Hayley M. Slye / Director of Media Relations
SONOMA, Calif.– The Sonoma Stompers Professional Baseball Club, presented by Virginia Dare Winery, made an appearance on the field before the San Francisco Giants took on the San Diego Padres on Sunday as Stacy Piagno and Kelsie Whitmore were honored for their contributions to women in sports.
“It’s just great to be around other female athletes who are trying to accomplish the same things as us whether it’s in baseball or whatever sport they’re playing,” Piagno said. “It was a lot of fun, especially getting to go out to AT&T Park. I’ve never been.”
As part of "Girls Day," Whitmore and Piagno were recognized alongside members of the Stanford Women’s volleyball and tennis teams, the Deaf Women’s National Soccer Team, Olympic Silver Medalist Anne Span, pioneer female swimmer Anne Cribbs and Julie Croteau, the first woman to play on an NCAA men’s baseball team.
Whitmore and Piagno got the chance to chat with Croteau, who also played with the women's professional Colorado Silver Bullets and coached at NCAA Division I University of Massachusetts Amherst.
“When I heard that she had played baseball at (St. Mary’s College of Maryland) I got so excited to hear that someone else pursued a dream that Stacy and I both pursued,” Whitmore said. “She was a really cool person. I was honored to have met her.”
Croteau also formerly coached the USA Women’s National Baseball Team, which Whitmore and Piagno are both currently members of.
Stompers president and general manager Theo Fightmaster and manager Takashi Miyoshi were also on hand during the ceremony.
“It's an incredible honor for this organization to be recognized by the San Francisco Giants, one of the most prestigious organizations in all of professional sports,” Fightmaster said. “It's a testament to the impact Stacy and Kelsie have made on the game of baseball. I also want to acknowledge their manager, Takashi Miyoshi, and the rest of the team for accepting, respecting and challenging these women.”
The Giants have held a “Girls Day” in 17 of 18 seasons at AT&T Park. This one was put on in partnership with the Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative (BAWSI) and Coaching Core.
STOMPERS TICKETS
Tickets and merchandise are available now either online or at the fan shop at 234 W Napa Street in downtown Sonoma. Tickets will also be available at the box office on game days, beginning 30 minutes prior to the game.
For more information, please contact the front office at 707-938-7277, or email info@stompersbaseball.com.