About girls baseball

About Us...

"Teams of Our Own"

The Chicago Pioneers Girls Baseball Program is all about providing opportunities for girls to play baseball with their peers of similar age and same gender. Since August, 2006, the program has grown to nearly 120 girls ages 8-24 who want to play our national pastime.

If you are a girl playing baseball or softball and want to know more about joining the Pioneers and additional opportunities to play baseball on all-girls teams, please contact the Chicago Pioneers by calling Mary Jo Stegeman at 847-707-8944 or click on the contact link below.

History

In October of 2006, the first 12 Pioneers players competed in and won the 14U division of the Women's World Series VI held at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex, the first American girls baseball team to do so.

Through that first season, the Pioneers met weekly to get to know each other and hone their baseball skills preparing for the 2007 season. The younger girls were getting ready to participate on their first little league teams, while most of the girls had been playing baseball for their community's house or travel teams for several years. One player was even preparing to play on her high school's freshman baseball team which she did!

In December, 2006, the Chicago Pioneers petitioned a boys travel league, the North Shore Baseball League, for an opportunity to play as a team in their league.  The petition was accepted and in June, 2007, 16 Pioneers ages 12-15 became what is believed to be the first all-girls baseball team in the United States to participate in an all-boys travel baseball league, competing in the 14 B division of the NSBL.

Later in 2007, The Pioneers won the last and decisive game of the 15U Division of the CAN-AM Women's Tournament held in Detroit, June 30-July 1.  Again believed to be the first United States Girls Baseball Tournament, The Pioneers defeated the Pawtucket Slaterettes 5-4 on a bases loaded walk-off suicide squeeze play.

Historic Thillens Stadium on Chicago's north side played host to the Pioneers on July 25 and August 1 in again what are believed to be the first two all girls baseball games played in its 70 year history.  26 girls ages 8-13 watched former AAGPL players Eileen "Ginger" Gascon and Jackie Baumgart throw out the first pitches and played two intra-squad baseball games in an all girls setting.
The Pioneers Tournament Team, 11 players ages 13-23, competed in their first elite women's baseball tournament  playing in the upper division of the USA Baseball scouted 11-team CAN-AM International Tournament, June 30-July 2 in Detroit.  Going 2-2 in the tournament, 2 Pioneers players, ages 15 and 16, were selected to the 2007 Women's National Baseball Team.

Also in 2007, the first Fall Ball Season began for the Pioneers on September 8 in the North Shore Youth Baseball Association League for 11-15 year olds.

The reigning Girls World Series Champions participated in both the Women's Baseball Nationals and the first 15U Girls Baseball Nationals in Fort Myers, Florida in October of 2007. The Pioneers won the inaugural 15U Girls Baseball National Championships beating the Slaterettes of Rhode Island in a 4-game series, 4-5; 16-4; 9-4; 4-0.

In the women's division the Pioneers were 4-1 and seeded 2nd out of 10 teams after pool play.

In 2008, the Pioneers fielded two teams to participate in the NSBL at the 11B and 14B divisions. In the spring, the Pioneers were among only 4 U.S. teams invited to play in the inaugural Women's Hall of Fame Classic in Kenosha, Wisconsin where USA Baseball scouted for the Women's National Team (2 Pioneers players were selected). In October, the Women's Baseball Nationals were held in Tucson, Arizona where the Pioneers finished 3rd out of 9 teams.

The Pioneers competed in the 4th annual Baltimore/Washington, D.C. Diamond Classic for the first time in 2009, where the team played in its first women's division championship game. The Pioneers are once again playing in the 11B division of the North Shore Baseball League in 2009.....our third year competing in this boys travel league.

7 Pioneers have played for their high school's baseball teams, 5 have been National Team selections, and one received an NCAA Division II scholarship for baseball.

Baseball is a sport and girls are playing it.....that's what the Chicago Pioneers are all about.

Future Goals
The Chicago Pioneers Program is working with Little League International of Williamsport in the hopes of starting a girls baseball pilot program across the United States in the near future.

The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) has started two initiatives which will affect the Pioneers' program. A women's baseball committee has been formed to start grass-roots baseball programs for girls in many countries around the world. At the same time the IBAF is embracing women's baseball as a partner in their bid to have the International Olympic Committee restore baseball as a program sport in 2016.

Sponsorship - Currently it is not easy or convenient to play baseball on an all girls team or in an all girls setting. The Pioneers are looking for sponsors to defray the cost of practice facilities, travel, uniforms, equipment, league, tournament participation fees, etc. If you are interested in helping girls baseball and the Chicago Pioneers, please click onto "Tax-Exempt Gifts" to the left and send in your donation. In advance the Chicago Pioneers THANK YOU for your gift.....