MUENSTER — Put her in coach, she’s ready to play today.
Muenster’s Sarah Loehr will be participating in a unique Major League Baseball event on April 13-17 in Vero Beach, Fla. The Trailblazer Series gives female athletes an all expenses paid chance to play baseball and develop their skills as well as providing educational opportunities.
“I am looking forward to playing baseball with all-girls, learning more about the game, and being on the field in sunny Florida,” the 12-year-old daughter of Melissa and Brent Loehr said.
The MLB Trailblazer Series is built around Jackie Robinson Day. The April 15 event celebrates the late Brooklyn Dodger, who as the breaker of MLB’s colour barrier was baseball’s quintessential trailblazer. This year will be the first time the Trailblazer Series has been held in person since 2019. In 2020, it was cancelled, and the Trailblazer Series was held online last year.
Only 96 players were accepted for this year’s Trailblazer Series. Girls, aged 11 to 13, from all over North America applied. Sarah Loehr is one of only five Canadians picked for 2022. As players are not scouted for the opportunity, Brent Loehr said “This is a bit of lottery win.” “After I heard there was an opportunity to travel to Florida for an all-girls event for baseball and learned about all of the guest speakers, training, and the facility, why wouldn't I apply? The worst that could have happened is that I didn't hear anything back from them,” Sarah Loehr said. “When we got the 'congratulations letter' by email I was pumped.”
The event draws an impressive list of speakers and instructors. Sarah Loehr will have the opportunity to learn from current and former members of the USA Baseball women's national team as well as professionals from baseball and other sports. Former U.S. Olympic softball pitcher Jennie Finch has spoken in the past.
The Trailblazer Series is held at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex. Formerly the spring training home of Robinson’s Brooklyn Dodgers and later the Los Angeles Dodgers, the 80-acre campus is now a destination for training and tournaments for a variety of sports.
A Grade 7 student at Muenster School, Sarah Loehr participates in a variety of sports, including cross-country, soccer, volleyball, hockey and curling. She hopes to compete in badminton and track and field in the spring. Sarah Loehr said she has been around baseball her whole life.
“It is not an easy sport to play so I like the challenge,” she said. “It also reminds me of chess in that everyone involved has important roles to play. I had a blast playing softball last year with my team, but this will be cool in that it will be baseball and girls only.”
Sarah Loehr started playing baseball at age four. She played locally with boys in the Junior and Senior Rally Cap as well as the U11 level. The only female baseball player on her last team, Sarah Loehr made the move last season to softball for the first time. Sarah Loehr, who has played various baseball positions, was utilized in softball mainly in the infield – third and shortstop as well as some first base – as well as pitching some.
