FIRST U.S. WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE IN 72 YEARS MAKES HISTORY WITH SOLD-OUT OPENER*

The launch of the Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL) marks a historic milestone for the sport, with the first U.S. women's professional baseball league in 72 years selling out its opening game and signaling a new era for women's baseball. Co-founded by Justine Siegal, the first woman to coach a men's professional baseball team, the league has generated tremendous excitement after selecting 60 players across four city-based teams from a global pool of more than 600 applicants. The overwhelming response underscores the growing appetite for professional opportunities for women in baseball and highlights the expanding global talent pipeline eager to compete at the highest level.

The inaugural season will be played entirely in Springfield, Illinois, while sports broadcasting giant ESPN is set to stream 37 games to audiences across the United States, providing the league with unprecedented national exposure from its very first season. Beyond the sold-out opener, the WPBL represents an important step toward creating sustainable professional pathways for female athletes, expanding commercial opportunities for the sport, and inspiring a new generation of girls to pursue baseball at the highest level. If early interest is any indication, the league has the potential to become a transformative force in the future of women's professional sports.