Haven’t been paying attention to the Women’s Pro Baseball Team? You should, it’s based in Springfield, Illinois

By Sally Tippett Rains

You thought you heard something recently about a women’s pro baseball league, hut did you know it’s in full swing and less than two hours from St. Louis.  the league has high caliber players, and it’s a lot of fun to attend the games. We want to encourage you to take the short trip to Springfield, Illinois and support them by checking out a game.

The Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) is playing its historic inaugural season having started Aug. 1. This is the first professional women’s baseball league in the United States since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) which was founded in 1943 by Chicago Cubs owner Phillip K. Wrigley during World War II while the men were away at war. This current league was formed by baseball pioneer Justine Siegal and  Canadian entrepreneur Keith Stein.

Siegal, who became the first woman to coach in an MLB organization when she was hired by the Oakland A’s; also serves as the league’s first commissioner

The AAGPBL league dissolved in 1954. That was the league that “A League of their Own” was based on. An interesting comparison was that league provided baseball during World War II and as the Players Organization and MLB struggle to find common ground, there could be  the real possibility of a late start for baseball next year or even no season, so the women could get center stage again in 2027.

St. Louisans may remember the International Women’s Professional Softball Association (WPSA) which ran from 1977-79 and included the St. Louis Hummers with stars like Margie Wright and Nancy “Boomer” Nelson, but this is the first baseball league for women in seventy years.

This new league plays all of their games at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois for the inaugural season. The stadium is not named after the famous basketball player turned Good Morning America host, it is named for  Robin Roberts the Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher and legendary MLB player, who was a Springfield native and a graduate of local Lanphier High School, which sits next to the ballpark.

Mike Rains, one-half of the “Rains on the Cardinals” Podcast decided to check it out with his wife, Lori and their friends. We asked Lori what she thought of it. She works in baseball and is an all-around sports fan and former college athlete, who grew up in Bloomington, Illinois, which is about an hour from Springfield.

“It was a really cool experience that I’d recommend for any female baseball fan!” she said. “Actually everyone who loves baseball will appreciate it.”

They drove up and back in one day and really enjoyed the whole game-day experience.

“The photo of our group is with the mascot Maybelle,” said Lori. “She’s modeled after Maybelle Blair who is the last surviving member of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. At a ripe 99 years young, she threw out the first pitch for the Opening Game of the WPBL.”

Why Springfield? There is a lot of history in the town as Springfield, Illinois is recognized as the site of an early professional women’s baseball game in 1875 featuring the historic “Blondes and Brunettes” teams.

The city also hosted the “Springfield Sallies” during the 1948 season of the historic All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The Sallies played one year in that league and then transitioned into a rookie touring and development team for a couple of years.

Springfield serves as the exclusive neutral host city for the inaugural season of the WPBL.

Games are covered via ESPN and the Scripps Sports Network., as well as via the official WPBL YouTube Channel for fans outside the United State

For the inaugural 2026 season, there are some high-profile and famous trailblazers in women’s baseball.