Baseball NSW is proud to support this year’s edition of the Barclay Cup, to be held from 28 September to 4 October 2025 in Adelaide.
But what’s special about this year’s tournament is that it’s the first time an international team will compete against the Australian women’s teams: the Florida Bolts!
It all began with the ‘Baseball For All Nationals’ tournament, which held the goal to encourage more women in the United States to play baseball and break the misconception that girls should only play softball.
The Baseball For All tournaments began with one all-girls team that played against boys in Cooperstown, the site of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and it has since welcomed players in over 40 states and five countries, with tournaments happening all over the US.
Baseball NSW Member and Dad to two awesome female baseballers – Scott Cheevers – reached out to BFA founder Justine Siegal, to see if there would be an opportunity for his daughters to compete in the tournament.
He was then connected with president of the Florida Bolts, Brooke Greene – a long-time pioneer in Florida sports, having coached teams, run clubs, and raised funds for tours.
Through a series of meetings on Zoom, Scott introduced his daughters Laura and Stella to Brooke and her daughter Lilly.
The welcoming atmosphere at the Bolts helped the Cheevers’ decide to send their daughters to Florida.
Laura joined the Bolts’ U16 squad and Stella went to the U12 team.
Both daughters are decorated NSW representatives, but young Stella was keeping herself busy, having just played for the NSW Composite squad that won the Australian Little League Girls Nationals in Brisbane before joining the Bolts.
The 2025 BFA Tournament was played at the Golden Eagle Sports complex just outside Reno, Nevada, with 53 participating teams from the US, Canada, and Australia.
Through a week of play in the desert heat (which included double-headers most days) the high level of competition was plain to see!
In the U16 division, Laura’s team made it to the grand finals but eventually lost to Texas in the decider!
Stella’s U12 team, having nearly gone undefeated through the grand final, took home the victory defeating the Arizona Peaches in the gold medal match to claim back-to-back national championships.
Moreover, the BFA tournament also saw special guests in attendance, particularly Maybelle Blair, who played in the 1948 All American Girls Professional Baseball League (the inspiration for the classic movie “A League of Their Own”).
Getting the opportunity to see these inspirational figureheads in person was a great opportunity for the girls!
When asked about her inspiration to support women’s baseball, Florida Bolts president Brooke Greene said her daughter Lily’s experience with being pushed to play softball instead of baseball spurred her to look for ways to help her and other girls continue playing the sport they loved.
“[Lily] and her friend Julianna had been the only two girls in our Little League to continue to play baseball well past the age thought to be appropriate,” Greene said.
She even said how this push to shift sports made Lily’s coaches stop developing her skills, tanking her confidence and ultimately her love for baseball.
Besides the tournament, she had also been searching for international tournaments where her Bolts could play, and her connection with the Cheevers introduced her to the Barclay Cup.
In a conversation with BNSW, she mentioned how international competitions like the Barclay Cup can help grow the sport of baseball around the world, particularly for women and girls interested in the game.
“When any team travels internationally to compete, they bring a new level of awareness which is going to be vital in the women’s baseball community,” she said. “It gives hope to younger generations that as we continue to grow, they’ll have the ability to play beyond when others think they should quit and anywhere they choose to!”
Like many other Aussie baseball fans, Greene also shared her excitement at joining this year’s Barclay Cup at Adelaide.
“The girls and I are very excited to be coming down for this!” she said.
Citing the Bolts as the first international team invited to the tournament, she added, “It’s an exciting time within our organization to be the first international team to be invited; as well as such an amazing honour.”
Likewise, Greene said international partnerships like this one not only helps grow the game itself but also promotes exchanging cultures and broadening girls’ horizons through sport, which would not have been possible without competitions like the Barclay Cup.
“The friendships and support the girls provide each other is also beautiful to watch and there’s a foster of cultural exchange which might not otherwise have existed,” Greene said.
The Barclay Cup is a thrilling time for fans of women’s baseball around Australia, and Greene herself said she wouldn’t mind further collaborating with the tournament to help grow the game around the globe.
“I hope that we continue to be invited back and continue to collaborate with everyone to grow the Barclay Cup!” she said.
She also recognized how tournaments like the Barclay Cup has spread the good word on baseball to more people, leading to more followers and supporters flocking to her team, and vice versa.
“It allows for more opportunities when there are so very few all-girl tournaments as well. The outreach of support grows,” she said.
Check out exciting baseball at the 2025 Barclay Cup in Adelaide, particularly our NSW teams the Barky Ball-Hers and Cinda Spirit!
The tournament will run from 28 September to 4 October.
May this partnership blossom into stronger relationships with more women’s baseball teams across the globe!
