Davis returns to the field, finding her place in the Women's Pro Baseball League

WASHINGTON (AP) — A small crowd of people gathered around the bullpen at the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball academy to watch Mo'ne Davis pitch on the first day of the Women's Professional Baseball League tryouts. Their phones were raised to capture the moment, as the former Little League World Series sensation called out "two-seamer!" before firing a fastball toward the catcher a few feet away. Davis hasn't pitched in front of an audience in several years, but she's grown accustomed to attention. At 13, she made history as the first girl to pitch a victory — and a shutout — in the 2014 Little League World Series. Her performance instantly turned her into a household name. She landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated, won an ESPY and starred in a commercial directed by Spike Lee. With a catalog of accomplishments before she even reached high school, there was a point in her life that Davis was content with walking away from sports. But after a brief hiatus — and a nagging competitive itch — she's returning to the game that made her famous. Last month, Davis signed with the WPBL, a six-team circuit launching in May 2026 that is set to be the first U.S. pro league for women since the All-American Girls Baseball League folded in 1954. The goal of the league is to offer a sustainable professional path for women's baseball players, who have often had few playing opportunities beyond youth competition. For Davis, the WPBL represents an opportunity to build on what she accomplished in her childhood and chart a new path for herself — one that follows the advice her longtime baseball coach Steve Bandura once gave her. "He said, 'Don't let 13 be the peak of your life,'" Davis said. "There's more in store for me. I just have to go find it, and go get it." Davis earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Hampton University and recently received a masters degree in sports management from Columbia. She's pursued different professional avenues over the past few years, including providing commentary on ESPN for Little League games and interning with MLB Network and the Los Angeles Dodgers in video production. At the time, it didn't seem like a pro playing career was an option. "Baseball was not on the horizon at all," Davis said, adding that not knowing her next steps wasn't easy but gave her the freedom to figure out what she truly wants to do. She tried pickup basketball and content creation. She joined a travel flag football league in the Northeast. "I was always taught when you're young, when you're in your 20s is the best time to just try things," she said, "because you don't want to hop right into a job that you don't like and be stuck in it for 20 years." Davis said playing flag football reignited her competitive edge. The teamwork, the experience of losing games again — she hates losing — all contributed to her desire to return to baseball, which she hadn't played since 2020 with the Anderson Monarchs travel team. "Ultimately, I always figured I would always come back to baseball, somehow," Davis said. "I didn't think I would be playing, though." Davis saw an announcement earlier this year that about the WPBL's plans to launch next season. She wasn't initially sure that it was real. Baseball culture for women in the U.S. has been largely dormant since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League folded more than half a century ago — though its players were immortalized in the classic 1992 film "A League of Their Own." Girls were first allowed to play Little League baseball in 1974, and their presence in the tournament has grown more visible over the years. But opportunities often dwindle past the youth level, and many female players are forced to either switch to softball or find ways to fit in alongside men. Davis, for example, has never played baseball alongside women. But when she saw that other prominent female baseball players like U.S. women's national team star Kelsie Whitmore commit to the new league, the idea of finally competing in a women's circuit intrigued her. After a call with Justine Siegal, WPBL co-founder and the nonprofit organization Baseball For All, Davis decided to take a chance. "This league is about her," Siegal said. "She was a star, a star player, and dreamt of playing professional baseball just like her teammates. But instead of being encouraged to go after her dreams, she was told that she should be playing softball. ... This is a league for Mo'ne, and all of the girls and women who have dreamt of playing this great sport." She has spent weeks getting back into playing shape, and tried out as a pitcher, shortstop and center fielder. It didn't take long for Davis to feel a sense of camaraderie once she arrived at the tryouts, a four-day showcase that finished on Monday in Washington. She united with other baseball stars who are already signed to the league, including Japanese pitcher Ayami Sato and Canada's Alli Schroder. She also heard from some of the women hoping to make the league, who told her how she inspired them. "This is probably some of the most fun I've had these last four days," Davis said on the final day of the tryouts. "I feel right at home." ___ AP Sports: https://apnews.com/sports