Meet All of the Out Queer Players of the WPBL
Before you pick a team to cheer for this August, get to know the queer players of the 2026 season.
Prime baseball season is upon us, and in August, the women of the Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) will officially take their inaugural step up to the plate. For those just tuning in, the WPBL is the first professional women’s baseball league in more than 70 years and will feature four teams: Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Before the league gets into the swing of things, we thought we’d do a deep dive into the players’ online presences and figure out what all queer fans are dying to know before choosing a team to root for: who’s gay?
So here is your official guide on who, based on Instagram sleuthing, is queer in the WPBL:
San Francisco
Kelsie Whitmore – Pitcher
The first overall pick in the inaugural WPBL Draft, Kelsie Whitmore has pitched for the Sonoma Stompers, Staten Island FerryHawks, Oakland Ballers, and, most notably, the Savannah Bananas. The California native joined the U.S. Women’s National Baseball Team while in high school and won the silver medal at the 2014 Women’s Baseball World Cup and the gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games. Whitmore is a longtime advocate for women in sports and founded the clothing brand Be You based on her personal motto.
Amanda Gianelloni – Second Base
Baseball trailblazer Amanda Gianelloni has made history repeatedly throughout her career—becoming the first women’s baseball player to appear on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays, the first woman to sign with the WPBL, and the only woman drafted from Louisiana. The Nicholls State Hall of Famer and USA Baseball alum is married to fellow NOLA native Victoria Price Gianelloni. The couple got engaged in the French Quarter and post yearly Christmas cards with their 10-year-old beagle, Gia.
Liz Gilder – Pitcher
Canadian left-handed pitcher Liz Gilder started playing baseball at five years old and has played for Team Canada since she was 17. Now 25 and a Deloitte consultant on the side, Gilder has become a vocal advocate for LGBTQ athletes. “A significant number of players on our Women’s National Team identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence,” Gilder told Her Turn at Bat. “Baseball has given many of us a place where those differences can be strengths — resilience, courage, and the ability to persevere when others underestimate you.” A fun fact about Gilder? She holds multiple canoe licenses from the Recreational Canoeing Association of British Columbia.
Arwen McCullough – Pitcher
Livermore, Calif., native Arwen McCullough made her first true connection with baseball watching the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 World Series and will now return home to The Bay. While attending Cal Poly, McCullough founded the Cal Poly SLO Women’s Club Baseball team. Arwen has also competed in the Morro Bay Triathlon.
Micaela Minner – First Base
Micaela Minner truly has a wild resume—acting in Drive-Away Dolls and A League of Their Own, competing on Worst Cooks in America, playing D1 softball at the University of Missouri, owning a sports training facility, and now, playing in the WPBL. Minner lives in Akron, Ohio, with her wife and business partner, Darcy Thompson.
Jordan Eyster – Center Field
https://www.instagram.com/jordan.eyster/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
When Jordan Eyster missed out on being recruited to play baseball in college, she thought her playing days were over. Now headed to San Francisco, Eyster is stepping back onto the field. Eyster’s baseball journey started on a co-ed team in Royal Oak, Michigan, continued with a high school softball career and eventually led her to become a sports management student and private coach at Wayne State University. Eyster has been outspoken about mental health and says that becoming a coach saved her life.
Boston
Raine Padgham – Pitcher
Since the day pitcher Raine Padgham picked up a baseball at age 2, it’s been her dream to play at the highest level possible. The Abbotsford, British Columbia native pitched for Team Canada at the 2024 Women’s Baseball World Cup and led the team to a 4-2 Bronze medal win over Mexico. Outside of baseball and studying kinesiology at the University of British Columbia, Padgham has enjoyed exploring the art of tattooing.
Beth Greenwood – Catcher
Throughout Beth Greenwood’s career, she’s repeatedly been the first woman to break into spaces long reserved for men—the first American female catcher in NCAA college baseball history at the University of Rochester and the first woman to coach the men’s baseball team at Vassar. Outside of baseball, the New Hampshire native earned a degree in mechanical 3ngineering, wrote a book about her baseball journey, and recently celebrated four years with her partner.
Paloma Benach – Pitcher
Growing up in DC, Paloma Benach found a unique and rare community of girls who love baseball. The daughter of Ava Benach, who founded DC Girls Baseball, Benach was surrounded by with girls who love baseball since she was young, telling the Jackson-Reed Beacon that the community was “so valuable, not just for a girl who wants to play baseball, but as a person growing up, knowing that there is always a space for you in a world of people telling you no.” At Jackson-Reed High School, she was the captain of the men’s baseball team and went on to play D-III college baseball at Occidental College.
Stephanie Everett – Left Fielder
Actor and professional athlete Stephanie Everett describes herself as the “lesbian Troy Bolton.” From the age of 4 through high school, Everett played men’s baseball and was even elected a DC area all-star in 2015. When she went to Dartmouth College, she was a walk-on goalkeeper for the Women’s Soccer team. Now, after 10 years away from baseball, she’s back. Everett is also a talented performer, having recently starred in the Emmy-winning Uber Eats commercial with Brian Cox.
Nadia Diaz – Third Base
By the time she finished sixth grade at Roberts School in Syracuse, Nadia Diaz was already throwing fastballs at over 60 mph. At 11 years old, Diaz struck out 19 batters in a six-inning Little League game. Now a Syracuse city cop, Diaz has stayed active in the sport as an assistant coach for Lazers Baseball.
Clara Rice – Catcher and First Base
Clara Rice has lived just about everywhere—Italy, Germany, Bahrain, the UAE, Virginia, and California—but one thing that never changed was their love for baseball. Rice played for DC Girls Baseball, and at Elmhurst, they played baseball and competed in women’s wrestling.
Laura Hirai – Pitcher
Laura Hirai is a trailblazing athlete who represents Great Britain in both baseball and softball. In 2025, Hirai helped the GB women secure European Baseball gold and went on to join GB Softball in the Euro competition, winning Bronze. At Swarthmore College, she studied Arabic and Spanish and was an executive board member for both Athletes For Diversity and Inclusion and the Student Queer Union.
Sabrina Robinson – First Base
Sabrina Robinson has played just about every sport imaginable—cheerleading, soccer, swimming, softball, and ice hockey, to name a few. But baseball was really where she found herself. When she was a student at Montclair State University, she started the Montclair State Club Baseball team and has worked with various organizations to provide spaces for young athletes looking for somewhere to fit in. “When I take the field in Springfield, I absolutely think about that younger version of myself. A big part of why I do what I do is to make sure the next generation of girls doesn’t have to face the same barriers,” Robinson told The Rising Fastball.
Los Angeles
Ashton Lansdell – Third Base
The WPBL has found itself a party animal in Ashton Lansdell—as in the Banana Ball Party Animals, that is. Lansdell, the former Team USA gold medalist and star of the historic 2025 Ole Miss softball team, is outspoken about women’s baseball and being openly queer in sports. The Georgia native has become the WPBL’s podcast host and frequently shares adorable posts with her girlfriend, fellow Ole Miss softball alumna Aliyah Binford.
Brittany Apgar – Center Field
When Brittany Apgar’s father watched Jim Abbott—a Major League pitcher who was born without a right hand just like Brittany—pitch a no-hitter, he knew his daughter could conquer the sport too. And conquer the sport she has. Modeling her glove-holding form after Abbott, Apgar has spent her time pitching, even for an all-girls team that ended up winning the Boys of Summer tournament. After a stint playing softball, Apgar is ready to return to the game she’s always loved.
Bella Villarreal – Second Base
Newport, Michigan, native Isabella Villarreal made history as the first female player on her high school JV baseball team. While she spent her young life standing out as the only girl in boys’ tournaments, at 16 she found women’s baseball and never looked back. Villarreal now plays for Perfect Catch Girls Baseball and is set to attend Eastern Michigan University.
Luisa Hernandez – First Base
One of the nine women from Mexico drafted into the WPBL, Luisa Hernandez, is bringing her veteran skills to LA. Hernandez has represented Mexico on their national baseball team, earning a World Cup bronze medal, and plays for Los Olmecas de Tabasco in the Mexican Softball League. In the Olmecas’ most recent season, they advanced to the playoffs for the first time in the team’s history.
New York
Denae Benites – Catcher
The only girl to play varsity baseball in Las Vegas, three-time MVP in varsity flag football, volunteer firefighter and EMT, U.S. Women’s National Baseball team star and Loco Beach Coconut, Denae Benites will undoubtedly become a breakout star of the WPBL. Competing in the Untraditional Banana Ball League, Benites has shown her undeniable energy and charm while proving her catching prowess. Already a part of a duo with Ashton Lansdell, we might be looking at the WPBL’s very own StudBudz.
Kylee Lahners – Third Base
Kylee Lahners had built a name for herself as a softball star. An All-American at the University of Washington who made her way into a professional softball career, she transitioned to baseball at the age of 25 when she tried out for the U.S. National Women’s Baseball team. Now a collegiate softball coach and third overall WPBL draft pick, Lahners, her wife, and their one-year-old have moved from Southern California to Pinehurst.
Valerie Perez – Shortstop
Valerie Perez does her best when the heat is on her. As the head coach of the Banana Ball Firefighters and an actual firefighter for 10 years, Perez knows how to handle pressure. A former softball player at Texas A&M and U.S. Women’s National Baseball team player, Perez lives in Corpus Christi, Texas, with her wife, Chelsea, and their three kids.
London Studer – First Base
London Studer started playing baseball with a plastic bat in her front yard when she was only a few years old and grew up being the only girl on teams full of boys. The Ohio native has represented the U.S. on the National Women’s Baseball Team, played for Miami University, returned to travel baseball, and is now in the cadet program training to become a Columbus police officer. Studer often shares adorable pictures with her girlfriend Emily.
Elodie Ciamarro – Catcher
From Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Elodie Ciamarro is one of the youngest catchers selected in the draft at only 19. Playing since the age of 11, Ciamarro honed her skills at Cégep de Trois-Rivières and proudly represents Team Québec.
Madison Willan – Infield
Madison Willan made Canadian history when she hit Canada’s first international home run and has earned two Bronze medals representing her country at Women’s Baseball World Cups. A two-sport athlete, Willan won gold with Team Canada at the 2023 FISU Winter Games in Ice Hockey and has won multiple championships with the University of Alberta Pandas. The infielder also played golf for the Pandas. Is there anything Willan can’t do?
Diana Ibarra – Center Field
Diana Ibarra is a trailblazing outfielder who made history as the first Mexican woman to hit a home run in a women’s baseball Premundial. A fixture on Mexico’s national team since 2019, Ibarra has broken barriers by playing in men’s regional leagues while winning medals representing various states. Ibarra frequently thanks her girlfriend, Dulce Molinero Galindo, for support and often posts touching tributes to her.
Claire O’Sullivan – Pitcher
One of the biggest stars in Australian baseball, Claire O’Sullivan, has already left her mark on the women’s game. Having won MVP at the NSW Women’s League and the Australian Women’s Championship, O’Sullivan has also thrived in Japan. Starting baseball at 8 years old, O’Sullivan found herself hungry to play the best baseball she possibly could. Joining her in her baseball journey is her sister Elodie O’Sullivan, who, like Claire, has played throughout Australia and Japan and will be joining the WPBL Los Angeles team. O’Sullivan is often posting about her travels and recently got engaged to her partner, Laura.
If we left someone out or sussed out the vibe wrong, let us know!
