12-year-old girl shines in boys baseball in Wisconsin
WISN, USA TRAILBLAZERS SERIES, CNN
By Stephanie Sutton
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ELM GROVE, Wisconsin (WISN) — Teaghan Coffey, 12, is a rising star on the baseball diamond.
“I just love the game. It’s a really fun sport. A lot of action,” Coffey said.
Her love for baseball started at a young age.
“I’ve been playing baseball since I was 3 or 4 years old,” she said.
“Teagan initially started playing T-ball, and the reason why she didn’t want to play softball is because she said it is a sport for girls,” said Joe Coffey, Teaghan’s father and coach.
The Elm Grove native is one of the few girls her age in Wisconsin who play select boys baseball.
“I don’t like playing softball because I think it’s just too girly for me,” Teaghan said.
Teaghan wears No. 44 in honor of her favorite player.
“It was Hank Aaron’s number,” she said.
The soon-to-be seventh grader eats, sleeps and breathes baseball. Her bedroom is decorated with her favorite baseball items.
“I have a bunch of baseball cards over here and also collect bobbleheads. Plus, I have a Brewers’ poster above my bed,” Teaghan said.
Teaghan’s teammates treat her like one of the boys.
“Having Teaghan as my teammate is no different than any other boy. I mean, we expect the same from her, and she delivers. She’s one of the best on our team,” her teammate Ian Czaplicki said.
Teaghan is a versatile player who pitches, catches and plays shortstop. She also bats cleanup for the Junior Lancers. Her talents on the diamond also caught the eye of MLB and USA Baseball.
Earlier this year, she was one of only 96 girls invited to participate in the Trailblazer Series.
“It’s all about girls and baseball. We all got invited to Vero Beach, Florida, at the Jackie Robinson Training Center. And we all played there on a weekend. I got to meet a bunch of cool coaches and players. Just a fun and cool experience for me,” Teaghan said.
Teaghan hopes to one day play baseball in high school, and her ultimate dream is to compete in the major leagues.
“It’s nice just to represent girls; and other girls who want to play baseball, do it, don’t let anyone stop you and play if you want to,” she said.
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