The Women’s Professional Baseball League officially launched its inaugural season on a Saturday night at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Ill., marking the return of professional women’s baseball to the United States for the first time in nearly 30 years. In the league opener, the Los Angeles Queens secured a 10-8 victory over the New York Heights after overcoming a four-run deficit through five innings.
Historic Opening Night Kicks Off Women’s Professional Baseball League
Regulation WPBL games are structured as seven-inning contests, according to MLB.com. Los Angeles rallied with six runs across its final two frames, including a four-run outburst in the top of the seventh inning, to defeat New York.
The matchup featured several historical milestones for the newly formed organization. Mo’ne Davis, known for becoming the first girl to win a game and throw a shutout in the Little League World Series 12 years prior, scored the league’s first run in the top of the first inning while playing center field for Los Angeles. Davis was driven in by teammate Maggie Foxx. New York catcher Denae Benites recorded the league’s first home run with a shot to dead center in the bottom of the fourth inning, capping a 4-for-4 night that included three runs and two RBIs.
Fans and Families Travel for a Landmark Event
A crowd of more than 4,000 spectators filled the metal bleachers despite a steady rain that fell for much of the day, soaking the 101-year-old stadium that serves as the league’s neutral home site. Spectators lined up hours before the opening pitch, with lines for the main merchandise booth stretching to the outfield along one side of the ballpark.
Among the attendees were fans who traveled significant distances to witness the historic games. Sarah Hodel, a 43-year-old athletic trainer from Duluth, Minnesota, arrived more than four hours before game time. Hodel recalled doing an informative speech on women in baseball during high school, noting, So as soon as I saw this happening a couple years ago it was my goal to come.
Rachel Koehler, a 33-year-old from St. Paul, Minnesota, also made the trip. When I walked on the field I started crying because of how much this moment meant, and how much it meant to everybody,
Koehler said, adding that going professional in baseball had always been a childhood dream with no prior opportunities available.
Honoring the Past and Looking to the Future
Before the game began, a rain-delayed pregame ceremony paid tribute to the past, present, and future of women’s baseball. The largest ovation of the evening was reserved for 99-year-old Maybelle Blair, who serves on the WPBL advisory board and threw a ceremonial first pitch to San Francisco player Kelsie Whitmore. Blair previously played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which operated from 1943 to 1954 and inspired the 1992 film A League of Their Own.
Maybelle’s been sticking with us since the beginning of this journey,
Benites said following the game. She’s paved a path for us, really.
The WPBL is the first women’s league to operate in the United States since the AAGPBL disbanded. The league’s inaugural season features four founding clubs: the Boston Hunters, Los Angeles Queens, New York Heights, and San Francisco Firebells. All games are scheduled at Robin Roberts Stadium, with each club playing a 15-regular-season schedule concluding on September 6. Action continues on Sunday with the season opener between the Firebells and the Hunters, with players from both teams assisting the grounds crew in pulling the field tarp off after Saturday’s rain subsided.
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