Over the last year, our own Contributing Writer Tia Shah, has been writing an amazing column about trailblazing girls throughout history. This new Incredible Girls column is in that vein, only this column is about contemporary girls under the age of 25 who are doing awe-inspiring and significant things in the world. Every Friday in 2019, we are going to post a column detailing the life of an Incredible Girl and why you should know about her. Read on for a glimpse into the life of Little League player Maddy Freking.
12-year-old Maddy Freking played in the Little League World Series last week — yes, you heard me right. And she was awesome! She is the first girl to play in the Little League World Series since Mo’ne Davis in 2014, and she is the 19th girl to play overall in the Series’ 72-year-old history. She told ESPN that she was excited to be in the LLWS, saying: “It’s an honor. I also think it’s really cool to be, out of however many boys, the 19th girl to be here.”
She is the starting second baseman for the Coon Rapids-Andover team that represented the Midwest region of the U.S. in the LLWS. In addition to baseball, she also plays volleyball and basketball, and idolizes players like Jackie Robinson, Miguel Sanó, and of course, Mo’ne Davis.
She stepped in to pitch during a game last week, which is cool by itself, but when you consider that she also regularly plays on base — even cooler. Maddy told the Star Tribune: “It’s cool that there are only a few other girls in Little League and I’m one of them who have made it this far,” Freking said.
Her team lost to Virginia 11-0, and played in an elimination game against Louisiana. She told ESPN that she hopes to inspire other girls, saying, “For any little girls that are watching me, I’d tell them to keep playing their game and always do their best.”
I can’t wait to watch Maddy go from here — thanks for finally getting me interested in baseball!
-Sage Daugherty
Associate Editor
Girl Museum Inc.