Two Michigan women, Isabella (Bella) Villarreal of Newport and Jordan Eyster of Royal Oak were selected by WPBL teams in Thursday night’s draft.
Bella was selected as a 2B in the fifth round by Los Angeles, and Jordan was selected as a CF in the fourth round by San Francisco.
The Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) was founded in 2024 by Justine Siegal, the first female coach to ever be employed by a Major League baseball team and a major trailblazer in the baseball industry.
The league is currently made up of four teams – Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Boston. The first WPBL games are expected to start in 2026.
Tryouts for the WPBL were held in August at Nationals Park in Washington DC, home of the Washington Nationals. After tryouts, the WPBL contacted candidates to let them know they were draft eligible and were to be selected by one of four teams on November 20.
As for what’s next for the girls — Bella is currently in Florida participating in the Roy Hobbs World Series.
We asked how she’s feeling after being drafted, and she had this to say:
“Being part of this moment is a blessing,” Bella said. “I feel both excited and humbled to contribute to a legacy that will inspire women in sports to come. This is just the beginning of a remarkable journey. I am excited and humbled to be a part of a movement that will redefine the future of women’s baseball and inspire generations to come.”
“I am beyond excited to be drafted by the league,” Jordan said. “As someone who missed out on getting recruited in college, I thought my playing days were over. But being provided this opportunity gives me a second chance on my athletic career.”
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