LOVES PARK, Ill. (WREX) — The past and future of women’s baseball collided in celebratory fashion Saturday night as the Rockford Rivets donned Rockford Peaches-inspired jerseys for their Northwoods League showdown against the Battle Creek Battle Jacks.

But this was more than a themed night at Rivets Stadium — it was the official launch of the one-year countdown to the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage 2026, which will bring elite international competition to Rockford next summer.

“This is proof,” said Dr. Kat Williams, president of the International Women’s Baseball Center (IWBC). “The world of women’s baseball is coming to Rockford.”

The game, complete with Peaches-era uniforms, a ceremonial first pitch by Dr. Williams, and post-game fireworks, marked a major milestone: a celebration of Rockford’s baseball heritage and a look ahead to a landmark moment in women’s sports.

The IWBC, in partnership with GoRockford and the Rockford Rivets, is spearheading the event’s preparations to unveil new World Cup countdown banners at the stadium entrance — a visual signal that Rockford’s history as the “Cradle of Baseball” is ready to welcome a new chapter.

“There Is No Other Place”

For Dr. Williams, bringing the Women’s Baseball World Cup to Rockford was more than a dream — it was a mission.

“The International Women’s Baseball Center, in partnership with GoRockford and the city of Rockford, spent about two years working on a bid,” she said. “And just in late June, we found out that we were indeed awarded the stage.”

The Group Stage of the 2026 World Cup — which will take place July 22-26, 2026 at Rivets Stadium — will feature six national teams from across the globe, including an automatic bid for Team USA as the host nation. This marks only the second time in history the event has come to the United States; the first was in 2018 in Viera, Florida.

“When we first started talking to [the WBSC], I said, ‘Look, there is no other place that this needs to happen but Rockford, Illinois,’” Williams recalled. “Imagine what it’s like for the best women’s baseball in the world to take the field in Rockford. They get how important that is.”

More Than the Peaches

While Rockford’s place in baseball lore is often tied to the beloved Rockford Peaches — immortalized in the film A League of Their Own — the IWBC’s mission extends well beyond nostalgia.

“We’re about preserving that history and legacy — and not just of the Peaches, not just of the All-American League,” Williams emphasized. “Women have been part of the game since its inception, and we didn’t stop being part of it in 1954 when that league ended.”

She added, “Most people don’t realize women’s baseball is huge internationally. And there’s no place in the world except Rockford, Illinois, where people associate a place with women’s baseball.”

The International Home

Since 2016, the IWBC has been based in Rockford, with a vision to make the city the international home of girls’ and women’s baseball.

“Cooperstown is the National Baseball Hall of Fame — it’s fantastic, but it’s primarily men,” Williams said. “Little League has Williamsport. Girls and women have Rockford, Illinois.”

That mission is now gaining global momentum. According to Williams, the response from the international baseball community has been overwhelmingly positive.

“We’ve had a lot of congratulations from quite literally all over the world,” she said. “The USA national team will be playing here, and anyone who comes out to see these games is going to be in for a real treat.”

A Night to Remember

Dr. Williams set the tone with her first pitch, symbolizing not only the start of the night’s game but the countdown to a historic moment in Rockford’s sporting future.

The Rivets went on to beat Battle Creek in an offensively packed game, 13-11. For the full box score, click here.

As fireworks lit up the Loves Park sky after the final out, one thing was clear: the past is alive and well in Rockford — and so is the future.

For more information about the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage 2026, including schedules, ticket packages, partnerships, and volunteer opportunities, visit www.IWBC.org/worldcup.