First-ever Women’s Baseball World Cup in USA driving interest in the women’s game

The upcoming WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup – the biggest baseball event for women – will be played for the first time in the United States this August (22-31) in Viera, Florida, and the historic occasion is helping to drive interest and activity in women’s baseball.

The Women’s Baseball World Cup 2018 also coincides with the 75th Anniversary of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL).

Major League Baseball and USA Baseball recently hosted the inaugural ‘Girls Baseball Breakthrough Series,’ a groundbreaking youth development camp designed specifically for girls baseball players, at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida. Marti Sementelli and Jenna Marston, USA Baseball Women’s National Team players, were amongst the instructors.

Many of the participants of the Breakthrough Series are the only girls on their local “boy’s” baseball teams.

The message from the three AAGPBL alumni was pretty clear: “Never let those barriers get in the way of playing the game, if that’s what they really want to do.”

Kim Ng, MLB Senior Vice President for Baseball Operations, told the girls: “Each of you is a Jackie Robinson in your own way.”