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Women in Baseball Week 2024 was a blast! Mark your calendar for WIBW2025, July 20-26 wherever you are, anytime during the week. How? That’s up to you! If you are involved with baseball yourself, post on your favorite social media site using #WomeninBaseballWeek and #WIBW2025 in your posts. If you are part of a team, museum, library, historical society, or other group that have local women who have left their mark on baseball in your region, share their contributions with the world.

About

Women in Baseball Week is an annual, worldwide event recognizing the value, diversity, and cultural significance of women in baseball. Women play a vital role in all aspects of the sport north, south, east and west–-help us celebrate each one! Tournaments, teams, libraries, museums, and individuals will join the International Women’s Baseball Center to recognize women’s contributions to baseball around the globe.

This year’s theme – #ReadBaseball – celebrates the books, writers, and libraries that record, preserve, and honor our history.

While recent years have seen more women on the field, behind the plate, and in the broadcast booth, this momentum can only be sustained with everyone’s investment in working together, all around the world. By joining forces and supporting those with similar goals, we create more opportunities, expand youth participation, and encourage a culture that places women at the center of the world’s best sport. This is the week to celebrate those efforts! Share your story and join those worldwide who step up to the sport for a stronger tomorrow.

How you can participate:

Promote your team and playing opportunities
Highlight your participation in baseball with a photo or story
Encourage your local library or bookstore to participate
Spotlight your organization’s materials that document women in baseball
Share your local history of women in baseball
Grab a t-shirt from our friends at Bonfire

Share your events and experiences online! Add #WomeninBaseballWeek and #ReadBaseball to share your chapter to the story.

2025 Events

Here are a few of the events scheduled for this year’s celebration!

Events throughout the year will be posted here. If you have a Women in Baseball event to share, contact us at info@womeninbaseballweek.org

2025

All the Way – The Life of Baseball Trailblazer Maybelle Blair: Pre-Order (Online) December, 2024 – February, 2025

Maybelle Blair’s entire life has been about baseball—women’s baseball. About playing it, preserving its history, and making it accessible to everyone. A former player for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League that inspired the movie A League of Their Own, Maybelle broke down barriers for women in the sport, continues to be a mentor for young girls who seek opportunities to play, and is an inspiration for the LGBTQ+ community.

Find more information and pre-order your copy today at Rowman & Littlefield.

Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: Samurai Japan, Victories in 2024 (Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan) October, 2024 – January, 2025

The Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum inaugurated a special exhibition on Saturday, October 12 – called Samurai Japan, Victories in 2024 – celebrating Japan’s success during the 2024 season. The exhibit will be accessible through to mid-January 2025.

The exhibition includes the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup, U-23 Baseball World Cup and U-15 Baseball World Cup trophies, the Samurai Japan new uniform, signed gear, clothing as well as the runner’s up and champions trophies from the BFA U-18 Asian Championship and Baseball5 Asia Cup 2024 respectively.

Slaterettes Girls Baseball: Winter Clinics (Pawtucket, RI, USA) January 22 – April 2, 2025

Facility of Dreams, 750 School St, Pawtucket, RI 02860, USA

All ages 8+

All skill levels

All clinic times are 7pm-9pm

PITCHING CLINICS: January 22, 29 and February 5

CATCHING CLINICS: February 26 & March 5

HITTING CLINICS: March 19, 26 and April 2

For more information, visit Slaterettes.

Blue Jays Baseball Academy: Girls’ Clinic (Toronto, ON, Canada) February 1, 2025

The Blue Jays Baseball Academy will be offering a Winter Girls Clinic at Rogers Centre on Saturday February 1st, 2025. Participants in the one-day, three-hour Winter Girls Clinic, aged 7-15, will participate in nearly identical programming, with a focus on welcoming those who identify as a girl.

Clinics are taught exclusively by Blue Jays Baseball Academy Instructors. Academy Instructors are NCCP registered, experienced coaches, who have been trained in the ‘Blue Jays Way’ of teaching baseball to youth. Participants receive a Blue Jays hat, t-shirt and digital baseball skills manual.

Visit Blue Jays Academy to sign up.

Baseball BC: FREE Girls Baseball Event (Langley, BC, Canada) February 1, 2025

Baseball BC is hosting a FREE event for girls of all skill levels who are 6+ years old to come and explore the sport. This event will be put on with the help of our coaches and athletes from our Girls 14U and 16U Aces programs. All you need is a glove, gym clothes and running shoes. We can’t wait to play ball with you and have FUN Saturday Feb. 1st 12:30 to 2pm in the Field House at Langley Events . To save your spot now, REGISTER HERE !

International Women’s Baseball Center: Hustle Award Nominations (Online) December 2024 – February 10, 2025

This prestigious award, bestowed by the International Women’s Baseball Center in honor of Shirley “Hustle” Burkovich, celebrates an individual who demonstrates outstanding commitment, leadership, and dedication to the empowerment of women in all aspects of baseball and life.

To nominate a person for the Hustle Award, review the nomination criteria and complete the online form at https://www.iwbc.org/hustle-award/.

Pittsburgh Girls Baseball: Winter Clinics (Pittsburgh, PA, USA) Mondays: January – March, 2025

PGB will hold weekly indoor practices on Mondays at Pittsburgh Hardball Academy from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. from January 13th through the end of March. These practices will focus on specific skills, especially hitting, pitching, and catching. We have lots of space available, and there is still time for people to register! For more information, contact pghgirlsbaseball@gmail.com.

Phantom Regiment: Peach Perfect Whiskey Fundraiser (Rockford, IL, USA) Winter, 2025

Introducing Peach Perfect Whiskey, a peach-infused whiskey that celebrates two iconic Rockford legacies: Phantom Regiment and the Rockford Peaches. This smooth, vibrant blend captures the spirit of excellence and teamwork both are known for. With the boldness of a finely aged whiskey and the sweet, refreshing notes of ripe peaches, Peach Perfect is the ideal tribute to these legendary teams. Whether you’re raising a glass to Phantom Regiment’s powerful performances or honoring the trailblazing Peaches, this whiskey invites you to savor the rich heritage of Rockford in every sip. A perfect harmony of tradition and boldness – a true Rockford original.

Phantom Regiment is proud to partner with the International Women’s Baseball Center in their mission to protect, preserve, and promote women’s baseball. This partnership supports efforts to preserve the historic Beyer Stadium, once home to the legendary Rockford Peaches and a cherished rehearsal site for Phantom Regiment for over a decade. Together, we celebrate the legacy of women’s sports and its enduring impact on our community. For more information, visit Peach Perfect.

Baseball For All & Wahine Kamali’i: Laulima Girls Baseball Series (Honolulu, HI, USA) January 31 – February 2, 2025

The weekend-long Laulima Girls’ Baseball Series will take place on Oahu, Hawaii and offer girls a unique opportunity to play friendly games against newly formed girls’ baseball teams in Hawaii, participate in an all-girls’ baseball clinic, and help bolster the growth of girls’ baseball on the island. BFA Ambassadors will be selected for 10U & 12U teams. Players ages 14-18 are also encouraged to apply to be junior coaches for the younger teams and gain valuable coaching experience. (Age cutoff is April 30, 2025.) Visit BFA Girls Ambassador Program for more details.

Association de Baseball Féminin de l’Outaouais: Winter Camps (Gatineau, QC, Canada) Saturdays: January 11 – March 15, 2025

ABFO Winter Camp starts Saturday, January 11th and we have a few spots available.
When: Saturday, January 11 – March 15, 2025
Where: Branchaud-Brière Complex

9U and 11U Development Camp: $130 for 10 sessions.
9U (2016-2017-2018**) – 11U (2014-2015) from 10:00 to 11:05
**Girls born in 2018 must have participated in the Rallye Cap program**
13U and 16U Development Camp: $200 for 10 sessions.
13U (2012-2013) – 16U (2009 to 2011): 11:20am to 12:45pm
**SPACE IS LIMITED IN EACH GROUP, DON’T WAIT TO SIGN UP! **
To register, please complete the information in the following link: https://forms.gle/XDi8kvLZa8B2KZTR9
If you have any questions, please write to us at: baseballfemininoutaouais@gmail.com

New York Wonders Girls Baseball: Winter Clinics (Pomona, NY, USA) Saturdays: February 1 – March 8, 2025

The New York Wonders All-Girls Baseball Club is hosting a 5-week winter baseball clinic for girls ages 8-14 at Clover Stadium’s indoor training facility in Pomona, NY.

This comprehensive program will be run by professional baseball coach Jay Weinberg and cover all facets of the game including hitting, fielding, pitching, base running, and game strategy. Enrollment for this clinic is strictly limited to 20 players.

Visit www.nygirlsbaseball.org for details.

SABR: Clyde Sukeforth Chapter Meeting with Donna Halper (Online) February 1, 2025

While most histories of baseball focus on men, the truth is that women were involved in baseball as far back as the 1870s. Some formed high school and college teams, some were umpires or baseball writers, some were semipro players on “Bloomer” teams, and some even competed against men’s teams. And while many male sportswriters mocked them, these pioneering women persisted in playing the sport they loved, and as you will see, some of them earned the respect of a culture that didn’t usually welcome female athletes. In this presentation, Dr. Donna Halper will discuss the lives and accomplishments of some of the women who loved baseball, including Amanda Clement, Ina Eloise Young, Lizzie Arlington, Maud Nelson, Lizzie Murphy, and Carrie Kilbourn.

Visit SABR Day to register on Zoom.

The World As We Know It: 30 Years of Women in Baseball Games (Online) February 1, 2025

Live on Feb. 1st @1 p.m. PST we’re taking you through more than 3 decades of women in baseball video games from 1989’s Baseball Stars NES to MLB The Show 24’s: Women Pave Their Way Mode. For this episode, we’re bringing on special guest MLB The Show 24’ Content Specialist Ashley Sanders, who also streams The Show with the “Sand Squad” on Twitch @Ashley_Sanders.

On this episode we’re not just going to have fun, but do some good too through our love of baseball. Join us and help us reach our goal of $5,000 for the American Red Cross through GoFundMe for those affected by the Southern California wildfires.

*This event has passed. Watch the replay here. To contribute to the American Red Cross fundraiser, click here.

Emil Rothe and Ken Keltner chapters: SABR Day 2025 (Kenosha, WI, USA) February 1, 2025

Celebrate SABR Day 2025 with the Emil Rothe and Ken Keltner chapters on Saturday, February 1 at The Brat Stop, 12304 75th Street in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It’s a day for all baseball fans to come together, regardless of where they live, and talk about the game we all love. Festivities will begin at 11:30 a.m.

The day’s lineup includes:

Scott Lindholm, a Chicago chapter member and White Sox fan, will kick off the day with a fun look back at the recent historically bad season. Guess it’s better to laugh than cry.

Ryan Woodward, the International Women’s Baseball Center Project Coordinator will give us an update on the IWBC’s events, activities and celebrations as well as Beyer Field, the home of the Peaches.

Carlos Pastrana, a Puerto Rican native now living in the Milwaukee area and a Keltner chapter member has a strong interest in Puerto Rico’s baseball history. His article, Olmo and Márquez: The First Boricua Milwaukee Heroes, in the January 2024 Keltner Hot Corner newsletter is an interesting entry into his Puerto Rico Winter League (PRWL) knowledge.

Gary Williams, wrote a book about his grandfather Fred “Cy” Williams who he contends is the most unique player/slugger in MLB history whose long career was equally split between the Dead Ball live ball eras. He will discuss Cy’s 19-year big league career with the Cubs and Giants evenly split in the two different eras.

RSVP today and invite friends. This event is open to members and non-members.

DC Girls Baseball: Winter Clinics (Washington, DC, USA) Sundays: February 2 – March 9, 2025

Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, 3675 Ely Pl SE, Washington, DC 20019, USA
Join us for for our Winter Clinics!

12+: 9:00-11
10U: 10:30-12

Visit DC Girls Baseball for regstration.

Philadelphia Phillies Urban Youth Academy: National Girls and Women in Sports Discussion (Philadelphia, PA, USA) February 4, 2025

Athletes, parents, coaches and supporters who want to attend can register here: https://tinyurl.com/3zsv5ea9

Girls and women have a place in baseball at all levels and we can’t wait to hear about the panelists sports and career experiences.

Miami Valley Valkyries: Girls Baseball Free Skills Camp (Middletown, OH, USA) February 15, 2025

Miami Valley Valkyries to Host Free All-Girls Baseball Skills Camp for ages 10-18 on February 15, 2025, from Noon to 2:00 PM at The Yard Sports Development located at 3711 Commerce Dr, Middletown, OH 45005.

This hands-on camp will feature expert instruction in fielding and hitting, allowing participants to improve their skills and experience the game in a supportive, all-girls environment.

Check out our website at miamivalleyvalkyries.com

Wounded Warrior Umpire Academy: Charity Golf Tournament (Waddell, AZ, USA) February 16, 2025

Welcome to the Wounded Warrior Umpire Academy Golf Tournament! Join us for a day of fun, camaraderie, and unforgettable moments at the 1st annual Wounded Warrior Umpire Academy Golf Tournament. Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or just love supporting a great cause, this event has something for everyone! For more information, visit https://wwuagolftournament.perfectgolfevent.com/

Minnesota Girls Baseball Association: 14U Girls Baseball Training (Minneapolis, MN, USA) Wednesdays in February, 2025

Don’t miss out on this exclusive opportunity to train in the Twins home clubhouse! Take cuts where the pros practice. For players ages 12-14, please register here: https://mtcf.leagueapps.com/events/4462146-14u-twins-girls-baseball-winter-training

International Women’s Baseball Center: Founders Day (Online) February 22, 2025

Mark your calendar for IWBC’s annual Founders Day celebration. Join us on Zoom as we recap our previous year’s activities, discuss upcoming events, announce the winner of the Hustle Award, and gather to grow our worldwide baseball family. Register here.

The Growing Stage presents “Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl’s Baseball Dream” (Netcong, NJ, USA) March 1, 2025

Catching the Moon tells the spirited story of the Black girl who grew up to become “Toni Stone,” the first woman to play for an all-male professional baseball team. With the crack of a bat, Marcenia Lyle rounds the bases with ease and slides into home. It’s the ball field she knows and loves best. So, when famous baseball manager Gabby Street comes scouting players for summer camp, Marcenia steps up to the plate to compete. She’s determined to pursue her passion and defy the naysayers who discourage her from following her dream because she’s a girl.

Visit Catching the Moon for details.

MLB Grit: Girls ID Tour 2025 (Houston, TX, USA) March 2, 2025

Major League Baseball and USA Baseball will host five stops on the 2025 MLB Grit: Girls ID Tour. Each MLB Grit event is a one-day workout for female baseball players that serves as an opportunity for MLB and USA Baseball staff to identify talent for elite girls baseball development events throughout the year. There is no cost to participate.

12:00pm – 3:30pm / Houston Astros Urban Youth Academy – 2801 South Victory Dr., Houston, TX 77088

For more information or to register, visit MLB Grit.

Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum: Canadian Women in Baseball Panel (Online) March 6, 2025

On Thursday March 6 at 7pm (EST), the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, in partnership with Rawlings Canada is proud to be hosting the virtual Canadian Women in Baseball Panel! In honour of International Women’s Day, we’re bringing together 6 women who are making their careers in baseball, either on the field, behind the scenes, or in the front office, to ask them to discuss the work they do and how they got to be where they are today. This virtual discussion will be streamed via Zoom and can be accessed by signing up at the registration link below. The event is free to stream, but donations are greatly appreciated. Register at CBHOF.

Midway Village Museum: Sock Monkey Madness! – Rockford Sports (Rockford, IL, USA) March 8, 2025

It’s our 20th Anniversary, so bring your monkey back to where it all began at the Sock Monkey Madness Festival in Rockford, Illinois! This year’s theme is Rockford Sports where the Sock Monkeys and families of all ages will have a wild time!

Here are just some of the activities:

★ Make-A-Monkey Workshop ($25 material fee)
★ Tour the Sock Monkey and Rockford Peaches History Exhibits
★ Lots of Activities and Crafts for Children
★ Shopping and Unique Rockford-themed Gifts
★ Sockford Hospital — Bring Your Own Sock Monkey in For Expert Repair

Rockford Peaches Photo Opportunity!
Get your photo taken with a Rockford Peaches reenactor between 12:00 and 4:00 pm.

For tickets or more information, visit Midway Village Museum.

MLB Grit: Girls ID Tour 2025 (Phoenix, AZ, USA) March 9, 2025

For more information or to register, visit MLB Grit.

South West & Wales Baseball League: Women’s Pitching and Catching Clinic (Taunton, UK) March 15, 2025

The Women’s Pitching and Catching Clinic returns with more expert coaches from: Laura Hirai, Dani Briggs and Jess Vernon delivering an awesome day to women from across the region! Further details and booking form links to follow so save the dates and be ready to book your place. Inquiries directed to swwleague@gmail.com.

Baseball Heritage Museum: You Can’t Play Baseball in a Skirt! (Cleveland, OH, USA) March 23, 2025

You Can’t Play Ball In A Skirt! Is a one woman play about Alta Weiss. Alta Wiess put herself through medical school playing professional baseball on a men’s team in the early 1900s!
Come to the Baseball Heritage Museum at League Park and enjoy this play for Women’s History Month! Event fee is $15.00 per person and includes admission to the Baseball Heritage Museum. Free for current and retired military and children 9 and under. Details at BHM.

MLB Grit: Girls ID Tour 2025 (Atlanta, GA, USA) March 30, 2025

12:00pm – 3:30pm / Gresham Park – 2466 Bouldercrest Rd., Atlanta, GA 30316

For more information or to register, visit MLB Grit.

Adelaide L’Aces: 2025 Women’s Masters Invitational (Christie Downs, SA, Australia) April 12 – 13, 2025

More information coming soon. See image for details.

SABR Clyde Sukeforth Chapter: Meeting with Lynn Ames (Online) April 21, 2025

Lynn’s Book: Out at the Plate: The Dot Wilkinson Story

It’s not simply that Dot is one of the most decorated women’s softball players, bowlers, and athletes of all time and the only living original player from the three-time-world-champion PBSW Phoenix Ramblers softball team (1933–1965). Nor is it the length of her time here on Earth—a century and counting—although any of these things by themselves would be impressive.

MLB Grit: Girls ID Tour 2025 (Washington, DC, USA) April 27, 2025

For more information or to register, visit MLB Grit.

Sutter County Museum: ¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues (Yuba City, CA, USA) February 8 – May 4, 2025

Developed in collaboration with the National Museum of American History, the ¡Pleibol! exhibit examines how generations of Latinos/as have helped make the game what it is today. From youth and community teams to the Major League, the exhibition reveals how baseball brings people together regardless of race, class, or gender. These inspirational baseball stories reﬂect larger themes in American history that connect us all, on and off the diamond. For details, visit Pleibol.

Baseball Heritage Museum: Have a Catch with Mom at League Park on Mother’s Day (Cleveland, OH, USA) May 11, 2025

Stop by the Baseball Heritage Museum before your take mom out for the rest of her day and “Have a Catch” on Cleveland’s historic League Park! Donuts and juice will be available while supplies last. While we encourage you to bring your own baseballs and gloves, we will have limited quantities of each available if you need them.

Moms and kids under 9 free.

Donation does not include admission into museum, however admission to the museum is always free for members. If you aren’t already a member, please consider joining. More at BHM.

Midway Village Museum: Rockford Peaches Playdate (Rockford, IL, USA) May 24, 2025

Game Location: Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford, IL
Bring your family to Midway Village on Saturday, May 24. Gates open at 10:00 am (1:00 pm game time). Admission includes entrance to the Victorian Village and the Museum Center, where you can also see the Rockford Peaches exhibit. Families are encouraged to dress up like the 1940’s too! Light concessions will be available, as well as Peaches merchandise. We have bleachers, but lawn chairs are welcome!

Tickets and more info at Peaches Playdate.

“Maria Pepe Little League Baseball® Legacy Series: A Girls with Game Experience” (Williamsport, PA, USA) June 6 – 8, 2025

The weekend-long event will once kick off with an opening evaluation clinic on Friday, June 6, and following the clinic, the 96 registered players will be divided into eight teams for the weekend’s event. Teams will play a minimum of three games each over the course of the weekend, with games being held in both Howard J. Lamade and Volunteer Stadiums.

More details at Maria Pepe Series.

Baseball Heritage Museum: Leslie Heaphy (Cleveland, OH, USA) June 21, 2025

With Paid admission to the Baseball Heritage Museum: Join us for a presentation by noted historian, author, and professor Leslie Heaphy on Eugene Bremer and the pitching staff of the 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes.

These presentations are always free for museum members. If you aren’t already a member, please consider joining. More at BHM.

SABR: 53rd Annual Convention (Irving, TX, USA) June 25 – 29, 2025

Join us in Texas this summer for SABR’s 53rd annual convention on June 25-29, 2025, at the Westin DFW Airport hotel! Conference and hotel registration for SABR 53 is now available below. Click here for complete details on SABR 53 Early-Bird Registration and optional sessions.

The annual SABR convention, which is open to all baseball fans, includes top featured speakers from around the baseball world — front office executives, players, managers, scouts, journalists, historians, and analysts — innovative panel discussions, groundbreaking research presentations, ballgames, the SABR Trivia Contest, and most of all, the opportunity to make and renew baseball friendships over the course of this exciting and memorable event.

Ontario Mega Girls Baseball: 2025 OMG Baseball Tournament (Etobicoke, ON, Canada) June 27 – 29, 2025

Join us for Ontario’s ONLY All-Girls Exhibition Baseball Tournament. Register as a team, partial team, or individual.

Join us June 27-29 for an unforgettable experience of camaraderie, spirited competition and fun! OMG is open to all girls regardless of ability or team affiliation.
⚾️ 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U age divisions
⚾️ 3-game Guarantee!
⚾️ Evening BBQ
⚾️ Swag, giveaways, prizes, and more!
Registration is quick and easy.
For more info, visit rybl.com/mega.

Baseball For All: Nationals 2025 (Sparks, NV, USA) July 21 – 25, 2025

We are proud to be hosting the 10th annual BFA Nationals, the largest girls’ baseball tournament in the United States, at Golden Eagle Sports Complex in Sparks, Nevada—just outside of Reno.

We are excited to provide our players and teams with premier facilities and experiences that are unique to the BFA Nationals, including:

5-game guarantee*
Exclusive player swag
Medals for top three teams in each division
Opening Ceremonies
Exclusive access off-field events
Strong female representation in umpiring crew
Even more exciting events to be announced
This year, we are thrilled to offer the following divisions for teams to enter:

More details to come. Games and Opening Ceremonies will take place on July 21, 2025.

Registration not yet open. This is a stay-to-play event. Please email girlsbaseball@baseballforall.com for more information.

SABR: 25th Annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference (Louisville, KY, USA) August 7 – 9, 2025

Save the date! SABR’s 25th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference will be held on Thursday, August 7 to Saturday, August 9, 2025, in Louisville, Kentucky.

All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Registration information will be available at SABR.org/malloy in early 2025.

Chesapeake Girls Baseball: Skylar Kaplan Pioneer Series (Pasadena, MD, USA) August 8 – 10, 2025

WBSC Europe: Women’s European Championship (Hluboká, Hluboká, Czech Republic) August 14 – 17, 2025

The Women’s Baseball European Championship 2025 will take place in Hluboká nad Vltavou, Czech Republic, from August 14th to August 17th, 2025. The WBSC Europe Executive Board accepted the bid placed to host the event. Stay tuned for more information at WBSC Europe.

New York Girls Baseball: NYGB Regional Tournament (Yaphank, NY, USA) August 31 – September 1, 2026

The NYGB Regional tournament brings together teams from across the East Coast and Canada to celebrate our love for the game of baseball, and to remember the sacrifices that girls and women before us have made to open up the sport of baseball to girls.

Lasorda Legacy Park, 350 Sills Rd. #101, Yaphank, NY 11980 (Long Island). The cost per team is $1100. For more information, visit NYGB.

National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture: ¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues (Chicago, IL, USA) September 6, 2025 – March 15, 2026

DC Girls Baseball: DMV Series (Ellicott City, MD, USA) October 11 – 12, 2025

DC Girls Baseball welcomes teams to our 6th annual DMV Series girls baseball tournament. Please see below details and don’t hesitate to reach out with questions!

Saturday, October 11 – Sunday, October 12, Kiwanis Wallas Park, Elliott City, Maryland

Games are expected to begin on Saturday at 9 a.m. and to conclude on Sunday no later than 3 p.m. (There are no opening ceremonies on Saturday morning.)

More information at DMV Series.

Community Champions

The 2023 theme – Community Champions – celebrated those pioneers who leveled the playing field in their own communities. From grassroots efforts through the creation of national and international programs, we honor the champions of our communities by sharing their stories and learning from their example.

Aurora B.

Aurora is a Community Champion. She loves baseball and loves sharing that with others. She always takes the time to help other female players feel more comfortable coming out to play. At the start of this season, while playing catch, she noticed a female opponent at the plate was so scared she was almost in tears. Aurora stopped the game to stand up, look that young lady right in the eye and tell her she deserves to play just like everyone else. She helped calm her opponent and got right back into the game. Aurora hasn’t had it easy without female players in our league to look up to but she has dedicated time to helping other younger females learn to play and stay.

Robbin M.

During a family picnic in the Spring of 1974, Robbin heard loud cheers and boos coming from across the park. As a curious 9-year-old, third-grader, Robbin ran over to observe a game of little league baseball being played. After watching the game for a few minutes, Robbin’s interest was piqued to learn how to baseball. The rest is history as Robbin’s first year of playing little league baseball is told as a memoir in her chapter book for girls.

Breaking Barriers: A Girl’s Dream to Play Baseball with Boys follows Robbin’s journey from a spectator to a team player. Through her struggles to fit in, gain respect, and prove her worth, Robbin learns the true meaning of hard work and dedication. With a strong supporting cast of characters, this book is a heartwarming tale of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity during a time when societal expectations for girls were set in stone without question.

To learn more about Robbin’s story, read Breaking Barriers: A Girl’s Dream to Play Baseball with Boys.

Shirley Burkovich

Shirley Burkovich was a former AAGPBL player, who for decades, supported and advocated for girls and women in baseball at events like the Women’s Baseball World Cup, Baseball For All Nationals. or the Red Sox Women’s Fantasy Camp. She was a founding member of the International Women’s Baseball Center and was instrumental in bringing countless events and playing opportunities back to Rockford, where she played professionally in 1951. Everyone who knew her loved her and misses her.

Learn more about Shirley’s life and career in her own words in a 2017 interview with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum: Shirley Burkovich – Sports Stories Baseball

Madalynne Dittmar

Madie grew up watching baseball. Then once in high school as a freshmen joined the baseball team as the first girl student manager. In the first year learned how to take care of the field to doing the players stats. While only entering sophomore year helped lead the boys to the first conference win which had not happened in over 5 years. With two more years left is studying so she can apply to manage a college baseball team while still over the summer helping manage a travel baseball team.

Bonnie Hoffman

Bonnie is a leader at every level for girls and women in baseball. She is the driving force behind the Eastern Women’s Baseball Conference and the Director of the Diamond Classic women’s baseball tournament every year in Virginia. Bonnie is also a Head Coach at DC Girls Baseball, running the 10u and 12u programs. Bonnie volunteers with Nationals Youth Academy and is active in the Aspen Institute for Sports and is a key participant in the Diversity initiative at the American Baseball Coaches Association. Bonnie is a one of a kind leader who has left her mark at all levels of baseball.

Sarah Langs

“She’s a super stats geek in a great way!” Langs grew up in New York, went to the University of Chicago, interned at the New York Daily News and CSN Chicago and then joined ESPN in 2015 as a sports content researcher. She was promoted to senior sports content researcher in 2018 and joined MLB the following year.

Bethany Morlan

Bethany goes above and beyond to bring baseball to the young girls in our community. Making an all girls team “Lil Peaches” who go head to head against boys at every game. Bethany teaches courage and confidence alongside the game. Letting the girls know they can do anything a boy can do! She gives them a team to feel comfortable on and be themselves. Without Bethany there wouldn’t be an all girls team available to my daughter and for that we are so thankful.

Mary Dobkin

“Aunt” Mary Dobkin, a physically handicapped woman living in Baltimore in the 1940s. Dobkin was concerned that juvenile delinquency was destroying her neighborhood. She organized the “Dobkin Dynamiters,” a baseball team comprised of disadvantaged and minority children. A loving but strict coach, she was responsible for several firsts in the coaching industry: the first woman to coach little league in Baltimore, the first coach to integrate a baseball team (1950), and the first to put a girl on an all-boys team (1960).

Josephine Morhard

Josephine established the first boys’ baseball league in America. Her city—and the country—was watching. Beyond all expectations, the Cleveland Indians rallied behind her project. Indians legends Bob Feller, Jeff Heath, and Roy Weatherly helped hone the boys’ skills; renowned sports reporter Hal Lebovitz became an umpire; and they were given permission to play in historic League Park. All the while, as Josephine’s Little Indians graduated into the Junior American and Junior National Leagues, and finally a Little World Series, she instilled in her boys strong values, good sportsmanship, and an unprecedented sense of accomplishment. Some of them, like Ray Lindquist and Jack Heinen, would become Minor League players. Not one of Mrs. Morhard’s boys would ever forget her. Read more about Josephine’s extraordinary work in Mrs. Morhard and the Boys.

Toni Stone

Seeing the new play of Toni Stone and watching her character reflected in A League of Their Own’s Max Chapman gave me a whole new appreciation for what this woman accomplished and endured in her time. An American hero if there ever was one, I salute Toni Stone during Women in Baseball Week for embodying the true spirit of Community Champion and inspiring girls decades later.

Abbi Jacobson & Will Graham

A League of Their Own not only told a great baseball story, but did so in a more honest and historically accurate way. This led to the birth of a whole new community and family for me. I thank Will Graham and Abbi Jacobson for that.

Maybelle Blair

Maybelle Blair is such an inspiration. She means so much to so many of us. Probably more than she will ever realize. Dirt in the skirt, Maybelle!

Po Chun Liu

Po Chun Liu is a great example of a female pioneer in baseball. She deserves every award possible and every day changes the landscape for women athletes, particularly in baseball, ESPECIALLY for umpires, all around the world.

Cami Kidder Divine

She has been the main fuel behind my constant engagement in the game of baseball and most especially girl baseball in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana-Africa. I can confidently say am the only trainer in my country with a girls baseball players in schools and the communities and these girls can play very well. She has not given up in seeking opportunities to have some of the girls display their talent on the international platforms.

SARA ROSE THIBAUT

Being the only female on the field has always been a part of Sara Rose’s baseball journey. With 24 years in the game, she’s still trying to normalize and shatter the stereotypical vision many people still have of who wears a uniform and what they are contributing to the game. Sara Rose moved into an all men’s league after high school and quickly started her own team in that league with true coed goals for her team. Her 1st female recruit was Tamara Holmes, who still plays for her team and after 5 years, they now have 4 female players and a female GM. Sara Rose has also been a baseball Coach at the local high school for 3 years where she has been shaking up the game by being the winning coach for the entire freshman league. Her presence on the field has created the conversation among fans and coaches alike, all asking her questions about her career on the field and how excited they are to see her out there. Normalizing the vision of females on the field, shattering stereotypes and encouraging other females to follow their dreams is everyday business for Sara Rose THIBAUT, a true leader for females in the game.

Doris Hocking

Doris Hocking is the creator of Women’s Baseball-UK, which promotes more women into the sport across the United Kingdom. She is responsible for this organization growing into a multi-team league nationwide and the creation of Great Britain’s first women’s national team, which now competes in international tournaments. Overall, she is known worldwide for being a trailblazer and as someone who has given tirelessly of herself to make baseball more inclusive.

Philly Girls Baseball

Thank you for giving more opportunities to local girls to pursue any sport they want to play and encouraging them to be whatever they want to be. Learn more about this extraordinary program at Philly Girls Baseball.

Barbara Gregorich

Barbara’s books, particularly Women at Play: The Story of Women in Baseball, opened up a whole world to me. She is a gifted writer whose talent for researching and crafting historical narrative is both accessible and motivation to her readers. Ultimately, her writing has set me on a lifelong journey I never anticipated, but I am so grateful for it.

Contact

Women in Baseball Week, developed by Ryan Woodward, is a project of the International Women’s Baseball Center. Contact Ryan at info@womeninbaseballweek.org.