Oakhurst girl, 15, earns invite to MLB Trailblazer Series

Trinity Curtis continues to blaze her own path in the male-dominated sport of baseball.

Last year, as a freshman, she became the first girl to make Yosemite High’s junior varsity team.

And this week, the now 15-year-old sophomore shortstop/second baseman/pitcher will go to Los Angeles as one of about 100 girls invited to the inaugural MLB Trailblazer Series.

It’s a three-day tournament where girls from across the U.S. and Canada will learn the game from the sport’s female pioneers, including Stacy Piagno and Kelsie Whitmore – who helped the U.S. women win gold at the 2015 Pan-Am Games.

Last summer, Piagno and Whitmore were signed by the independent Sonoma Stompers, It marked the first time since the 1950s that multiple women played in a pro league, the team stated.

Curtis hopes that one day she can join the elite list of female professionals. She is thankful for the support she has received from her Badgers JV teammates.

“I don’t think there’s a difference besides that I’m a girl and they’re guys. We still all get treated the same,” Curtis said. “We’re all just baseball players at the end of the day,”

Curtis will play in the 16-and-younger division of the tournament as part of Team Burkovich, named after Shirley “Hustle” Burkovich who played from 1949-51 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

The team is coached by Meggie Meidlinger and Bridget Venturi Veenema, who were members of Team USA when it won gold at the 2006 Women’s Baseball World Cup.

Girls will play two games in addition to receiving instruction at the MLB Youth Academy in Compton. The event culminates Saturday at Dodger Stadium on Jackie Robinson Day.

“I’m really excited,” Curtis said. “I haven’t had too many female coaches. I thought it was a joke at first when they called me, but now I’m really excited to see what happens."

Curtis plays basketball, baseball and golf at Yosemite while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. And trying to inspire those who might come after her.

“I know I’m not just doing this for myself,” she said. “I’ve realized that I’m kind of making a path for other girls and making a way for them to get where I want to be, too.”

This story was originally published April 12, 2017 at 2:29 PM with the headline "Oakhurst girl, 15, earns invite to MLB Trailblazer Series."