with range and strong fundamentals." She is joined on the New York Heights team by Abigail Moore from Arlington, Texas. With Moore having played baseball since she was four years old. Her high school varsity baseball coach has stated about Moore that, "Since day one when I met her, all she has wanted to do is play baseball. She could play any sport she wanted to, and I believe she would not only be successful, but great at it." She is joined on the team by another Texan, Valerie Perez. With Perez being a firefighter and paramedic in her native Corpus Christi.

The Los Angeles Queens features Ashton Lansdell from Marietta, Georgia. Lansdell previously played baseball with the popular Savannah Bananas. She is joined on the team by Meggie Meidlinger from Sterling, Virginia. With Meidlinger making sports history in Virginia as the first female in the state's history to pitch a perfect men's varsity game when she pitched a 10 to 0 victory over Briar Woods when she played for Dominion High School in Sterling, Virginia. She studied architecture at Virginia Tech. Brittany Apgar from North Carolina is on the Los Angeles Queens team, as well. She is known for playing with one hand since she was born with her right hand consisting merely of a right forearm, half of a palm, and no fingers. She was born in Farmvillle, North Carolina and grew up playing with her father and brother in the yard. Adelaide Frank is on the Los Angeles team, as well. Hailing from Oakville, Missouri, she grew up with a brother who played baseball and a father who coached baseball. She is joined on the Los Angeles Queens by Celicia Wilken who is also from Missouri, but it is Missouri City in Texas.

The Boston Hunters includes Lexi Hastings from North Carolina who was adopted by military parents at the age of four. She was initially supposed to stay in the foster home for two weeks, but the Hastings ended up adopting her, permanently. She was playing professional softball before joining the women's baseball league. She is joined on the team by Denver Bryant from Albany, Georgia. Denver Bryant actually played softball at Auburn from 2021 through 2023 before transferring to the University of South Carolina. While a student at Auburn, she was named to the 2023 All-SEC Second Team.

The Women's Pro-Baseball League is playing its games at the Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. A stadium which is named for the city's most accomplished ballplayer,: Robin Roberts, a Hall-of-Fame pitcher. The leagues games are all streamed on ESPN Select. With eleven of the regular season games also being simulcast on Scripps Sports Network. The first organized team of women players was formed at Vassar College in 1866.

Luisa Reyes is a Tuscaloosa Attorney, reporter, piano instructor, vocalist, poet, and columnist who writes on politics, current affairs, and the arts.