Kelsie Whitmore Signs With Oakland Ballers, MLB Partner Team

TEMECULA, CA—Temecula native Kelsie Whitmore is moving back to California to join the Oakland Ballers, a new team in the independent Pioneer League, an MLB partner team, the team announced this week.

In 2022, the right-handed pitcher became the first woman to sign a professional contract with an MLB partner league team. According to reports from The Athletic and NBC Oakland, she achieved that goal first with the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League.

Whitmore graduated from Temecula Valley High School, where she played softball and soccer as the goalkeeper. She is also a Cal State Fullerton alumnae. Whitmore became a professional baseball player, making her first appearance in the Bay Area, where she played for the Sonoma Stompers in 2016-2017.

According to BaseballForAll on Instagram, Whitmore "was one of three players signed after an open tryout hosted in Oakland, CA this past weekend, including infielder Andrew Martinez (2019 @orioles draft pick)."

This will be the Oakland Ballers' inaugural season, and according to the Athletic, Whitmore " is poised to be the first woman to play in the Pioneer League."

Whitmore's addition makes 31 players under contract with the Ballers going into spring training, NBC Oakland wrote. "The Pioneer League, which the Ballers joined, will hold one more league tryout camp April 16-18 in Scottsdale, Arizona. All 12 PBL teams will be in attendance, and the Ballers hold the first overall pick in the camp's draft."

The Pioneer League began in 1939 and is currently an MLB partner league.