Female Plays for Colts

May 14, 2003 - Central Baseball League (Central League) News Release


SAN ANGELO, TEXAS – San Angelo Colts pinch-hitter Kendall Burnham struck out looking in her first professional at bat Wednesday, making her the third woman to appear in a professional baseball game and the first in Central League history. She struck out on three pitches from Steve Singleton to end an 8-1 loss to Amarillo.

Kendall Burnham (née Richards) is teaming with her husband Jake, the starting third baseman for the Colts. They are the first husband-wife duo to play professional baseball.

"I know her athletic background and her abilities, and I've watched her take batting practice," San Angelo manager Steve Maddock said. "If anyone can do this, she can."

Burnham finished her third season as assistant coach of the UNLV softball program this spring. A four-time all-state softball shortstop in high school, she received a scholarship to national powerhouse University of California-Berkeley. She was named to the All-Pac 10 team in both of her first two seasons, and then transferred to Texas A&M University. Burnham was named All-Big 12 both years with the Aggies, and received All-America honors as a senior after hitting .468 with 10 home runs and 56 RBIs.

Burnham joined the Georgia Pride of the now-defunct Women's Professional Fastpitch league in the summer of 1999. The following season, the Pride became the Florida Wahoos, and Burnham helped to lead the squad to the WPF championship.

The two other women who have played professional baseball in a men's league are Ila Borders and Kendra Hanes. Borders pitched in the independent Northern League with St. Paul, Madison, and Duluth-Superior from 1997-99 and Zion of the independent Western League in 2000. Hanes played for Kentucky of the independent Frontier League in 1994.

The Central League, an independent professional baseball league, is in its tenth season, with ten teams in four states: the Alexandria (La.) Aces, Amarillo (Tex.) Colts, Coastal Bend (Robstown, Tex.) Aviators, Edinburg (Tex.) Roadrunners, Fort Worth (Tex.) Cats, Jackson (Miss.) Senators, Rio Grande Valley (Harlingen, Tex.) WhiteWings, San Angelo (Tex.) Colts, Shreveport (La.) Sports, and Springfield/Ozark (Mo.) Mountain Ducks.



Central Baseball League Stories from May 14, 2003


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