• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 5, 2025

MLB Grit Invitational Aims to Help Foster Women’s Baseball at Youth Level

mlb-grit-invitational

Photo credit: Pixabay

More than 60 teenage women will take the field at the Texas Rangers Globe Life Park this weekend as part of the MLB Grit invitational.

Major League Baseball and USA Baseball have partnered to host the high school invitational for girls who play baseball, bringing the players together for games, development and speakers. MLB Grit is building on the league’s other keystone women’s baseball events: The Trailblazer Series and Breakthrough Series.

Play begins Friday at Globe Life Park and finishes with games at Rangers MLB Youth Academy on Sunday.

MLB Grit is tournament style and will have a lot more gameplay than other the other two events, said Kim Ng, MLB senior vice president of baseball and softball development.

Ng said the league hopes to further develop a strong international community in women’s baseball.

“Right now, we’re seeing individual girls on boys baseball teams at the high school level,” Ng said. “It’s not just bubbling, this sport has had women involved for some time now. I think it’s starting to open some eyes. Youth participation in baseball has been part of Commissioner Manfred’s platform and agenda, and it’s important to us.

READ MORE: Why the Premier Lacrosse League and Women’s Professional Lacrosse League Joined Forces

“In a lot of ways, this is an underserved group and we want to provide some opportunities. It’s not a large group, but very vocal and we felt it was important to give some attention and put some attention to it.”

The MLB Grit roster includes participants from 21 states, Washington D.C., Canada and Puerto Rico, including five players from national teams. Team USA is represented by Ashton Lansdell and Emily Tsujikawa; Team Puerto Rico by Eva Cristina Torres Vega and Canada by Allison Schroeder and Liz Gilder.

Canada and Puerto Rico will each have eight players in Dallas.

Coaching the girls on the field this weekend will be a range of former big leaguers and women’s national team members, ranging from former MLB infielder Homer Bush and former MLB pitcher Marvin Freeman to eight current and former members of the USA Baseball Women’s National Team, including Malaika Underwood, Tamara Holmes, Donna Mills, Shelby Estocado, Meggie Meidlinger, Alex Oglesby, Ila Borders and A.J. Hamilton.

[mc4wp_form id=”8260″]

Also in attendance will be Robin Wallace, a former MLB scout and member of the Women’s National Team and current associate coordinator of baseball development with MLB.

Ng said along with Trailblazers and Breakthrough series, MLB Grit has potential to be another signature event for women’s baseball, and the league representatives will continue to have an open mind moving forward in how to continue furthering the sport.

The MLB Grit weekend is also a time for many of the great stories of the girls who play high school baseball to be on a platform, Ng said.

READ MORE: Minor League Baseball Connects Women to Help ‘Lift’ Careers

“Just think about how they’re most likely the only girl playing on their high school team; that takes a lot of courage to be different, noticeably different,” she said. “This is a sport you can be different and it’s important to help them and provide them a place to be themselves.”

The weekend will also feature three speakers to help inspire the girls in attendance: Fox Sports Network Rangers reporter Emily Jones McCoy; Rangers Executive Vice President and General Counsel Katie Pothier; and Rangers Senior Software Developer Kim Eskew.

“For many of our youth events, we try to get speakers to come talk about different themes and obstacles they’ve overcome to really open the kids’ minds,” Ng said. “It gives them a perspective to see these people as role models in their careers or in terms of the adversity they faced and needed to overcome.

“This is a potential pipeline for us, so we’re introducing them to these women, influential women who have overcome a lot and associated with baseball and Major League Baseball.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
Jul 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) heads to the dugout prior to the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium.

MLB Changes Are ‘Showing Great Results’: Former CFO

Big stars playing in major markets “make a real difference.”

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”

Featured Today

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Seattle Rough & Tumble
June 28, 2025

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena
June 26, 2025

Stanley Cup’s International Summer Tour: Rules, Repairs, and Raucousness

No pro trophy tour compares to the NHL’s three-month global victory lap.
FIFA

Saudis Awarded 2034 World Cup in Uncontested Vote

Saudi Arabia was the only option after Australia decided not to bid.
May 20, 2024

Top Sports Business Jobs This Week (May 2024)

Each week, our staff combs through the thousands of job listings from…
The stands at the Solheim Cup
September 13, 2024

LPGA Apologizes for Solheim Cup Fan Bus Debacle That Left Stands Half-Empty

The USA-Europe women’s team golf event teed off Friday morning.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
October 3, 2022

Real Madrid President Renews Call for Super League

Real Madrid’s president believes that soccer is losing ground.
August 10, 2022

PGA Tour Touts Projected Earnings to Keep Players

The PGA Tour is asking its players to consider their potential futures.
August 10, 2022

Bayern Munich to Make Growth Push in U.S. Market

Bayern Munich is looking to expand its reach in the U.S.
Nintendo-logo
August 3, 2022

Nintendo Profits Underwhelm, Switch Sales Decline

Nintendo failed to meet expectations in the company’s latest earnings report.