by Tucker Terranova
Bailey Brown (Southampton 2026) works out of a bases-loaded jam and keeps Dodgers Nation off the board in the fifth.
She and the rest of the A’s staff have kept the opposing offense at bay and trail 1-0. pic.twitter.com/WhuInC7CFA
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 29, 2025
Bailey Brown has spent her entire baseball life at the center of attention.
For her, standing out on the field goes beyond her pitching abilities. As a girl playing a male-dominated sport, Brown has dealt with challenges the average high school player doesn’t. That made this October especially meaningful.
Brown, a 17-year-old pitcher from Southampton, was selected as a member of the United States Women’s National Baseball Team and is Long Island’s lone representative on the roster. As one of the youngest players, she entered a locker room with women up to 18 years older but felt comfortable knowing each of her teammates had faced the same challenges she has.
“Playing with women who have been on the national team for almost 20 years was pretty crazy,” Brown said. “They had a ton of experiences and were great role models for me.”
While Brown looked up to her veteran teammates, she arrived at tryouts with the same mindset she’s always had: compete.
“At the end of the day, I wanted to prove that I belonged, and I think I did that.”
Brown’s competitive nature was shaped by her childhood. She has two older brothers who grew up playing baseball, one of whom is now a member of the Notre Dame football team, and she found her passion by following in their footsteps.
“I always preferred baseball over softball because my brothers played it,” Brown said. “So I kind of just stuck with it. And then when I first started learning how to pitch, I liked that even more, and that definitely kept me in it.”
As with most girls in youth baseball, Brown faced constant pushback from outsiders who questioned her dream. She said playing with boys was nerve-racking at first but she was able to block out the noise because of her love for the game.
That passion carried her into travel baseball. The sport became an outlet and a place where she didn’t have to explain her choice, but rather could do what she loved.
“Almost every person I told when I was younger thought I was confused,” Brown said. “They thought I did play softball, but I’d have to explain like, no, I play baseball. I would go through a whole conversation about why I didn’t want to switch, and they always wanted me to play softball because they thought I would be better at it. But I just never wanted to.”
Support from family, especially from her father, kept her motivated. Her hard work paid off in eighth grade, when she was called up to pitch for the Southampton varsity baseball team. For Brown, the moment validated years of pushing through doubt.
“I think it was one or two practices before the first game, and I really wasn’t expecting to play,” she said. “But I ended up playing in the first game against Babylon. I was definitely nervous, especially because it was senior boys and I wasn’t even in high school yet. But I did well and it gave me confidence that I could compete at a high level.”
Entering her fifth and final season with the Mariners, Brown is now a veteran of the program.
“I think my grade and the grade above me really helped push this program to be better because there are a lot of talented players,” Brown said. “I’m definitely sad it’s my last year, but I’m going to try to enjoy it, having one last season.”
Her time at Southampton and with the Eastern A’s travel program helped her reach the next level and compete against some of Long Island’s best. Those experiences put her on the radar of the United States Women’s National Baseball Team.
“I actually didn’t know we had a women’s team until recently,” Brown said. “I was still really young, so I never thought I had a shot until this summer.”
Brown attended the MLB Develops Elite Invitational in June with 64 high school girls, performing well enough to advance to the Breakthrough Series in November. In between was the All-American Women’s Baseball Classic, a tournament featuring players ages 16 to 40, where she continued to impress.
“That tournament is what got me noticed,” Brown said. “I struck out six in three innings in my first appearance, which is what I was told helped me stand out.”
While Brown will play softball at Pace University next fall, her baseball dream remains alive. She is still a member of the national team and is preparing for the 2026 season, where she hopes to continue pitching.
“I really just want to be able to be on that mound against some other countries and stay with the USA team,” Brown said. “I take pride in representing my country.”
Brown hopes her journey inspires the next generation of girls who want to follow her path.
“Keep working hard,” she said. “You’re going to have to work harder than everyone else, and just stay with it because if you work hard enough, you’ll definitely be rewarded.”
