Temecula’s Kelsie Whitmore is quickly becoming the face of women’s baseball progress, according to Sports Illustrated, and if you’re a fan, or knew her growing up, you know this is something she has been doing since she was a kid. As a young ball player, she went through the ranks of the local youth baseball leagues, was an all-star, and dominated at the travel ball and showcase level. Whitmore went on to play baseball at Temecula Valley High School, where she excelled even more.
At age 17, after graduating high school, Kelsie made national news when she signed to play for the independent Sonoma Stompers, but that was after she had already been making her mark in the world of baseball as a dual threat for USA Baseball’s women’s team. Her career with Team USA dates all the way back to a silver medal in the 2014 Women’s Baseball World Cup and a gold medal at the Pan Am Games in 2015. Whitmore, who had a dual role, pitched to a 1.35 ERA over 26 ⅔ innings with Team USA from 2014 to 2019. She also hit .348 during the 2019 Pan Am games.
Whitmore played softball in college at Cal State Fullerton, simply because there were not any college baseball teams for women, let alone scholarships. But winning the 2021 Field Player of the Year in the Big West Conference with a .395/.507/.824 slash line is nothing to scoff at for a female baseball player that adapted to softball for a portion of her life.
Whitmore has never stopped working at her baseball craft and has always been wary of getting opportunities born of publicity and not her ability to compete on the field. Last summer she made waves again when she signed on to pitch for the independent Portland Pickles for their trip to Mexico. As usual, Whitmore excelled, throwing five shutout innings in her start, and blasting a double in her time at the plate.
According to a recent Sports Illustrated article, Kelsie has trained with former major leaguer Joe Beimel at Beimel Elite Athletics for years, always looking to maximize her ability to command her five-pitch arsenal. Her goal is to turn herself into the best ballplayer she can be. And now she will get to put that arsenal to the test as the 23-year-old has once again made history by signing with the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League. The move, made Friday, April 8, makes her one of the first women to sign a contract with a professional league affiliated with Major League Baseball, and she hopes she won’t be the last.
“I’m very grateful and excited for this opportunity to sign with the FerryHawks,” Whitmore said.
No one is promising her anything. There is no special treatment, which she wouldn’t accept anyway. She does want anything other than a contract and a spot in spring training. And, of course, she does get a locker of her own. With the signing of the contract, she now has to prove that she is capable of getting hitters out in an elite independent league, one that has sent 83 players on to affiliated ball since just the start of the 2021 season.
“At the end of the day, Kelsie is a baseball lifer,” FerryHawks general manager Gary Perone said. “If someone loves the game and has proved themselves time and time again, then they deserve to be given an opportunity.”
Whitmore spent last Friday with Nelson Figueroa, Pitching Coach for the FerryHawks, where she got in a bullpen session to prepare her for an invitation-only tryout on Saturday afternoon. Then she will be with the team for spring training, which began on Monday of this week.
“Kelsie is with us today because of her drive, perseverance, and her fiery passion to outwork any person that we sign,” Perone said. “Today Kelsie is paving the way for so many young girls who play baseball across the country.”
The Atlantic League is also adopting the Shohei Ohtani Rule, allowing the starting pitcher to be a designated hitter, so Whitmore, who also plays the outfield, relishes the chance to both hit and potentially stay in the game as DH once her pitching duties are through. The FerryHawks may use her as a two-way player, so she will have to stay ready.
“The culture and competitiveness of this ballclub just feels right to be a part of,” Whitmore said last Friday in a statement. “I’ve been working for an opportunity like this my whole life, and I’m ready to get after it and compete.”
Whitmore and the FerryHawks will open their 2022 Spring Training camp on April 11 and begin their regular season on April 22 vs. the Charleston Dirty Birds. To follow the action visit https://ferryhawks.com.
JP Raineri can be reached at sports@reedermedia.com.
