The Oakland Ballers sign Kelsie Whitmore, who would become the first woman to play in the Pioneer League

Kelsie Whitmore – the first woman to sign with an Atlantic League team in 2022 – will make history again. Whitmore has signed with the Oakland Ballers for their inaugural season and is poised to become the first woman to play in the Pioneer League, which began operations in 1939 and is currently an MLB affiliate league.

Whitmore, one of three players the Ballers signed after their open tryout April 6 in Oakland, Calif., played collegiate softball for Cal State Fullerton and has been a member of the U.S. Women's Women's Team since 2014 as an outfielder. National baseball team and pitcher. In 2022, she was named U.S. Baseball Female Athlete of the Year. A native of Temecula, California, Whitmore first played professionally for the Sonoma Stompers of the Northern California-based independent Pacific Association in 2016-17.

In 2022, she made history by becoming the first woman to sign with an Atlantic League team when she agreed to a contract with the Staten Island FerryHawks. Whitmore played two seasons for the FerryHawks as both an outfielder and pitcher.

Whitmore was in talks with another team for the 2024 season when Don Wakamatsu, the Ballers' director of baseball operations, made contact. The longtime major league manager and coach had learned about Whitmore through contacts and wanted to inform her about his team's upcoming tryout. He called not with an offer, but with the opportunity to prove she could compete at the Pioneer League level. Not afraid of a challenge, Whitmore seized the opportunity.

“I really respected that because I wanted a fair shot to prove myself physically in the competition,” she said. She and her father spent the last month preparing for tryouts. When the day came last Saturday, she was confident she was ready to perform.

“To be honest, I wasn't nervous at all. I prepared mentally and physically to the point where I just felt ready,” she said. “There was no pressure in me. I've experienced so many moments under pressure that you get used to it. And when the moment comes, all you can do is do your best and not think too much about where your body needs to be, just compete.

“I firmly believe in God. And so I just said to myself: Don't be afraid of what's coming, which is this tryout and all eyes are on you. Just remember that no matter what happens, God is with you and you will be okay.”

Ballers manager Micah Franklin had never seen Whitmore play before the tryout, but when he saw her pitch, he was excited.

“I'm so happy. I'm thrilled,” Franklin said. “As soon as I saw her get out, I was like, 'Hell yeah, I want her on our team.' I’m a father of three girls and I think it’s very, very important to show that you can do it.”

Franklin said signing Whitmore was about improving the team. He said Wakamatsu and team owners Paul Freedman and Bryan Carmel directly asked whether the coaching staff believed Whitmore could compete in the league. Franklin was clear that he believed she could do it.

“We didn’t sign her because of (her gender),” he said. “If I didn’t believe she would get out, she wouldn’t have gotten a contract.”

Whitmore is used to questioning whether she belongs on the same field as male professional baseball players. She said she has learned over the years to deal with being the only woman on a team and deal with the scrutiny that comes with it. She is keenly aware of what she means to younger women and girls who want to play baseball and takes pride in leading by example.

🇺🇸⚾ This pitch from Kelsie Whitmore: *chef's kiss* #BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/ddHdqZ5Urq

— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 12, 2023

“You want to give back and inspire,” Whitmore said. “I don’t think there’s any pressure. I simply see it as a privilege, an opportunity to encourage, empower, inspire and motivate those around me. And in this case, hopefully all the younger girls who need it.

“It’s just a privilege to be a part of something like this and I’m looking forward to it.”

Although Whitmore has been a two-way player for most of her professional career, she will only pitch for the Ballers. Franklin envisions her coming out of the bullpen, where he thinks she will be effective as a relief arm.

“I love the fact that it gives us a different look (out of the bullpen),” Franklin said.

Whitmore is looking forward to being able to just focus on pitching.

“When you're focused on a lot of things, it's hard to give 100 percent of your attention to all of those little things,” she said. “I wanted to give everything of myself so that I could get the best out of myself in my job.

“I’m really excited that my role will be that of a pitcher,” she added. “I can wake up and focus on it. I can fall asleep, concentrate on it and that’s it.”

In addition to Whitmore, the Ballers have excluded infielder Andrew Martinez and right-hander Connor Caporale from tryouts. The Ballers will open their inaugural season on May 21 at the Glacier Range Riders in Kalispell, Montana, and play their home games at Raimondi Park in West Oakland. MLB legends Frank Robinson and Curt Flood, among others, played on the historic field as youngsters. Currently, $1.6 million in renovations are underway and are scheduled to be completed before the home's June 4 opening.

Whitmore said one of the biggest highlights of her time at Staten Island was getting to know and becoming a part of the community there. She hopes to have the same opportunity in Oakland and is excited to play in front of her family living in Southern California, including her grandparents, who haven't seen her play professionally in years.

“I’m excited to see what I can build now in the Northern California region,” she said. “Even though it’s a new place, it’s still the same game.”

(Photo of Kelsie Whitmore with Staten Island in 2022: Al Bello / Getty Images)