Tournament marks first intercollegiate women's baseball competition in over a century

COMPTON, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 2, 2022 / From March 19 - 22, four teams will gather at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton to compete in Baseball For All's inaugural Women's College Club Baseball Championship tournament. Representing the University of Washington, Montclair State University, California State University of Fullerton and Occidental College, each team will have the opportunity to compete in a three-game series to take home the first-ever Women's College Club Baseball Championship title.

In addition to the games, all teams will be hosted by the Los Angeles Dodgers Academy in Redondo Beach for a series of special events, including an exclusive meet & greet with players from the original All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, Maybelle Blair and Shirley Burkovich. All four teams will also have the opportunity to learn from the experienced coaching staff at the Los Angeles Dodgers Academy.

"We are proud to contribute to the long history of women playing baseball while redefining what is possible for them at the college level," said Baseball For All founder Dr. Justine Siegal.

This historic tournament fittingly takes place during Women's History Month, and is the first time in over 100 years that women in collegiate baseball will have the opportunity to compete with other women's college baseball teams. In the mid-19th century-amidst the women's suffrage movement-Vassar College organized two women's teams. A short while thereafter, 20 more emerged throughout the country.

The BFA Women's College Club Baseball Championships is a critical part of Baseball for All's continued effort to establish women's baseball as an NCAA Emerging Sport. In 2021, BFA partnered with college students to jumpstart Women's College Club Baseball teams-like the four attending this inaugural tournament-and continues to partner with more universities and students throughout the country.

Baseball For All began when founder Justine Siegal, PhD was told at 13 years old that she could no longer play because she was a girl. Rather than giving up, she worked even harder, becoming the first woman to coach professional men's baseball (Brockton Rox, 2009)-and the first female to coach for a Major League Baseball Organization (Oakland A's, 2015, Instructional League). With this momentum, Siegal deepened her commitment to girls baseball, providing more opportunities for girls to stay in the game. To learn more about Baseball for All College Club Championships and the college baseball initiative, visit https://baseballforall.com/bfa-womens-college-club-baseball-championships/.

About Baseball for All:

Baseball For All is a 501(c)3 national nonprofit building gender equity in baseball by providing girls with opportunities to play, coach, and lead. Featured in hundreds of media outlets including Newsweek, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, MLB.com, and the New York Times, Baseball for All is the definitive resource for media looking for answers and thoughts on girls and women playing baseball.

Contact:

Lena Park
lena@baseballforall.com | 415.385.1528

SOURCE: Baseball for All

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