Professional women’s baseball is making a return in the spring of 2026, and it’s sparking conversations from dugouts to classrooms. While many people are used to seeing women play softball at the college level, a professional women’s baseball league hasn’t existed in decades. For junior Delanie Monica and freshman Fiona Borcherding, the league's comeback is an important moment for women in sports.

“I had no idea professional women’s baseball was a thing,” Monica said. “I thought it was just the NCAA softball league.”

A softball player herself, Monica appreciates the idea of women’s professional baseball, though she questions whether it adds much beyond existing opportunities in softball.

“I’m not opposed to professional women’s baseball,” Monica said. “But I just don’t really see a reason in it, since we already have the college softball league.”

For others, the potential return of women’s baseball is about more than just the game; it’s about representation and breaking gender boundaries. Borcherding, who grew up playing baseball, believes it’s long overdue.

“I think it would be so cool and so amazing if we had women’s professional baseball,” Borcherding said. “I think it’s very important for women in sports to be recognized because we have to work a lot harder to be seen.”

While both students acknowledged the challenges a new league would face, they agreed that it could have a powerful impact on young girls who love the game.

“I think it would inspire young girls to realize that there are no gender boundaries when it comes to sports,” Monica said.

For Monica and Borcherding, the return of professional women’s baseball isn’t just about the game itself; it’s about recognition, empowerment, and showing young girls that there are no limits in sports.

“I think it would be very inspiring for young girls, and just tell them that you can really do anything that you put your mind to, and nothing is impossible,” Borcherding said

Still, some concerns remain about how a women’s league would be received by the public and whether it could compete with existing sports.

“The professional women’s baseball league would struggle with sexism from everyone in today’s world,” Monica said. “I think if it got popular, they would attract enough fans, but me personally, I wouldn’t watch it.”

From Borcherding's point of view, however, the uniqueness of the league might be exactly what draws people in.

“I think people would watch women’s professional baseball because it’s something new that we haven’t talked about a whole bunch,” Borcherding said. “And since it originally started so long ago and then disappeared, I think from a woman’s perspective and someone who plays sports, it would be something that I would watch.”

Borcherding also shared how her experience playing baseball growing up shaped her opinion, explaining that competing on boys’ teams and learning the fundamentals early gave her a unique perspective on what a professional women’s league could mean for young athletes.

“I played baseball, and it was very overwhelming because I was just surrounded by so many boys,” Borcherding said. “It was very male-dominated, and I definitely think having a few more girls thrown in there would help to even it out.”

Her time playing in a male-dominated environment made her realize how much representation matters, shaping her perspective on why a professional women’s league could have a bigger impact.

“Bottom line I think that having a women’s professional baseball team would be influential for young girls and would minimize some gender boundaries, changing the ways of women in sports,” Borcherding said