MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — An 11-year-old catcher from Menomonee Falls is breaking barriers on the baseball diamond, following in the footsteps of a trailblazer who fought for girls' right to play Little League more than 50 years ago.
Finnley Chesak stands out on her Milwaukee Brewers Little League team — not just for her skills behind the plate, but as the only girl on the roster.
"I like being able to just see the whole field," Finnley said.
The young athlete has been playing baseball since she was 4 years old and has never considered switching to softball, despite often being the only girl on her team.
"Softball's an incredible sport, right?" her mom, Kira Chesak stated. "I mean, so many girls get into it, but Finley just wouldn't. Like, she was just like, 'No, I want to keep playing baseball. Why would I switch my sport that I love so much?'"
Finnley uses her presence on the field to demonstrate that baseball is for everyone.
Watch: 11-year-old Menomonee Falls girl, catcher to compete in Maria Pepe Legacy Series
"Makes me want to like show that I can be better than (the boys), but it is kind of annoying that I'm like almost always the only girl on my team," Finnley shared.
Now, Finnley is helping shine a spotlight on the brand-new Wisconsin All-Stars Girls baseball team.
"The ultimate goal is to create this safe space for girls," Kira stated. "Create a sense of community that they're not alone. They might be the only girl on their team right now, but they're not alone.... But we're going to have some opportunity and be able to throw together a Nationals team next year is the hope."
Finnley is headed to the second annual Maria Pepe Legacy Series this weekend, joining an elite group of 96 girls nationwide who are pushing the game forward, just like Maria Pepe once did when she fought for and won the right for girls to play Little League baseball more than five decades ago.
Following the inaugural event's success in 2024, the Maria Pepe Little League Baseball Legacy Series: A Girls with Game Experience is set to return June 6-8! ⚾️
— Little League (@LittleLeague) January 21, 2025
"I think it will be really cool to like be playing against other girls and be playing with girls because I feel like like whenever I play hockey with girls, I connect with them more," Finnley said.
The young athlete is traveling to Williamsport, Pennsylvania for the event, where she'll play, connect with other girls in baseball, and stay on-site at the Little League World Series complex.
"I absolutely admire my 11-year-old daughter," Kira said. "It's incredible what she's doing and she doesn't even know it.... It's an honor being her mom."
Finnley's message is clear: "Sports can be for girls and boys."
Two other local baseball players are competing in the legacy series this weekend: Whitefish Bay's Allison Wollersheim and Menomonee Falls' Hadley Ziegler.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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