We all want to be back in Melbourne for the 2025 Nationals.   Yes, Post Nationals Depression has hit hard.   So cure what ails ya with this series rewinding to all things April and Melbourne Ballpark.  In this episode, host Amy McCann interviews Kira Kuwamoto from Victoria.  In this engaging conversation, Kira Kumoto shares her journey from Japan to Australia, discussing the cultural differences in baseball, her experiences in state teams, and the joy of playing the sport. She emphasizes the importance of mindset in performance and reflects on her role as a coach for youth baseball.   Kira also highlights the significance of teamwork and mentorship in sports, expressing gratitude for the opportunities she has had in her baseball career.  

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Kira Kumoto 00:52 Kira's Journey from Japan to Australia 03:45 Representing Victoria and Winning Gold 05:07 The Late Call-Up and MVP Performance 08:32 Mindset Shift in Performance 10:06 The Joy of Playing Baseball 12:47 Coaching the Next Generation 14:33 Unsung Heroes in Team Dynamics 17:46 Future Aspirations in Baseball

   

We all want to be back in Melbourne for the 2025 Nationals.   Yes, Post Nationals Depression has hit hard.   So cure what ails ya with this series rewinding to all things April and Melbourne Ballpark.  In this episode, host Amy McCann interviews Meaghan Haggart from WA. 

From April 13-19, six open women’s teams (16+) and five youth women’s sides (U16) from across the country will compete in Melbourne at the 2025 Australian Women’s and Youth Women’s Championships.

The schedules dropped earlier this week and in this conversation, Amy McCann invites Baseball Australia's National Tournament Director Michael Ibbotson discuss the upcoming Australian Women's and Youth Women's Nationals, exploring the intricacies of tournament management, scheduling challenges, and the importance of community engagement.

They delve into the evolution of tournament formats, the significance of having youth and women's gold medal games on the same day, and the vital role of volunteers and staff in making the event successful.

The discussion also highlights the advancements in broadcasting and the future goals for the Nationals, emphasising the passion and dedication behind the scenes.

 

Welcome to the second episode "Beyond the Bases which will hit up the grassroots of Australian baseball to hear from clubs doing great things for women and girls baseball all across the country. 

Today we travel to Townsville to chat all things Townsville women's baseball and for a chat with Paula Doherty (1:43), Emma Reid (16:00) and Nicola Caldwell (26:42). 

Plus remember to visit womensbaseball.me for all your women's baseball news and merch needs! Enjoy! 

Welcome to the first episode of a new season of Women's Baseball The Inside Pitch. 

"Beyond the Bases" will hit up the grassroots of Australian baseball to hear from clubs doing great things for women and girls baseball all across the country. 

For the inaugural episode, we visited the Carine Cats Baseball Club in Perth, Western Australia to hear about chat with President Craig Padifield, Junior Chair Kelly Wiersma and Junior Player Mylie Watt. 

Visit https://carinecats.com.au/ today. 

Plus remember to visit womensbaseball.me for all your women's baseball news and merch needs! 

Enjoy! 

What a 2024 for Audrey Cheung! 

Going yard at the world's first Little League Nationals in Lismore and then repping Team Australia at the U12 World Cup quallies in Guam.

In this episode, Amy McCann interviews Audrey Cheung from Victoria, Australia. Audrey shares her journey in baseball, starting from her early days playing t-ball to her experiences in the Australian Little League Championships and her recent selection for the Australian team. The conversation highlights the challenges and joys of being a female athlete in a male-dominated sport, her memorable moments on and off the field, and her aspirations for the future. Audrey's passion for baseball shines through as she discusses her training, favourite positions, and the support she receives from her family and coaches.

Remember to head to womensbaseball.me :) 

In Season 6, travel around Australia's diamonds to hear from the people, clubs, organisations and players doing great things down under for Aussie women's baseball. 

Episode 3 features dual World Cup Emerald Claire O'Sullivan, a legend of New South Wales Baseball. Hear about Claire's start in regional NSW, her time with Country NSW, her Emeralds debut and that seven year gap between time in the green and gold, plus her recent stint with the Kyushu Honeys in Japan. Also remember to head to womensbaseball.me :) 

In Season 6, we travel around Australia's diamonds chatting to the people, clubs, organisations and players doing great things down under for Aussie women's baseball. 

For episode 3, we hit the top end to hear about all things Northern Territory women's baseball, significantly the Darwin Women's League.

Listen to Kai Meuronen, Participation & Pathways Manager at Baseball NT, Head Coach of the Stingers Gemma Scales (16:50), and Cyclones player Templar Murrell (29:55). 

In Season 6, travel around Australia's diamonds chatting to the people, clubs, organisations and players doing great things down under for Aussie women's baseball. 

For episode 2, we travel to Perth, Western Australia, to speak with Baseball WA CEO Lachlan Dale about the new WA Elite Women's Series, and all things WA Women's Baseball. 

We also have a chat to rising stars Ava Tyson (23:46) and Chloe Atkinson (34:51)  who featured in the opening game for the Melville Braves and Wanneroo Giants. 

In Season 6, we travel around Australia's diamonds chatting to the people, clubs, organisations and players doing great things down under for Aussie women's baseball. 

For episode 2, we talk all things The Barclay Cup, which is an epic week of baseball honouring Jacinda Barclay, a standout Australian athlete, one heck of a ballplayer, and an even better person off the field, who sadly passed away in 2020.

The Cup brings together female ballers aged 13-16 for a week of fun on and off the field from September 29th to October 5th with teams from Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, and South Australia set to hit the diamond. 

After making its debut in Queensland in 2022, before heading to Perth in 2023, Sydney will host the third edition of the Cup.

But what does it all mean, what impact has the event had? A lot and huge is the answer I got when I chatted with three people who will be making it a trifecta of Barclay Cups this year. 

Laura Neads, one of Jacinda's best mates who also played alongside her at the highest level for Australia who will be coaching the NSW Ball-hers team. 

Kendra Rutgers, one of the country's most exciting young prospects, who will be repping it for the Victorian Dingoes. 

Dion Thiele, one of the amazing coaches giving their time to girls and women's baseball in Australia.

Enjoy!

 

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 8 of Women's Baseball the Inside Pitch.   Season 5 is all about 'Firsts' and in the eighth and final episode for the season, we chat with Maddi Erwin from Canberra who became the first Canberran female to play in a World Cup game for the Australian Emeralds. 

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 7 of Women's Baseball the Inside Pitch.   This season is all about 'Firsts' and in this episode we chat with 12-year-old Emma Gainsford from Sydney, Australia, who in July 2024 became the first Australian female to participate in the Little League World Series in the USA! 

We all want to be back in Melbourne for the 2025 Nationals.   Yes, Post Nationals Depression has hit hard.   So cure what ails ya with this series rewinding to all things April and Melbourne Ballpark.  In this episode, host Amy McCann interviews Mackenzie Jackson from New South Wales. 

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 6 of Women's Baseball the Inside Pitch.   This season is all about 'Firsts' and today's episode talks all things about the first major documentary on the modern-day international women's baseball community.     In this episode, Amy McCann chats with acclaimed sports photographer Jean Fruth who with Jeff Idelson, former president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, has directed and produced See Her Be Her, a documentary on women’s baseball around the globe.  

The story follows the lives of seven women baseball stars who are at the pinnacle of their game and represent the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan, South Korea, Cuba and Uganda. In the intense battle for the World Cup Championship, they want victory — for themselves, for their team, for their countries, and for the sheer love of the game — but their greatest triumph is the path they are blazing for future generations of female players.

See Her Be Her shatters a variety of stereotypes, as the seven players — through perseverance and resilience — push the boundaries of what’s possible both on and off the field. The film highlights their resolve to fight for gender equality for all female athletes.

The doco will make its debut on the MLB Network between Games 2 & 3 of the 2024 World Series.

 

Enjoy!

Welcome to Season 5 of Women's Baseball the Inside Pitch, “Firsts”, where a host of trailblazing players from around the world share their stories about how and when they became the first woman to…….   In Episode 5, I chat with Amy Collins, now Cannington, from Australia.    One half of the first sister duo to play for Australia, Amy has won nationals with Victoria and NSW and has played three World Cups for Australia.  Enjoy! 

Welcome to Season 5 of Women's Baseball the Inside Pitch, “Firsts”, where a host of trailblazing players from around the world share their stories about how and when they became the first woman to…….   In Episode 4, I chat with Laura Hirai from London, England!   Laura has etched her name into the history books as the first women to play baseball for the Great Britain U16/U18 (boys) National teams, the first woman to represent both the Great Britain women's baseball and softball teams, the first ball girl for the New York Yankees, yes the Yankees, at the UK Series in London... and more.   If her middle name wasn't already 'Baseball' it would be 'Firsts'. 

Welcome to Season 5 of Women's Baseball the Inside Pitch, “Firsts”, where a host of trailblazing players from around the world share their stories about how and when they became the first woman to…….   In Episode 3, I chat with Morgan Doty, who launched herself onto the women's baseball world in a big way in 2010 with an epic walk-off double which gave WA their first National Championship victory.  That just got Doty's career started, with the Perth-native going on to star for two states - WA and VIC - while also shining for Australia at three World Cups. 

Welcome to Season 5 of Women's Baseball the Inside Pitch, “Firsts”   Join me as a host of trailblazing players from around the world share their stories about how and when they became the first woman to…….   In Episode 2, I chat with 17yo Isobel Lambert from New South Wales who in 2023 became the first Australian woman to play at a Senior League World Series.   In 2024, Isobel was also a coach of the NSW team which became the inaugural champions of the Australian Little League Girls National Championships - the world's first national title for girls! 

Welcome to Season 5 of Women's Baseball the Inside Pitch, “Firsts”   Join me as a host of trailblazing players from around the world share their stories about how and when they became the first woman to…….   First up is Carly Moore, the first South Australian woman to represent Team Australia Baseball at a WBSC World Cup.

Stacey Saggus - 2012 - One World Cup Wonders For the fifth episode of this series, we hear the story of NSW's Stacey Saggus who made her Nationals debut at the age of 15 at the 2003 Australian Women's Championship where she won gold!  Stacey shares with us her journey in baseball in NSW and her progression to the 2012 Australian Team at the World Cup in Canada.  #womeninsport #womensbaseball #womensbaseball   

Part 2 - Kathy Welsh - 2010 - One World Cup Wonders For the fourth episode of this series, we hear the story of Victoria's Kathy Welsh who took up the sport in her early 20s, before making her Nationals debut at the 2005 Australian Women's Championship with Victoria Provincial, before graduating to the Victorian team where she was part of Victoria's three-peat in 2007-08-09.  Kathy shares with us the impact the Doncaster Baseball Club had on her career, in addition to her time in the Czech Republic, and her progression into the 2010 Australian Team where she won silver at the World Cup in Venezuela.  #womeninsport #womensbaseball #womensbaseball   

Part 1 - Kathy Welsh - 2010 - One World Cup Wonders For the fourth episode of this series, we hear the story of Victoria's Kathy Welsh who took up the sport in her early 20s, before making her Nationals debut at the 2005 Australian Women's Championship with Victoria Provincial, before graduating to the Victorian team where she was part of Victoria's three-peat in 2007-08-09.  Kathy shares with us the impact the Doncaster Baseball Club had on her career, in addition to her time in the Czech Republic, and her progression into the 2010 Australian Team where she won silver at the World Cup in Venezuela.  #womeninsport #womensbaseball #womensbaseball   

Ep3 - ‘One Cup Wonders’ - Bec Crosby (2008) For the third episode of this series, sit back and travel to 2008, and to Matsuyama in Japan, for the third IBAF World Cup and a chat with WA's Bec Crosby. Making her Nationals debut in 2006 as a 15yo, Bec was part of WA's stunning 2010 and 2012 nationals winning outfits, before making her Team Australia debut at the 2008 World Cup in Japan.   #womeninsport #womensbaseball #womensbaseball   

We all want to be back in Melbourne for the 2025 Nationals.   Yes, Post Nationals Depression has hit hard.   So cure what ails ya with this series rewinding to all things April and Melbourne Ballpark.  In this episode, host Amy McCann interviews Sarah McMahon from South Australia. We chat about her experiences in women's baseball, particularly focusing on her return to Nationals after a break, the dynamics of a young South Australian team, and the growth of women's baseball in the region. We discuss the importance of community, leadership, and the excitement surrounding the future of the sport, especially with the talented youth players emerging. Sarah shares personal highlights from her performance and reflects on the camaraderie within her team, emphasising the supportive environment that fosters success. Stay tuned for the Rapid Rewind! 

For the second episode in the 'Oe Cup Wonders' Series, we go back to 2006 and to Taiwan for the second IBAF World Cup, for a chat with Victoria's Terina Stokes.

Hailing from New Zealand, from making her baseball debut in a pair of trackies in the mid 90s, Terina's baseball career took her to the inaugural Victorian (1999) and Australian (2001) teams. And after becoming a mother of two, she made her World Cup debut at the age 37!

#womeninsport #womensbaseball #womeninsbaseball

2023 will see the return of the WBSC women’s baseball world cup for the first time since 2018, so to coincide with this, this season will focus on each of the eight World Cups held since 2004 …….. but with a twist! 

A little background before we dive in. Less than 70 Australian women have donned the green and gold for Australia at a World Cup.  I was privileged and honoured to represent Australia at the first six World Cups between 2004 and 2014 and it got me thinking about all the great team mates I had, many of which played one World Cup. 

Sometimes I hear people say “I only played one… they only played one….’ And I figured we need to stop using the word ‘only’... cos I reckon that to reach the heights of national team selection, whether it is for one, or 6,  or eight World Cups, well, you can play! 

So for this upcoming eight-episode series, I will be sharing the stories of some of Australia’s One Cup Wonders. Eight amazing women who represented Australia at one of these World Cups!  

For the first episode, we head back to the inaugural World Cup in Canada in 2004 to hear Kelly Gunn’s story. 

A right-handed pitcher from NSW, Kelly Gunn shares her baseball journey which took her from a 13-year-old playing with the boys in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire to one of the country’s leading pitchers in the early 2000s including being the winning pitcher in New South Wales’ first ever Nationals victory in 2003 and on the mound when Australia recorded its first ever victory over Japan at World Cup.  #womensbaseball #womeninbaseball #insidepitch

🎧 New Episode Alert 👉 Jason Pospishil - Team Australia Baseball Emeralds Manager.   From how Jason started playing baseball in Sydney, his move into coaching and across to the Emeralds, his coaching philosophies and of course the shaping of the Australian Squad for the 2023 WBSC World Cup, this episode sure has a lot packed into an hour!   Enjoy!   🎧 iTunes https://apple.co/39RLF6T 🎧 Spotify https://spoti.fi/3u2DTOc 🎧 Podbean https://bit.ly/39Suemx   #WomenInBaseball #WomenInSport #SportPodcasts

In 1999 in the western suburbs of Melbourne, 20 of the best women’s baseball players in Victoria would step onto the artificial turf at Melbourne Ballpark in Altona which would begin a legacy that remains unrivalled in the sport in Australia today. 

The event - the inaugural Australian Women's Championships.

The team - the Victorian Women's Team.

The coach - Grant Weir. 

Weir’s squad reigned supreme with an unbeaten run across the first three Australian Championships held from 1999-2001 in Melbourne and Sydney’s Blacktown Olympic Park. So how did it all begin?

 

#AWBC2022 A recap of the final day's WA v NSW game, plus Christina Kreppold, Erin Fox, Laura Neads, Shae Lillywhite and Amy McCann remember Jacinda Barclay & preview the gold medal game. 

#AWBC2022 The first sisters to play for Australia in a World Cup together, Kim and Tammy McMillan join the show to recap the clash of QLD v NSW.   WATCH the episode here https://youtu.be/-E1aEw9guH8    Kim (2008-2018) and Tammy (2016-2018) are both Country NSW alumni, but the pair later moved to play for NSW and QLD respectively.   Hannah Marshall and Jordan Richardson drop in live from Adelaide to recap their games!   ------------------------------------------------------   Women's Baseball the Inside Pitch will be coming at you with daily video podcasts during the 2022 Aussie women's nationals!   A stellar lineup of the country's biggest names to ever take to a nationals diamond will feature across the 2022 Australian Women’s Baseball Championships which are on in Adelaide from April 15-21.   We will chat about what nationals and repping their state means to them, we will relive glory days and best Nationals moments, plus we will discuss all the action from the champs at West Beach!  

#AWBC2022 WOW! Baseball WA walk it off for the second straight night in Adelaide! Joining us to recap a stunning two days for the Perth HEAT is team leader Kaila Borgomastro and team alumni Natalie House (nee Rawlings).   The episode can also be viewed on YouTube here https://youtu.be/LnOSSyEWfl4   Also, apologies for the slight audio lag on Borgs’ video There was a lot going on at the ballpark last night! ****   #womensbaseball #womeninbaseball   ------------------------------------------------------   Women's Baseball the Inside Pitch will be coming at you with daily video podcasts during the 2022 Aussie women's nationals!   A stellar lineup of the country's biggest names to ever take to a nationals diamond will feature across the 2022 Australian Women’s Baseball Championships which are on in Adelaide from April 15-21.   We will chat about what nationals and repping their state means to them, we will relive glory days and best Nationals moments, plus we will discuss all the action from the champs at West Beach!    

#AWBC2022 South Australia's Bianca Smith joins the show to chat about the rise of women's baseball in the state, her work developing the state league, repping the red and blue at Nationals and her work with the Grow Her Game initiative.   #womensbaseball  

#AWBC2022 I chat to 12x Nationals rep and 2012 Team Australia World Cup rep Amanda Torrington who is repping the maroon for Queensland at the 2022 Australian Women's Championships in Adelaide this week.   WATCH THE INTERVIEW https://youtu.be/WOAKf4lvNHc    Torro's nationals career started with Queensland in 2010, before she moved to Victoria where she pulled on the blue and claimed the national title in 2017.   Torro chats to us about providing leadership to the young Queensland team and what it is like being a mum at Nationals.   #WomensBaseball #WomenInBaseball #WomenInSport  

The Inside Pitch #awbc2022 podcasts will be coming at ya daily from the 2022 Australian Women’s Baseball Championship in Adelaide! 

#AWBC2022 Day 3 Victoria v NSW Game Recap with NSW duo Brooke Shiels and Tahnee Lovering plus special episode drop ins from Ticara Geldenhuis (NSW) and Morgan Doty (VIC)!   WATCH THE EPISODE https://fb.watch/csZhyG2FJL/    A dual Team Australia alumni (2006, 2010) Brooke Shiels was part of Australia's 2010 silver medal-winning outfit. A proud NSW team member, across multiple nationals, Brooke claimed the 2006 national title before moving on to become the team's pitching coach for three years from 2014-2016.   Since 2004, Tahnee Lovering has amassed one of world baseball’s most stunning resumes including contesting seven World Cups for Australia, winning silver and bronze medals, selected to the 2016 All World Team, plus a host of national titles with New South Wales.   The Inside Pitch #awbc2022 podcasts will be coming at ya daily from the 2022 Australian Women’s Baseball Championship in Adelaide!   #womeninbaseball #womeninsport #womensbaseball  

We all want to be back in Melbourne for the 2025 Nationals.   Yes, Post Nationals Depression has hit hard.   So cure what ails ya with this series rewinding to all things April and Melbourne Ballpark.  In this episode, host Amy McCann interviews Charlotte Stokes, a rising star in Queensland women's baseball.   Tune in to hear them discuss Charlotte's transition from youth baseball to competing at the national level, her memorable performances during the nationals, and the challenges she faced as a rookie.   Charlotte shares insights on team dynamics, her goals for the future, and highlights a promising player to watch.    Stay tuned for the Rapid Rewind!    Chapters 00:00Introduction to Women's Baseball Nationals 2025 00:48Charlotte's Transition from Youth to Nationals 01:42Facing Tough Competitors and Memorable Moments 03:08Toughest faced at Nationals 04:29Recapping the big moments 05:12Team Dynamics 06:36Best bit of advice received at Nationals 09:02Goals 10:02Stokes' QLD player to watch 10:59Rapid Fire Nationals Rewind 11:51Rapid Fire Qs - QLD go to snack 12:33Rapid Fire Qs - Playlist selection 13:29Rapid Fire Qs - Fun Fact! 15:25New Chapter  

The Inside Pitch #awbc2022 podcasts will be coming at ya daily from the 2022 Australian Women’s Baseball Championship in Adelaide!   Australian and Victorian alumni Kathy Welsh joins the show to chat about all things nationals, opening day, Victoria's double header and more! Plus Aussie and Vic star Bronwyn Gell drops in live from Adelaide following a huge double-header day for the Vics who took two wins.   WATCH THE EPISODE https://fb.watch/csZj8oAkqa/    (Please excuse the audio delay late in the episode, due to an Optus network shutdown in Victoria on Saturday, was a bit chaotic at the end!)   #womeninbaseball #womeninsport #womensbaseball  

  In an epic episode, I chat with Australian baseball history enthusiast Tanith Harley who takes us through the origins of baseball in Australia for girls and women which date back to 1909! In the second half of the episode, we bring to you a full rundown of the 1934 All-Australian Women's Baseball Interstate Series held at the University of Sydney including an in-depth discussion on the teams, players, uniforms, equipment and a game-by-game recap! Head to our socials for photos!  

• Facebook @WomensBaseballInsidePitch 
• Instagram @womensbaseballinsidepitch 
• Twitter @womens_baseball

#womensbaseball #womeninbaseball #womeninsport #womenssport #sportshistory 

Karina Connors

My guest today is Karina Connors, or Sexo, cos when I met her she was Karina Sexton so that is what so many of us still call her. 

A born and bred Lismorian (Lismore is on the far north coast of New South Wales just 100km south of the NSW/QLD border), Karina first picked up a tee-ball bat in the 80s before then taking up softball.

Once she switched to baseball as a teenager, Karina begin building one enviable resume which leaves her as the only far north coast baseballer to have been selected for the Australian women's baseball team and the longest-serving Queensland baseball team representative - male or female - with 17 years spent in the maroon! 

But beneath the stats is a story of hard work, determination, heartbreak and joy, from three career-threatening injuries to the birth of her daughter in the middle of her career, to a long-awaited World Cup debut after she had officially retired. 

Now Karina is still involved in coaching baseball, but more significantly, doing her part to help rebuild a local community and baseball family in her hometown of Lismore, which was recently devastated by the floods of February 2022.

How you can help

From a world-class baseball facility, home of the Australian Little League Championships and Timberjacks Friendship Series, to a disaster zone. Far North Coast Baseball is actively seeking support to help rebuild the Albert Park baseball complex following the devastating floods that have impacted our region. All proceeds will go to the restoration of the complex and the clubs that make up the Far North Coast Baseball Association under the guidance of the FNC Baseball Association board of management. Every $$ helps us get one step close to having kids playing baseball and bringing tournaments back to Lismore.  

• Far North Coast Baseball
• GoFundMe 
• Donations Register

#WomensBaseballInsidePitch #Podcast #WomensBaseball #InsidePitch #WomenInBaseball #WomenInSport 

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness against gender bias, and take action for equality. The theme for 2022 International Women's Day (IWD) is #BreakTheBias.

In baseball, many women have had to break bias at some point in their baseball journey, whether it has been as a player, an umpire, coach, scorer, in the media or management positions. 

On 2022 International Women's Day, I have chosen to feature and celebrate three women in baseball in Victoria, Australia who are leading by example on and off the field. 

Jennie Moloney is changing the game off the field from the scorer’s box. A life member and member of the team of the century at the Williamstown Baseball Club, Jennie began her scoring career at her very first game of baseball in 1976. Jennie has since scored at three Olympic Games, is currently one of just five members of the WBSC Scoring Commission, was named the 2019 WBSC Scorer of the Year, and in 2021 was appointed to the Baseball Scoring Director for the Tokyo Olympic Games. 

When Janine Thompson saw no women on a list of registered umpires in Melbourne in 2006, she thought would do something about it by umpiring herself. 15 years later, Janine is the only woman currently umpiring in the Baseball Victoria Victorian Summer Baseball League, has umpired countless Women’s National Championships, and has also umpired in Hong Kong and the USA. She was part of an all-women’s umpiring crew at the Baseball Australia Showcase in 2021 which she will do again in 2022. 

Abbey McLellan’s journey in baseball has been one of commitment and persistence. Bursting onto the scene as a 11yo playing in Footscray Baseball Club’s Under 16 team, the hard hitting outfielder turned catcher’s career was almost derailed at just 21 years of age when a knee reconstruction ended her 2016 National Championships and World Cup aspirations. However, in a story of never letting go of your dreams, Abbey came back to represent her country at the 2018 World Cup and is now a leader of the Victorian Women’s Baseball team. 

#IWD2022 #WomensBaseballInsidePitch #Podcast #WomensBaseball #InsidePitch

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness against gender bias, and take action for equality. The theme for 2022 International Women's Day (IWD) is #BreakTheBias.

In baseball, many women have had to break bias at some point in their baseball journey, whether it has been as a player, an umpire, coach, scorer, in the media or management positions. 

On 2022 International Women's Day, I have chosen to feature and celebrate three women in baseball in Victoria, Australia who are leading by example on and off the field. 

Jennie Moloney is changing the game off the field from the scorer’s box. A life member and member of the team of the century at the Williamstown Baseball Club, Jennie began her scoring career at her very first game of baseball in 1976. Jennie has since scored at three Olympic Games, is currently one of just five members of the WBSC Scoring Commission, was named the 2019 WBSC Scorer of the Year, and in 2021 was appointed to the Baseball Scoring Director for the Tokyo Olympic Games. 

When Janine Thompson saw no women on a list of registered umpires in Melbourne in 2006, she thought would do something about it by umpiring herself. 15 years later, Janine is the only woman currently umpiring in the Baseball Victoria Victorian Summer Baseball League, has umpired countless Women’s National Championships, and has also umpired in Hong Kong and the USA. She was part of an all-women’s umpiring crew at the Baseball Australia Showcase in 2021 which she will do again in 2022. 

Abbey McLellan’s journey in baseball has been one of commitment and persistence. Bursting onto the scene as a 11yo playing in Footscray Baseball Club’s Under 16 team, the hard-hitting outfielder turned catcher’s career was almost derailed at just 21 years of age when a knee reconstruction ended her 2016 National Championships and World Cup aspirations. However, in a story of never letting go of your dreams, Abbey came back to represent her country at the 2018 World Cup and is now a leader of the Victorian Women’s Baseball team. 

You can find Women’s Baseball - The Inside Pitch on Apple iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music/Audible, Google Podcasts, Podbean, or wherever you listen to your podcasts!  

#IWD2022 #WomensBaseballInsidePitch #Podcast #WomensBaseball #InsidePitch

2022 International Women’s Day: 

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness against gender bias, and take action for equality. The theme for 2022 International Women's Day (IWD) is #BreakTheBias.

In baseball, many women have had to break bias at some point in their baseball journey, whether it has been as a player, an umpire, coach, scorer, in the media or management positions. 

On 2022 International Women's Day, I have chosen to feature and celebrate three women in baseball in Victoria, Australia who are leading by example on and off the field. 

Jennie Moloney is changing the game off the field from the scorer’s box. A life member and member of the team of the century at the Williamstown Baseball Club, Jennie began her scoring career at her very first game of baseball in 1976. Jennie has since scored at three Olympic Games, is currently one of just five members of the WBSC Scoring Commission, was named the 2019 WBSC Scorer of the Year, and in 2021 was appointed to the Baseball Scoring Director for the Tokyo Olympic Games. 

When Janine Thompson saw no women on a list of registered umpires in Melbourne in 2006, she thought would do something about it by umpiring herself. 15 years later, Janine is the only woman currently umpiring in the Baseball Victoria Victorian Summer Baseball League, has umpired countless Women’s National Championships, and has also umpired in Hong Kong and the USA. She was part of an all-women’s umpiring crew at the Baseball Australia Showcase in 2021 which she will do again in 2022. 

Abbey McLellan’s journey in baseball has been one of commitment and persistence. Bursting onto the scene as a 11yo playing in Footscray Baseball Club’s Under 16 team, the hard hitting catcher’s career was almost derailed at just 21 years of age after a knee reconstruction ended her 2016 World Cup campaign. However, in a story of never letting go of your dreams, Abbey came back to represent her country at the 2018 World Cup and is now a leader of the Victorian Women’s Baseball team. 

#IWD2022 #WomensBaseballInsidePitch #Podcast #WomensBaseball #InsidePitch

S02 E02 - Tahnee Lovering - Australia

When you’ve spent 18 years at the highest level of any sport, one thing is clear, you must be one of the very best in the game.     

And Sydney’s Tahnee Lovering is just that.  

Tahnee was hooked on baseball from the age of 6 and instantly fell in love with catching. 

Selected to make her National Championships debut with New South Wales at 16 as a bullpen catcher, in a cinderella story, just six months later, Tahnee found herself in the green and gold of Australia, and one of the youngest players at the 2004 World Series and World Cup. 

Since 2004, Tahnee has amassed one of world baseball’s most stunning resumes including contesting seven World Cups for Australia, winning silver and bronze medals, being selected to the 2016 all-world team, plus a host of national titles with New South Wales.

But between the list of accolades is one of the most inspirational stories of hard work and fierce determination. Tahnee discusses her start in the sport, setbacks, fightbacks, her favourite memories and just how she has spent 18 years at the top in one of the most brutal positions in all of world sport. 

Full disclosure, I did put her on the spot by asking her to name the best pitcher she has ever caught too…. and I fully appreciate the magnitude of the question days later after she has messaged me asking me to read a long list of names of people she didn’t say… so that’s on me, I will apologize to everyone she has ever caught too! 

Anyway, it was an absolute privilege to share the field with Tahnee at multiple world cups for Australia and be a part of her amazing career as a teammate and rival. 

And it is my honour to share her story with you today.

17-year-old Australian Genevieve Beacom made history in January 2022 as the first female pitcher for an Australian professional baseball team. 

Gen took to the mound in the sixth inning for the Melbourne Aces in the team's Melbourne Challenge Series game against the Adelaide Giants. She pitched a scoreless inning without giving up a hit at Melbourne Ballpark.

It wasn't the first time however that Gen has become the first girl or woman to break a new barrier or set a new milestone in baseball with the Melbourne pitcher also boasting the honours of being the first woman to pitch in a Victorian Summer League division one game, the first girl selected to a Victorian U16 team and to play for Australia at the Cal Ripken Series.

Listen to Gen's story about this memorable night, about why she chose baseball, why she loves the sport, and what the future holds! 

#WomensBaseballInsidePitch #WomensBaseball #InsidePitch

 

#WomensBaseballInsidePitch Up next on The Inside Pitch, I head to Europe, Rotterdam in The Netherlands to be specific, to chat with five-time World Cup veteran Loes Asmus. Loes chats about her start in baseball at seven years of age, before a switch her sport of choice to softball as there were no opportunities in the Netherlands for girls to keep playing baseball as a teenager.  Loes was part of the inaugural Dutch National Team in 2010, and her journey has included five World Cups, the first European Women's Championships and a trip to play ball down under.    Apple iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/womens-baseball-the-inside-pitch/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7JUNZohOnJcnPwblYtRpxV?si=P-76Qs_JQYGuO-pp1GKfXA Podbean https://womensbaseballinsidepitch.podbean.com/   #WomensBaseball #WomeninBaseball #WomenInSport 

2021 signifies the twentieth anniversary of the inaugural Women's World Series held in July of 2001.

The World Series, which was won by the USA and featured games at the Toronto SkyDome, was the precursor of the Women's World Cup as we know it today.

The first episode in a special three-part series on the World Series featured Donna Mills of the USA, with episode two featuring Canada’s Kate Psota.

At just 15 years of age, Kate was one of the youngest at the World Series, and credits the experience in launching her international career which boasts a record eight World Cup appearances including six medals! 

Amy McCann caught up with Kate to talk all things World Series, World Cup, her move from player to coach and more! 

Key Links

• Baseball Canada Women's National Team 
• Olympic Team Canada Kate Psota
• Women's Baseball World Series 
• Psota announces retirement from Canada Women’s Baseball National Team 

Don't forget to throw us a like on social media too at:

• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WomensBaseballInsidePitch 
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/womensbaseballinsidepitch/ 
• Twitter https://twitter.com/womens_baseball

#WomensBaseballInsidePitch #womeninbaseball #womensbaseball 

Caitlin Eynon and Chloe Atkinson join the show for the fifth and final episode in our Girls Are Players Too series. 

Host Amy McCann and co-hosts Tahnee Lovering and Amy Cannington, chat all things the history of WA Women's Baseball, the grit and determination of the players, the emergence of new stars, and their fave WA players of all time.   Caitlin and Chloe share insights on training, the Elite Series and their 2023 National Championship win.   The discussion also touches on the lessons learned from international experiences, the significance of mindset in baseball, and the challenges faced by two-way players and the 2025 Nationals.  'Drip or Skip' returns where we evaluate sports fashion choices including eye black and more..... 

 

Chapters

00:00 Intro 02:12 The Final Intro with Amac, Tahn and Sister 03:10 Whaddya think when ya think WA? 08:26 Whats in story for WA in 2025? 11:52 Caitlin and Chloe Join the show 12:48 Caitlin and Chloe on their start in the sport 16:10 Giants and Braves and clubland in WA 19:05 2023 - Champions of Australia 21:28 Stepping up on the international stage 25:46 Baseball - its 90% mental  33:36 Multi-way players finding balance 37:26 Gold to fifth to ??? 39:39 WA player to WAtch 41:05 Second oldest is how old? 44:13 Drip or Skip: Yellow or Red? 46:46 Drip or Skip: Eye black & the grey skies of Melbourne 49:01 Drip or Skip: Dirty Mids 53:23 Drip or Skip: Batting gloves.... or glove :)  56:38 The final countdown

#WomensBaseballInsidePitch In celebration of the 2021 Women In Baseball Week which runs July 25-31, and in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the inaugural Women's World Series held in July 2001, we bring to you a special three-part mini-podcast series!

The theme of Women In Baseball Week in 2021 is 'Breaking Barriers: Women in Baseball Around the World' and the 2001 Women's World Series did just that!

In 2000, American Jim Glennie made a call to Japanese, Canadian and Australian baseball representatives asking them to travel to Canada to play an international women’s tournament. 

The World Series, which was won by the USA and featured games at the Toronto SkyDome, was the precursor of the Women's World Cup as we know it today.

The first episode in this series features Donna Mills of the USA. Donna took part in the 2001 World Series and credits the tournament for launching her baseball career that boasts dual World Cup gold in 2004 and 2006, in addition to World Cup MVP honours in 2006.

Amy McCann caught up with Donna to discuss her beginnings in the game, breaking college softball records, her World Cup feats and what she remembers of that first World Series all these years later!

#womeninbaseballweek

 

For Episode 6, we travelled to Ota City, Gunma prefecture, about 80 kilometres outside of Tokyo, to chat with Chelsea Forkin!   From her start as the 2003 Baseball.com.au Women's Nationals batgirl to the 2004 World Cup Baseball All-World Team, onto numerous World Championships with Softball Australia and a USA Pro Softball career, before returning to the Team Australia Baseball in 2016, Chelsea's resume with either bat and ball is one to be envied.   And on July 1, she was named to the Australian Olympic Team 15-woman softball squad for Tokyo 2020!    #WomensBaseballInsidePitch #WomensBaseball #WomenInSport #womeninbaseball #Softball #Tokyo2020

#WomensBaseballInsidePitch Episode 5 has dropped!

After travelling from Australia to the USA, over to the UK, back across to Canada, this week we are off to the land of the rising sun - Japan!

We chat with five-time World Cup rep Risa Nakashima who started her Team Japan playing career in 2002 before going on to win four world titles between 2008 and 2014.

Moving into the coaching ranks, Risa was an assistant coach for Team Japan in 2016 and Team Australia in 2018.

For the 2020/21 World Cup (fingers crossed we see it played soon) Risa will aim to lead Japan to a seventh straight World Cup gold as the Women’s National Team Head Coach.

Enjoy! 

Search "Women’s Baseball - The Inside Pitch" or visit:

🎧 Apple iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/womens-baseball-the-inside-pitch/id1562653656

🎧 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7JUNZohOnJcnPwblYtRpxV?si=FFvYo6jvSNOxL8UdGSWAfQ

🎧 Podbean https://womensbaseballinsidepitch.podbean.com/

#WomensBaseball #InsidePitch

#WomensBaseballInsidePitch Episode 4 - Bonjour fans! 

Bienvenue to episode four of Women's Baseball, The Inside Pitch which features Canadian National Women’s Team member Daphnee Gelinas.

24yo Daphnee, who hails from Canada's mostly French-speaking Québec province, talks with us about how she got started in the sport in Canada (teaser - she is actually a leftie who decided to switch so she could catch!), juggling training in sub-zero degree temperatures, her rise through the ranks of the national team, her amazing performance at the 2018 World Cup and a whole lot more women’s baseball!! 

#WomensBaseball #InsidePitch

Links

• USA v Canada 2018 World Cup Bronze medal Game 
• Canadian Girls Baseball 

Don't forget to throw us a like on social media too at:

• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WomensBaseballInsidePitch 
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/womensbaseballinsidepitch/ 
• Twitter https://twitter.com/womens_baseball