Historic Debut of Women’s Professional Baseball League in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — At Robin Roberts Stadium, Sarah Hodel and Rachel Koehler arrived over four hours early for the Women’s Professional Baseball League’s first game. Hodel paused for photos along the concourse, wanting to capture each moment.

“In high school, I was on the speech team, and my informative talk was about women in baseball,” shared Hodel, an athletic trainer from Duluth, Minnesota, who is 43 years old. “Once I heard about this, attending became my goal.”

That dream was fulfilled when Mo’ne Davis and the Los Angeles Queens secured a 10-8 win over Denae Benites and the New York Heights. This marked the start of the United States’ first women’s professional baseball league in nearly three decades.

Koehler, 33, from St. Paul, Minnesota, said, “I played softball growing up. Playing baseball professionally was my dream, but there were no chances. Now, girls have this opportunity, and it’s wonderful.”

Maggie Foxx achieved the league’s first hit with a two-run single for Los Angeles in the first inning. Benites hit the WPBL’s first homer, a two-run shot to center in the fourth inning.

The Queens were down 8-4 but scored two runs in the sixth, and four more in wet, windy conditions during the game’s final inning.

“Entering the field, I started crying due to the significance of the moment for all involved,” Foxx noted. “This means everything.”

Despite rain throughout the day, over 4,000 fans lined up early at the stadium, eager for Davis bobbleheads and seats in the metal bleachers. The merchandise booth line reached the outfield along one side of the ballpark.

Antonietta Mabry, 47, from Columbus, Ohio, said, “Having a daughter, I’m thrilled to expose her to female professional athletes. It’s rare, so it’s significant to present her with positive female figures.”

Mabry, joined by her husband Jason and daughter Rosalee, saw the 9-year-old get her glove signed by Amanda Gianelloni, San Francisco’s second baseman.

The Firebells and Boston Hunters, the league’s other teams, played on Sunday. A few players from each team assisted the grounds crew after the rain stopped.

Rosalee Mabry said, “I’m excited because I play softball. Seeing professional women play is amazing.”

The WPBL honored women’s baseball’s past, present, and future during a rain-delayed pregame ceremony, with cheers for the announced Queens and Heights lineups. A standing ovation went to 99-year-old Maybelle Blair, who threw a ceremonial first pitch to San Francisco’s Kelsie Whitmore, a major WPBL star. Blair, who advises the WPBL, played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, active from 1943-54 and the inspiration for the film “A League of Their Own.”

“That’s incredible,” Benites stated. “Maybelle has supported us from the start. She’s paved a path for us and today was special.”

Lindsey Keirsey, 42, a high school history teacher in Fenton, Missouri, and a fan of the AAGPBL and “A League of Their Own,” came with her family.

Their daughter, Hadley Keirsey, 17, expressed, “We love the St. Louis Cardinals. Despite being a sport, this shows women can play and excel, opening many opportunities beyond sports.”