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
2024 – 2025
Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum: Gertrude “Gertie” Dunn Statue Unveiling (Wayne, PA, USA) March 25, 2024
Starting March 25, 2024, the public is invited to view the statue at the Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum 301 Iven Avenue Wayne, Pa. Hours are Monday through Friday 9am to 3pm.
Gertrude “Gertie” Dunn, one of Delaware County’s greatest athletes of all time, graduated from Sharon Hill High School in 1952. Later Gertie attended West Chester University and graduated with the class of 1960. The Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum has commissioned sculptor Jennifer Frudakis Petry to create a twenty-four-inch bronze sculpture of Gertie playing for the South Bend Blue Sox of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, made famous by the 1992 film A League of Their Own.
For more information on Gertie’s athletic achievements, visit www.
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.
The California Museum: ¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues (Sacramento, CA, USA) October 26, 2024 – January 19, 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.
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.
Miami Valley Valkyries: Girls Baseball Hitting Clinic (Hilliard, OH, USA) January 19, 2025
Join us for a free all-girls baseball Hitting Clinic with Q&A on January 19, 2025, at the Bo Jackson Dome in Hilliard, OH, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. This event is led by London Studer, a standout US Women’s National Team player and a participant in the WSBC Women’s World Cup 2023, and Co-hosted by the Ohio University Women’s Baseball Club (OUWB), OU Cherry Bombs.
This clinic is for players who want to refine their hitting skills and learn from one of the best in the game. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to take your game to the next level, you’ll benefit from London’s insights on technique, mindset, and approach at the plate. After the batting cage session, players can participate in an exciting Q&A session with Akisa Fukazawa, PhD candidate and president of OUWB. Coach Fukuzawa brings over 30 years of experience playing and coaching baseball in Tokyo and has deep expertise in Gender and Sports as well as Women’s Baseball History & Development.
The Miami Valley Valkyries are committed to preparing girls for the next step in their baseball careers, joining the expanding world of women in baseball.
For more information about the Miami Valley Valkyries, contact Kara Roll at miamivalleyvalkyries@gmail.com. Register at https://forms.gle/CnZ4uZwpvsb95kVb9
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-
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.
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.
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
Adelaide L’Aces: 2025 Women’s Masters Invitational (Christie Downs, SA, Australia) April 12 – 13, 2025
More information coming soon. See image for details.
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.
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/
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.
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.
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.