Girls’ baseball group to compete Saturday at Marlins Park – Miami Herald

On Thursday, Fox will debut a TV show called “Pitch,” a fictional account of a young pitcher who becomes the first woman to play in the major leagues. But from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Marlins Park in Miami will be the location for the real thing — young female athletes competing for a chance to play baseball against boys.

Girls Travel Baseball is run in Sunrise by CEO Robert Saven, who said his organization differentiates itself from other girls’ baseball groups because his teams are focused on a nationwide platform.

The GTB program is open for girls in different age brackets, from 15-and-under all the way down to 8-and-under.

Saven created the organization in July 2015 because his daughter, Madelyn, wanted an organized league of her own.

“She thinks softball is as boring as watching paint dry,” Saven said of Madelyn, a 13-year-old pitcher/infielder who has also made the Plantation High School junior varsity boys’ team as an eighth-grader. “She’s been playing baseball since she was 4.”

Saven said his organization started with eight girls. They now have 30, and he hopes to have more than 100 after upcoming tryouts in Miami, Dallas and San Francisco.

The plan is to have regional clubs and a national team. When a major tournament arises, girls will travel from around the country to compete.

Already, Saven said, his girls have beaten numerous boys teams, including a 9-6 win over a Puerto Rican national team.

Saven said there are a lot of doors opening up for girls who want to play baseball.

At present, the highest honor for an American female in this sport is the USA Baseball Women’s National Team, which is currently competing for the World Cup title in South Korea.

“That’s like the major leagues for girls who want to play baseball,” Saven said. “We want to create more opportunities for girls.”

For more information on the tryout and how to register, contact Saven’s organization at 855-821-8581.