Alli Schroder's historic debut spotlights launch of Women's Professional Baseball League

West Kootenay pitcher Alli Schroder made her professional debut as captain of the Boston Hunters in the inaugural Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) match in Springfield, Illinois on August 2, 2024. The league’s opening weekend featured the LA Queens defeating the New York Heights 10‑8 and the San Francisco Firebells beating the Boston Hunters 11‑3.

Schroder, a nine‑time member of Canada’s national women’s baseball team, previously helped secure Canada’s spot in the 2027 Women’s Baseball World Cup with a shutout against Puerto Rico. Off the field she serves as a firefighter with BC Wildfire Services, a role she says prepared her for the pressures of professional play. She described the sold‑out crowd and the international stage as a defining, emotional moment for women’s baseball.