Discovery Middle School Student Selected for Elite All-Girls Baseball Team

Left-handed pitcher and second baseman Rachel Hines of Canton has been chosen by Baseball for All, BFA, to become a member of an elite all-girls 12U baseball team, known as the Sparks. She will to travel with the team to Cooperstown Dreams Park in Cooperstown, NY to compete against 103 boys’ teams from Aug. 2 to 9. 

The Sparks became the first all-girls baseball team to compete in what was considered a traditional boys tournament in 2003.

Rachel attends Discovery Middle School, where she plays the clarinet, maintains a 3.78 GPA, and will be an eighth grader in the fall. She first started playing baseball when she was about 4 or 5 years old, she said.

“I started playing T-ball and never wanted to switch," Rachel said. "I love when I’m pitching, and the boys try so hard to hit the ball and miss!  I struck out 11 guys in one game this season."

Coached by Wade Figley, Rachel recently completed an undefeated season with the Major League Pirates of the Plymouth-Canton Little League, and she is also a member of the Plymouth-Canton Little League tournament team and the 2013 All Star team. She has an earned run average (ERA) of 2.76 and a batting average of 0.667.

Although she doesn’t know any of the girls she will be playing with, Rachel said she was very excited when she first found out that she was chosen to play for the Sparks. 

“My mom had told me about the team a couple of times, and I always thought it would be a super cool experience. I've only played with three other girls since I played T-ball, so it will be fun to be on a team of all girls,” Rachel said.

"A few years ago, Rachel and I had the opportunity to spend the day with Carolyn King, who fought for girls to be able to play Little League Baseball when she was 11 years old," said Stacie Hines, Rachel’s mother. "Through some of her friends, I was given the information for the BFA website, where I contacted Justine Siegal, BFA founder and executive director.”

Siegal put Rachel in touch with Coach John Kovach, who stayed up to date on her accomplishments and game stats.  He remembered Rachel last fall when putting together the roster for this year’s Sparks team and offered her a spot on the team.

Rachel plans to play baseball as long as she can, she said.

"I hope to tryout for the high school team and play on varsity. I would love to play in college too."