“I’ll be honest about it. I didn’t want to pursue college softball,” said Whitmore, despite not harboring any resentment toward softball as she progressed to become the 2021 Big West Conference Player of the Year. “There were simply no opportunities for women in baseball, leaving me with no choice. But I did it, and I have no regrets; it’s a part of my journey.”

Lauren Boden, 33, and her sister Susanne Boden, 30, dropped everything in their busy lives as doctors to train for these tryouts.

Although they didn’t make the team, both women expressed immense joy just for the chance to engage in the sport they loved as children before transitioning to softball at Division III Pomona-Pitzer.

“It felt amazing to return to a highly competitive environment,” said the younger Boden, who, along with her sister, intends to try out again next year. “And honestly, each time you’re told ‘no,’ it ignites a small fire within you. I’m leaving this experience even more determined.”

League co-founder Justine Siegal highlighted that every woman who has ever picked up a baseball now has the opportunity to play without being the sole woman in a dugout predominantly occupied by men.