Fans will have the opportunity to watch the launch of a new pro sports league next summer in Springfield.
The Women's Professional Baseball League plans its inaugural season with four teams named for major cities: New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston.
But the games will be played in the Capital City.
A player draft is planned for Thursday and will be broadcast live on YouTube, Instagram and Tik Tok.
League organizers say they chose Springfield because of its location and the city was also the site of the first game where women were paid to play baseball in 1875.
The city also had a women’s pro team after World War II called the Sallies. It was part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which was founded in 1943 and made famous in the film A League of Their Own.
“Robin Roberts Stadium not only offers a central, strategic location with convenient access to Chicago O’Hare and St. Louis international airports but is a first-rate venue where WPBL teams will be the only baseball played during our season,” the league said in a statement.
Robin Roberts Stadium seats more than 5,000 fans.
“The WPBL will re-write history by creating an elite league that provides the world’s best female players with the platform they deserve and serve as a catalyst for the creation of a women’s baseball culture in America,” the league announced.
The League is co-founded by baseball pioneer, Justine Siegal, the first woman to coach a professional men’s baseball team and to pitch batting practice against a Major League Baseball team. She is also the Founder of Baseball for All.
“I am so excited that there will finally be a professional women’s baseball league – it is a dream come true for all the girls and women who play America’s Pastime,” said Siegal.
Baseball pitcher Ayami Sato and former World Series Winning MLB Manager, Cito Gaston, are serving as special advisors to the WPBL. League Co-Founder, Keith Stein, is a lawyer and businessman with a history in professional sports leagues and team ownership.
“We believe that the success of other women’s professional leagues such as the WNBA and NWSL demonstrates the incredible interest and support for women’s sport,” Stein said.
The WPBL said it plans on securing a national broadcast deal for its inaugural season which will consist of a regular season, playoffs and championship.
“The Women’s Pro Baseball League is here for all the girls and women who dream of a place to showcase their talents and play the game they love,” added Siegal. “We have been waiting over 70 years for a professional baseball league we can call our own. Our time is now.”
The games will be played after the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes, a Prospect League team, ends its season. The WPBL will begin play in August 2026 with a schedule that runs through September.
The 2026 Women's Baseball World Cup is scheduled for Rockford from July 22–26.
