Baseball in her blood: Missouri native Addie Frank among trend of talented young women growing the game nationally

More than Oakville's first-team all-state softball star, Frank moonlights as one of the top women's baseball players in the country and has been a participant in Trailblazers, Elite Development Invitational and Breakthrough Series by MLB and USA Baseball since age 10

Adelaide "Addy" Frank - a Missouri Class 5 first-team all-state softball player - has aspirations of playing professionally in the Women's Professional Baseball League. / Photo courtesy of Addie Frank and USA Baseball

Growing up with brothers who played and a father who coached baseball, Adelaide “Addie” Frank undoubtedly heard boys dream of one day stepping to the plate in a big spot at a pro baseball stadium and smashing a big hit.

Fast forward a decade and she’s here to remind boys that girls can dream those dreams, too. On Aug. 3, the talented Class 5 all-state lefty lived out those dreams … on the baseball diamond.

All week, Frank imagined getting good pitches to hit and hitting those pitches good. Such is life, she didn’t get much to hit. She was hit by a pitch and walked twice. But great hitters only need one hittable pitch and when she got hers, she didn’t miss it.

With runners at first and second in the fourth inning of the 2025 All-American Women’s Baseball Classic (AAWBC) at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, North Carolina – home of the Triple-A Durham Bulls – Frank pulled a liner deep into right field. The ball went over the right fielder’s head and rolled to the wall.

Frank pulled into third with a two-run triple to give her Blue Sox squad a 4-1 lead.

“I thought it was really cool playing at the Durham Bulls Stadium, and very cool to play with so many other talented women,” Frank said. “At first it was really weird to be playing with and against many of the coaches I’ve had growing up in women’s baseball, but I’m starting to get used to it.

“Sometimes I feel like I don’t belong there with them, and I wasn’t getting many opportunities to show what I could do with the walks and getting hit by pitches, but hitting that two-run triple is what I’ve done my whole life, so I was relieved to do it there.”

Adelaide Frank with the stand up TRIPLE to extend the Blue Sox lead 🤩

T4 | Blue Sox 4, Belles 1 pic.twitter.com/3eP4G5L90K

— USA Baseball WNT (@USABaseballWNT) August 3, 2025

A 2026 prospect from Oakville, Missouri, Frank is an all-state softball player for her high school team, but in the meantime she passionately pursues her baseball dreams - laying waste to opposing pitching in the process. Playing with the Missouri Bombers 16U Gold, she made the Alliance Nationals All-Tournament team, hitting .565/.607/1.694.

She adores the game of baseball. It was in her blood long before she crushed her first home run over the fence during kid pitch at age 8. Now, she wants to play the game professionally.

"I’ve played baseball for as long as I can remember," Frank said. "My brothers played and my dad coached and it’s all I wanted to do. My brothers were always throwing and hitting the ball at me hard, so I either had to catch it and hit it – or get hit."

Her excitement is a reflection of a larger, nationwide movement. Frank is one of thousands of young women across the country who are not only participating in baseball at increasing rates but are also fueling the growth of girls' involvement in sports that were once thought to be for boys only.

She’s one of around 600 women who will have a chance at becoming a pro.

A Resurgence Across the Sports Landscape

The athletic landscape is shifting. Whether you’ve noticed, the rising profile of female athletes and the growth of women’s sports has been a big topic. The explosion of interest in women’s college basketball, fueled by stars like Caitlin Clark, has brought record viewership and a new fan base to the sport.

This enthusiasm has also extended to youth sports, where girls are increasingly participating in traditionally male-dominant games.

Addie Frank goes through infield drills during a workout with the USA Women's Baseball. MLB and USA Baseball have flown Frank to baseball showcases since she was 10 years old. / Photo courtesy Addie Frank and USA Baseball

According to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations, more than 1,400 high schools now have girls playing on their baseball teams, a figure nearly nine times the amount from 2004.

Flag football, meanwhile, has seen a dramatic rise in popularity among young women.

A 2023 report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) found that around 474,000 young women between the ages of 6 and 17 played flag football in the U.S., a 63% increase since 2019.

That growth continues to accelerate. According to the NFHS, girls' high school flag football participation more than doubled in a single year, from 20,875 in the 2022-23 school year to 42,955 in 2023-24. And that number should continue to grow as more states begin to adopt pilot programs at their high schools.

Frank said she would play flag football if the option were available.

"In softball, most of the girls are just trying to go to college, so that’s pretty normal, but seeing sports like flag football and girls baseball starting to get attention and support is really cool," Frank noted.

“If my high school had a flag football team, I would definitely do it,” she said. “I played on an all-girls team in middle school against boys. I was the QB. It was a lot of fun.”

Similarly, girls' wrestling is one of the fastest-growing high school sports, with many states seeing a substantial increase in participation.

Addie Frank stands at the plate at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, during a USA Baseball Women's National Team showcase. / Photo courtesy Addie Frank and USA Baseball

Baseball seems to be following right along.

"USA Baseball has observed a significant increase in girls and young women participating in baseball," said Ashley Bratcher, USA Baseball’s General Manager for its National Teams. "According to the latest Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) report, baseball participation in the United States was at an all-time high of 17.4 million, and a big driver in this increase is through PLAY BALL, which is Major League Baseball and USA Baseball’s signature youth engagement activity that teaches the fundamentals of the game."

A Quiet Passion, A Growing Movement in Baseball

Frank has been a part of the developmental programs for girls in baseball since she was 10. MLB and USA Baseball have been flying her to their training and National Team identifier events, which is a testament to her talent but also a sign of the institutional support now available to young women.

Baseball, for her, was never a choice. It was a birthright. As more attention is paid to women excelling in sports, Frank sees a positive impact on the perception of girls in baseball.

"I think the news and social media showing players like Caitlin Clark and baseball player Kelsey Whitmore is giving people something new and unique to cheer for," Frank said. "People like watching the best do amazing things because of their hard work and talent."

Addie Frank (wearing pink and black) stands at the plate during a Baseball For All Tournament game. / Photo courtesy Addie Frank

A key organization driving this growth is Baseball for All, a non-profit founded by Justine Siegal, the first female coach in Major League Baseball history. Its mission is to "build gender equity in baseball by providing girls with real opportunities to play, coach, and lead in this sport." Frank is a prime example of their success, having won the Baseball for All Nationals three times with the Arizona Peaches.

Speaking of first women in baseball. This weekend also marks another huge step towards growing the game, as New Jersey native Jen Pawol is set to become the first female umpire in a regular-season MLB game. The 48-year-old former college softball star has been umpiring in the minor leagues since 2016.

Her historic call-up for a Marlins-Braves series this weekend makes her a trailblazer for countless women and girls who aspire to roles on the field. As MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred noted, her achievement "is a reflection of Jen’s hard work, dedication and love of the game" and sets a powerful example for all young girls who dream of being part of the game.

Shaking the stigma

Frank observes how the landscape differs between softball and baseball, not only from the mechanical differences of the game, but also the feeling that most girls play softball seemingly because they’re told that’s the game they’re supposed to play.

She sees the emergence of the Women's Professional Baseball League as a significant step in shifting those perceptions and providing a viable future for girls who want to pursue baseball beyond youth leagues.

Oakville's Addie Frank (4) is one of Missouri's top returning softball players for the 2025 high school season. An all-state performer in 2024, Frank is also a standout baseball player who holds an invitation to travel to Washington D.C. to participate in a draft tryout to become one of 150 players eligible for the 2026 Women's Professional Baseball League Draft. / Tim Vizer

The upcoming WPBL tryouts have garnered significant attention, with more than 600 players registered, including former Little League World Series star Mo'ne Davis.

“There aren’t any girls who I have played softball with who have told me they want to try baseball, but they always have a lot of questions for me about it, and think it’s cool that I play,” Frank said. “I think what happens is that there are thousands of girls all over the country who start out playing baseball, but then they are told they have to switch to softball, or if they want a scholarship, they need to play softball.

“That’s why girls playing baseball doesn’t grow,” she surmised. “I hope that changes. I think it is changing more and more. Maybe the Women’s Professional Baseball League will help change some minds about what’s possible for girls who just want to play baseball.

Addie Frank makes a throw during drills at the MLB Elite Development Invitational. / Photo courtesy Addie Frank

From Dream to Professional League

That opportunity has led Frank to become a prospect for the USA Women's National Baseball Team and the newly announced Women's Professional Baseball League (WPBL). Frank will be among the athletes vying for a spot at the inaugural tryouts, scheduled for Aug. 22-25 in Washington, D.C.

Up to 150 players will be selected for the league's draft this fall.

Being a southpaw hasn’t slowed Frank’s ability to play anywhere on the diamond. Sort of a super utility player who plays infield and outfield, Frank – typically an outfielder and first baseman – also played second base last season and said she intends to try out for shortstop for the 2025-2026 season.

Addie Frank recently played for the Blue Sox in USA Baseball's All-American Women's Baseball Classic at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, North Carolina. Frank ripped a two-run triple in the fourth inning of the championship game to put her team ahead 4-1. / Photo courtesy Addie Frank and USA Baseball

It’s impossible to discount the three-time all-conference, all-district, all-area, St. Louis Post-dispatch All-Metro and reigning Suburban Conference Player of the Year from accomplishing anything.

But beyond the numbers, her story mirrors the desires of countless other young women who feel the pull of the game just as strongly as their male counterparts.

Through it all, Frank keeps grinding at the dream with a demanding schedule. In addition to high school and travel ball, she works out with a personal trainer three to four times a week at The Grind in St. Louis. She typically keeps her head down, goes to work and gets results.

“I’m very quiet. I don’t talk much,” she said.

But that doesn’t mean she isn’t observative or doesn’t have opinions about the future of the game she loves most.

She thrived in that tough environment, becoming a hitter who could send balls over the fence while doubling as the "Sunday pitcher" for her travel teams.

"I loved striking the boys out," she recalled with a touch of defiance.

Baseball or softball, playing against boys or girls - it doesn't matter. Frank wants to hit all of their pitches and strike all of them out. She’s a competitor who just wants to be in the middle of the action. Just put her in, coach. She's ready.

Addie Frank prepares to fire a pitch during a travel baseball game. / Photo courtesy Addie Frank

Just like thousands of other girls itching to knock down baseball’s barriers.

“Growing up, people would ask me all the time about why I play baseball and not softball, and why don’t I switch,” she said. “Questions like that.

"I always told them that I wasn’t trying to prove anything," she continued. "I just wanted to play baseball. That’s how I still feel about it. I just want to play, and I’m thankful for all the work that others, both male and female, have put into me having the opportunity to play.

“Whether it is my youth baseball coaches growing up, or women like Justine Siegal and Baseball for All, or coaches like Adam Scott from the Arizona Peaches, or the baseball coaches at Oakville High School, or the MLB, MLB Develops and USA Baseball, I just show up to play and am very grateful for the opportunity to do so."

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