County Celebrates Women’s Baseball Ahead of Pro League Debut

A new exhibit celebrating the history of women’s baseball and softball in Sangamon County opened last week as Springfield prepares to host the inaugural season of the Women’s Professional Baseball League this summer.

The exhibit, “100 Years of Women’s Baseball and Softball in Sangamon County,” is on display on the second floor of the Sangamon County Building in downtown Springfield. Developed in partnership with the Sangamon County Historical Society, the display highlights local women’s involvement in baseball and softball over the past century through photographs, documents and stories from the community.

A second display, created with the Springfield Art Association, features baseball-themed artwork by Rod Buffington.

The exhibits come at a time when Springfield is preparing for a larger role in the sport’s future. The Women’s Professional Baseball League will play its entire inaugural season at Robin Roberts Stadium beginning Aug. 1, bringing professional women’s baseball to the city for a seven-week regular season and postseason play in September.

Teams representing New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco are expected to compete in Springfield. The league’s schedule runs from Aug. 1 through Sept. 6, with playoff competition beginning Sept. 9. Most games are expected to be played Wednesday through Sunday, with evening start times.

Springfield’s selection connects the new league to a long local history with women’s baseball. The city hosted one of the earliest paid women’s baseball games in 1875 and later was home to the Springfield Sallies, who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the 1948 season.

League officials have described the Springfield season as the start of a broader effort to rebuild professional opportunities for women in baseball. League commissioner Justine Siegal said the inaugural season is meant to help launch “a new era of professional baseball.”

The exhibits are open to the public during regular business hours at the Sangamon County Building.