Wollert’s Allie Bebbere would have regretted had she not put her hand up for the first-ever Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) draft.
Players from across the world nominated for the draft which occurred on 21 November with five teams selecting their squads for the new competition.
Bebbere was the only Victorian who made the draft pool. She was taken by Boston in round four, pick 17.
“It was so exciting,” she said. “I’m rapt and it’s very hard to describe how I’m feeling.
“I’m really excited.”
Bebbere said she was fairly confident of hearing her name called out in the draft with 150 players vying for 120 spots.
She said while the odds were in her favour, she did get nervous as the draft progressed and she hadn’t heard her name.
When it was finally read out, there were plenty of cheers from those who had gathered at Doncaster to watch.
There were 600 people who nominated for the draft.
Players could send through videos to clubs or decide to go over and trial.
Bebbere decided to head to America.
“There were 15 or so nominated from Victoria and then there were players from other states,” she said.
“I know four Australians who went over to trial.
“If I went over and did and didn’t get past the first day, at least I gave it a go. If I did a video and didn’t make it for the rest of my life I would have been thinking what if.”
Bebbere said she never imagined in her playing lifetime that there would be this sort of opportunity.
She said when it did come up it was one that was too good to refuse for a sport that has played such a big role in her life.
“There’s a natural hunger and competitiveness that you have to give it a go,” she said.
“It’s the next big thing in baseball and it would mean the world to do,
“I work a full time job and then baseball for 25 hours a week either playing or training.
“I was married on a baseball ground.”
While it’s baseball where Bebbere made her name, it was softball where she started.
She met her now husband at a softball ground in Mill Park.
Bebbere followed him along to watch him play baseball and the rest of history.
While Bebbere has made the squad, there’s still work to do.
Only 15 of the 30 players selected will get a contract.
Bebbere said she’d had a lot of support on the journey from within the baseball community, especially the women’s baseball community.
“We’re in the middle of our summer season which is our biggest season of the year,” she said.
“There’s trials for the Victorian team and then trials for the Australian team and hopefully I’ll make that.
“I’m always honing my skills and improving my fielding.I want to stay fit and active and keep the fitness up.”
