Kelsie Whitmore — the first woman to sign a contract with an Atlantic League team in 2022 — is set to make history again. Whitmore has signed with the Oakland Ballers for their inaugural season and is poised to be the first woman to play in the Pioneer League, which began operations in 1939 and is currently an MLB partner league.
Whitmore, who was one of three players the Ballers signed following their open tryout in Oakland, Calif., on April 6, starred collegiately for Cal State Fullerton in softball and has been a member of the USA national women’s baseball team since 2014 as an outfielder and pitcher. In 2022, she was named USA Baseball Sportswoman of the Year. A native of Temecula, Calif., Whitmore first played professionally in 2016-17 for the Sonoma Stompers of the Northern California-based independent Pacific Association.
In 2022, she made history as 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 Ballers director of baseball operations Don Wakamatsu reached out. The longtime major-league manager and coach had heard about Whitmore through contacts and wanted to let her know about his team’s upcoming tryout. He wasn’t calling with an offer but instead, an opportunity to prove she could compete at the Pioneer League level. Never afraid of a challenge, Whitmore jumped at the opportunity.
“I actually really respected that because I wanted a fair shot to prove myself physically while competing,” she said. She and her dad spent the last month preparing for the tryout. When the day came last Saturday, she was confident she was ready to perform.
“To be honest, I wasn’t nervous one bit. I prepared mentally and physically to the point where I just felt ready,” she said. “There was no pressure within me. I’ve been in so many pressure moments, you get used to it. And all you can do when the moment comes is go all out and don’t overthink where your body needs to be, you just compete.
“I’m a firm believer in God. And so I just told myself, don’t be afraid of what you’re walking into, which is this tryout and you have all eyes on you. Just remember God’s with you no matter what, and you’re gonna be fine.
