Being the only player from Louisiana in this draft really means *** lot to me. Not only was I the first player to sign to the league in the world, but I get to represent Louisiana as the only player in the draft, and I’m very proud to be from Louisiana, so it just excites me to have my family and friends here today supporting me and what they’ve been supporting me my entire life. This league means more opportunities for women in sports as we’ve seen women’s sports grow over the last 5 to 10 years. This is just another testament to how many opportunities that women in sports will have so it’s great for young girls to be looking up to what. They can accomplish not only in women’s baseball but in women’s basketball and women’s volleyball and women’s soccer, women’s hockey. The list goes on and on. So I’m very excited that young girls will be watching tonight and setting big goals because there’s more opportunities in professional women’s sports than ever before.
Nicholls State hall of fame athlete Amanda Gianelloni drafted into Women’s Pro Baseball League
Nicholls State hall of fame athlete Amanda Gianelloni drafted into Women’s Pro Baseball League
Updated: 11:23 PM CST Nov 20, 2025
Amanda Gianelloni made sports history as the first female athlete to sign a contract with the newly launched Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL). She is a USA Baseball National Team veteran and Nicholls State University Hall of Famer, and now she is advancing to the professional level in the WPBL. On Thursday night she was drafted by the San Francisco franchise. The Women’s Pro Baseball League will play its inaugural season at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois.The WPBL plans to begin play on Aug. 1. The Women’s Baseball World Cup is being held in Rockford — about three hours north of Springfield — from July 22-26.Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Boston are the four teams for the league’s 2026 season. The WPBL said Robin Roberts Stadium “offers a central location” among its four founding clubs. Springfield also hosted one of the earliest paid women’s games in 1875, according to a WPBL news release.The ballpark has a seating capacity of 5,200, and it recently installed a LED videoboard.The upstart WPBL was co-founded by Justine Siegal, the first woman to coach for an MLB team, the Oakland Athletics, in 2015. When it debuts, it will be the first pro league for women since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — immortalized in the film “A League of Their Own” — dissolved in 1954.San Francisco closed out the inaugural WPBL Draft with one of the most balanced and internationally diverse groups in the league. Across 30 selections, the club added power arms, elite defenders, and a mix of emerging talents and veteran leadership—building a roster that reflects the franchise’s long-term vision: athleticism, versatility, and global reach.Below is the full list of San Francisco’s 2025 draft selections.Full Draft Class — San FranciscoKelsie Whitmore, RHP (27) — San Diego, CA, USAAmanda Gianelloni, 2B (28) — New Orleans, LA, USAJoely Leguizamon, SS (26) — Dominican RepublicJill Albayati, RHP/UTL (21) — Anaheim, CA, USASamantha Gutierrez, C (22) — San Diego, CA, USAAyaka Yamamoto, 3B (21) — Fukuyama, JapanNiki Eckert, LHP (22) — Tarrytown, NY, USAAndreanne Leblanc, 1B (24) — Mont-Saint-Hilaire, QC, CanadaJua Park, SS (20) — Hadong, South KoreaAlexia Jorge, C (22) — Lyndhurst, NJ, USAEla Day-Bedard, IF (20) — Gatineau, QC, CanadaRosa Del Castillo, CF (26) — Puebla, MexicoElizabeth Gilder, LHP (24) — New Westminster, BC, CanadaSkylar Kaplan, LF (24) — Glen Burnie, MD, USAHinano Beppu, 2B (29) — Kitakyushu City, JapanJordan Eyster, CF (21) — Royal Oak, MI, USAKatie Reynolds, RHP (24) — Watertown, MA, USAPeyton Coria, RHP (19) — Perris, CA, USAHanna Miura, 2B (22) — Sapporo, JapanKaija Bazzano, SS (23) — Sebastopol, CA, USAKaelei Kajitani, 1B (21) — Madera, CA, USAKiley Ingram, RHP (18) — Ontario, CA, USAScrappy Hopkins, C (27) — Fort Walton Beach, FL, USAFlor Elena Valerio Montoya, RHP (23) — Tijuana, MexicoEsthela Segovia, C (31) — Tijuana, MexicoBella Espinoza-Molina, RF (23) — Ladera Ranch, CA, USAArwen McCullough, RHP (21) — Livermore, CA, USAAllie Lacey, 2B (31) — La Crescenta, CA, USAMicaela Minner, 1B (40) — Akron, OH, USAKailyn Bearpaw, 1B (22) — Sapulpa, OK, USAA Class Built for Identity and ImpactSan Francisco’s draft board shows a clear blueprint:Pitching depth. International experience. Defenders who can anchor the infield for years.With established stars like Kelsie Whitmore and rising talents from Japan, Korea, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Canada, and across the U.S., this class positions San Francisco as one of the most intriguing teams entering the 2026 season.
Amanda Gianelloni made sports history as the first female athlete to sign a contract with the newly launched Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL). She is a USA Baseball National Team veteran and Nicholls State University Hall of Famer, and now she is advancing to the professional level in the WPBL. On Thursday night she was drafted by the San Francisco franchise.
The Women’s Pro Baseball League will play its inaugural season at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois.
The WPBL plans to begin play on Aug. 1. The Women’s Baseball World Cup is being held in Rockford — about three hours north of Springfield — from July 22-26.
Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Boston are the four teams for the league’s 2026 season.
The WPBL said Robin Roberts Stadium “offers a central location” among its four founding clubs. Springfield also hosted one of the earliest paid women’s games in 1875, according to a WPBL news release.
The ballpark has a seating capacity of 5,200, and it recently installed a LED videoboard.
The upstart WPBL was co-founded by Justine Siegal, the first woman to coach for an MLB team, the Oakland Athletics, in 2015. When it debuts, it will be the first pro league for women since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — immortalized in the film “A League of Their Own” — dissolved in 1954.
San Francisco closed out the inaugural WPBL Draft with one of the most balanced and internationally diverse groups in the league. Across 30 selections, the club added power arms, elite defenders, and a mix of emerging talents and veteran leadership—building a roster that reflects the franchise’s long-term vision: athleticism, versatility, and global reach.
Below is the full list of San Francisco’s 2025 draft selections.
Full Draft Class — San FranciscoKelsie Whitmore, RHP (27) — San Diego, CA, USAAmanda Gianelloni, 2B (28) — New Orleans, LA, USAJoely Leguizamon, SS (26) — Dominican RepublicJill Albayati, RHP/UTL (21) — Anaheim, CA, USASamantha Gutierrez, C (22) — San Diego, CA, USAAyaka Yamamoto, 3B (21) — Fukuyama, JapanNiki Eckert, LHP (22) — Tarrytown, NY, USAAndreanne Leblanc, 1B (24) — Mont-Saint-Hilaire, QC, CanadaJua Park, SS (20) — Hadong, South KoreaAlexia Jorge, C (22) — Lyndhurst, NJ, USAEla Day-Bedard, IF (20) — Gatineau, QC, CanadaRosa Del Castillo, CF (26) — Puebla, MexicoElizabeth Gilder, LHP (24) — New Westminster, BC, CanadaSkylar Kaplan, LF (24) — Glen Burnie, MD, USAHinano Beppu, 2B (29) — Kitakyushu City, JapanJordan Eyster, CF (21) — Royal Oak, MI, USAKatie Reynolds, RHP (24) — Watertown, MA, USAPeyton Coria, RHP (19) — Perris, CA, USAHanna Miura, 2B (22) — Sapporo, JapanKaija Bazzano, SS (23) — Sebastopol, CA, USAKaelei Kajitani, 1B (21) — Madera, CA, USAKiley Ingram, RHP (18) — Ontario, CA, USAScrappy Hopkins, C (27) — Fort Walton Beach, FL, USAFlor Elena Valerio Montoya, RHP (23) — Tijuana, MexicoEsthela Segovia, C (31) — Tijuana, MexicoBella Espinoza-Molina, RF (23) — Ladera Ranch, CA, USAArwen McCullough, RHP (21) — Livermore, CA, USAAllie Lacey, 2B (31) — La Crescenta, CA, USAMicaela Minner, 1B (40) — Akron, OH, USAKailyn Bearpaw, 1B (22) — Sapulpa, OK, USAA Class Built for Identity and Impact
San Francisco’s draft board shows a clear blueprint:
Pitching depth. International experience. Defenders who can anchor the infield for years.
With established stars like Kelsie Whitmore and rising talents from Japan, Korea, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Canada, and across the U.S., this class positions San Francisco as one of the most intriguing teams entering the 2026 season.