FerryHawks' Kelsie Whitmore Becomes 1st Woman to Start an Atlantic League Game
May 2, 2022
Kelsie Whitmore made history with the Staten Island FerryHawks on Sunday.
She became the first woman to start in an Atlantic League game when she opened in left field for the FerryHawks in a 10-5 loss to the Gastonia Honey Hunters.
SI FerryHawks @FerryHawksKelsie Whitmore takes the field as the first woman to ever start a game in Atlantic League history. Make sure to send this to every little girl who thinks they can’t play professional baseball! Those days are over fans, Kelsie Whitmore has arrived and she’s here to stay! <a href="https://t.co/9i7fiCwOYU">pic.twitter.com/9i7fiCwOYU</a>
Whitmore, who played softball at Cal State Fullerton, signed with Staten Island in April. She has represented the United States as a member of the women's baseball team, helping Team USA win a silver at the 2014 Women's Baseball World Cup and a gold at the 2015 Pan American Games.
"It feels like pressure, a lot of pressure, but you just change your perspective to embrace that pressure," Whitmore told Howard Megdal of Sports Illustrated. " ... Know that there's going to be failures that come with it, and understand that's part of it. I'm going to make mistakes; I'm going to fail. And that's all part of it. And my biggest goal was to come here to develop, and gain knowledge to be the best version of myself."
The San Diego native made her FerryHawks debut in their opener on April 21. She entered as a pinch runner in the ninth inning.
