Bat “Her” Up

Middle school is typically fraught with major-league drama. But for 96 middle school–age girls participating in Major League Baseball’s annual Trailblazer Series at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex, the drama is both major league and inspiring. Every spring, girls from across the United States and Canada come to Vero Beach to compete and hone their skills in the two-day girls’ baseball development experience.

Now in its seventh year, the event, held in conjunction with Jackie Robinson Day (April 15), includes competitive games, skills contests, and coaching and mentorship from a roster of notable pioneers in women’s baseball. Instructors this year included Veronica Alvarez, MLB’s first Girls’ Baseball Ambassador and five-time member and three-time manager of the No. 1–ranked Women’s National Team headed to this year’s World Cup finals; Kelsie Whitmore, who in 2022 was the first woman to sign a professional contract with an MLB partner league team as a member of the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League; and Mo’ne Davis, who in 2014 was the first girl to throw a shutout in the Little League World Series and grace the cover of Sports Illustrated.

For Davis, the Trailblazer Series represents an opportunity to serve as a mentor and pay it forward to the next generation of female baseball athletes. “I was given an opportunity and had many doors open for me. I want to do the same for others,” she says.

A sports management graduate student at Columbia University with her sights set on owning a professional women’s team, Davis says, “Just by playing baseball as a kid and by being taught to be a good person to everyone allowed me to be in places I never expected and have people in my corner along the way.”

Playing baseball, in particular being a pitcher, she admits, instilled a healthy dose of self-confidence. “Everyone looks to you as a leader because you’re the one in command of the entire game. You’re going to have rough days. You’re going to have great days, but it’s all about how you get through those rough days.”

“There weren’t events like this when I was growing up,” explains Davis. “The girls see members of the national team here and they realize they can keep going with the sport if they want to. If they want to be serious about the sport, this is the right time to be serious. They have high school coming up and they can learn from these professional women.”

Off the field during the Trailblazer Series, there were panel discussions with former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players, including Maybelle Blair and Jeneane Lesko, the inspirations behind the movie A League of Their Own. Other special guests included Sonya Pankey, Jackie Robinson’s eldest granddaughter, and representatives from the International Women’s Baseball Center.

“The Trailblazer Series is, essentially, a celebration of girls playing baseball,” says Sarah Padove, manager of baseball and softball development for Major League Baseball. It is intentionally held in conjunction with Jackie Robinson Day because Jackie was the quintessential trailblazer.”

“These girls are blazing their own trail,” she adds. “A lot of them are the only girl on boys’ teams, and some have never played with other girls before. This gets them in an environment where they get to be celebrated for what they do, who they are. They’re in front of all these phenomenal women and female coaches that have come before them.”

According to Padove, MLB’s youth development programs, such as the Trailblazer Series, play an important role in developing a pathway and pipeline for women who want to remain in the game, both on and off the field. “There are athletes from our development pipeline who are now playing college baseball or high-level college softball. Ten of the 20 USA Baseball Women’s National Team members have gone through our development programs.”

Women, she says, have made enormous strides in coaching, management, and executive positions within minor and major league baseball teams; umpiring; and the broadcast booth. “We’re excited to see tremendous growth and success among women in diamond sports in recent years. There’s no ceiling.”

The experience is as much about skill development as it is about character development, say event organizers, which is why the celebrated Vero Beach venue plays such a critical role.

“Jackie Robinson was known for his playing ability as well as his character on and off the field,” observes Rachelle Madrigal, vice president of the Jackie Robinson Training Complex. “He lived by the nine values posted throughout our facility—courage, determination, teamwork, persistence, integrity, citizenship, justice, commitment, and excellence—and that’s what we’re trying to instill in all the campers, future stars, and current athletes, as well as inspire in our staff and other teams.”

The venue, Madrigal says, provides a safe, uniquely equipped environment for campers like the Trailblazers to fully immerse themselves in the sport. “We’ve got housing on-site, a dining room feeding them three square meals a day, a fully equipped locker room, as well as the fields and training facilities.” 

As more young women have embraced the sport of baseball, applications to participate in the Trailblazer Series have spiked since its inception in 2017 by USA Baseball and MLB. Girls aged 11 to 13 are eligible to apply through an open application process that is promoted via MLB’s marketing platforms and baseball organizations around the country. The young athletes are chosen by a selection committee and attend the event free of charge, with program costs underwritten by USA Baseball.

“I think over the years softball was once presented as the only ball sport that’s available to girls,” observes Madrigal. “We have seen that change over time, with more and more girls participating in Little League and more opportunities for girls to continue playing beyond Little League.”

This year’s group of Trailblazers hailed from 23 states; Washington, D.C.; and three Canadian provinces. For some, it was a new experience, while others were participating for the second or third time.

“I got into baseball and started getting better and better,” says 12-year-old Kate Costello, a sixth grader from Wellington, Florida who is a Trailblazer newbie. As the only girl playing all positions in an all-boys league, she says she chose baseball over softball because “there’s so much sexism in the world. I wanted to put a stop to it and make a place for us in the sport.”

“I love being here,” she says. “It’s like a home. It’s everyone your age, you meet them and have fun. You get to learn and be around people who enjoy the same things as you. I think it’s amazing to be here, walking in [Robinson’s] footsteps and carrying on his legacy.”

The opportunity to connect with modern-day legends Mo’ne Davis and Kelsie Whitmore was equally inspiring for Kate. “They’ve been my idols for as long as I can remember. When I first talked to them, I was so happy. I got pictures with them and I was so thrilled.” 

Through competition, skills training, and camaraderie, Kate hoped to learn as much as she could, whether it be base running, pitching, or catching, during the two-day event. “Personally, I don’t think there’s winning or losing,” she reflects. “There’s winning and winning. It’s always a learning experience and you always get something from it.”

“I want to try out for the baseball team at my middle school,” she explains. “They don’t usually have women. If I don’t make it, I’ll play softball; but I want to try and go as far as I can, whether that’s high school, minors, or majors.”

Kate’s ambitions also include playing for and getting a scholarship to Cornell. “I like music, art, and history. I’m a very crafty kid. You can find me reading a book while listening to music.”

Meanwhile, she hopes to stay in touch with the girls she’s met in Vero Beach and plans to return as a veteran Trailblazer next year.

Angelina Long, a 13-year-old pitcher and first baseman from Viera, is a two-time Trailblazer Series participant. The lone girl on a boys’ Little League team, she says, “I like baseball better [than softball] because it’s harder. There’s more action. You can do pickoffs, and the mound isn’t flat. It’s like going down a hill.”

“I think it’s really cool. Everybody’s really nice, and they were once in my shoes,” says Angelina about the opportunity to interact with some of the most notable women in the sport. As she charts her path from seventh grade to high school, her goals, she says, include doing more things like the Trailblazer Series as well as volunteer work.

“I love musical theater, and my dream school is Columbia University in New York City. The culture there is really rich. There’s so much opportunity in New York City. It’s an Ivy League school. It’s really hard to get into and I like a challenge.” An aspiring psychology major, she has already toured the campus and envisions a career in baseball—off the mound, in a supportive role, beyond college.

Surveying the scene inside Building 42, the new, state-of-the-art 38,600-square-foot indoor training facility, Angelina pauses between spoonfuls of ice cream and reflects, “Being in this legendary complex I feel like the spirits from the famous baseball players are inside me, just telling me that I can move forward and do whatever I want.”

Thankfully, she can!