Callie Batts-Maddox

that's a great question there's several initiatives that are really setting a strong path forward to give girls that opportunity there's an organization called baseball for all which focuses on running tournaments youth tournaments for girls they started more recently a college level women's baseball tournament which is fantastic right but the the key point here i think is establishing that pipeline

that's a great question there's several initiatives that are really setting a strong path forward to give girls that opportunity there's an organization called baseball for all which focuses on running tournaments youth tournaments for girls they started more recently a college level women's baseball tournament which is fantastic right but the the key point here i think is establishing that pipeline

So a lot of times, myself included, this is part of my own story, is that if a young girl is playing baseball, maybe playing little league, is doing well, really loves the game, she gets to a certain point where the opportunities stop, where she might be told, if you want to go to college and get a scholarship, you need to switch to softball. So there's a lack of infrastructure.

So a lot of times, myself included, this is part of my own story, is that if a young girl is playing baseball, maybe playing little league, is doing well, really loves the game, she gets to a certain point where the opportunities stop, where she might be told, if you want to go to college and get a scholarship, you need to switch to softball. So there's a lack of infrastructure.

There's a lack of pipeline opportunity. So that's the gap that we really need to fill. The interest is there. Girls want to play baseball, but we need to ensure that they have steady opportunities throughout their career, all the way from little league, from t-ball up through high school into college and hopefully now into this exciting pro league.

There's a lack of pipeline opportunity. So that's the gap that we really need to fill. The interest is there. Girls want to play baseball, but we need to ensure that they have steady opportunities throughout their career, all the way from little league, from t-ball up through high school into college and hopefully now into this exciting pro league.

Kelsey Whitmore comes first to my head. She's been incredible. She's out there playing professional baseball with the men. She's a great role model. She speaks from the heart of saying, this is what I love and I've had to really fight to play the game. Around the world, we have Ayami Sato from Japan, who is probably the best women's pitcher in the world. She's phenomenal.

Kelsey Whitmore comes first to my head. She's been incredible. She's out there playing professional baseball with the men. She's a great role model. She speaks from the heart of saying, this is what I love and I've had to really fight to play the game. Around the world, we have Ayami Sato from Japan, who is probably the best women's pitcher in the world. She's phenomenal.

Alex Hugo is a great ambassador for the women's game, has been very vocal in lending her support to really building the momentum for women's baseball.

Alex Hugo is a great ambassador for the women's game, has been very vocal in lending her support to really building the momentum for women's baseball.

So I think if we look at the new professional league that's slated to start in summer 26, this will be a global league. I'm very excited to see representation from other countries and international players coming in. And I think that's incredibly important. This is not just a domestic league just for Americans. It's not just sort of, you know, our game. It's a globalized game.

So I think if we look at the new professional league that's slated to start in summer 26, this will be a global league. I'm very excited to see representation from other countries and international players coming in. And I think that's incredibly important. This is not just a domestic league just for Americans. It's not just sort of, you know, our game. It's a globalized game.

So I think the presence of international players in the league will be important because again, that could serve as role modeling for other young women in other countries who want to see that pipeline opportunity, who want to know that they could play professionally one day. Japan used to have a professional women's baseball league. They're working on another one as well.

So I think the presence of international players in the league will be important because again, that could serve as role modeling for other young women in other countries who want to see that pipeline opportunity, who want to know that they could play professionally one day. Japan used to have a professional women's baseball league. They're working on another one as well.

But this could be groundbreaking in terms of the global development of baseball. On the flip side, I think there's some really exciting international development being done in terms of World Cup baseball. There's a Women's Baseball World Cup that's been held every two or four years for the past, oh boy, 20 years or so now. And that's growing.

But this could be groundbreaking in terms of the global development of baseball. On the flip side, I think there's some really exciting international development being done in terms of World Cup baseball. There's a Women's Baseball World Cup that's been held every two or four years for the past, oh boy, 20 years or so now. And that's growing.

And again, that is international support that is really helping to broaden the conversation of sporting opportunities for women around the world and in some very surprising places. I was just reading today that there's the Asian Women's Baseball Cup taking place right now. And so we have Pakistan playing Sri Lanka. Thailand is playing Iran, which is incredible.

And again, that is international support that is really helping to broaden the conversation of sporting opportunities for women around the world and in some very surprising places. I was just reading today that there's the Asian Women's Baseball Cup taking place right now. And so we have Pakistan playing Sri Lanka. Thailand is playing Iran, which is incredible.

And I think as Americans, we need to recognize that there are women around the world playing this game.

And I think as Americans, we need to recognize that there are women around the world playing this game.