Baseball is a common American pastime. As our country developed, so did the sport – and it continues to grow as more time passes.
The ceiling continues to rise, and more ballplayers are stepping onto the field. Young women are trailblazers in the sport, and some of those stars are representing local cities on national stages.
Lakewood native Shaelyn Delahanty and Compton natives Beverly and Amelia Finau were both invited to MLB’s Elite Development Invitational as part of the top 64 female baseball players in the country.
“It’s an honor to be able to pave a path for other young girls who want to play baseball,” Shaelyn Delahanty said.
The experience was more than just playing ball, it featured a variety of opportunities for the young athletes to connect with other baseball pioneers. From coaches who play on the national team to MLB affiliates, the up-and-coming stars had the chance to learn from some of the sport’s very best.
“Watching all those other girls play helped her develop her passion and then her passion just extrapolating into a phenomenal opportunity – she works hard for it,” Geoff Delahanty, Shaelyn’s dad, said. “Nothing’s ever been given to her. She’s always worked hard.”
For Shaelyn Delahanty, this opportunity was about more than just elevating her own game; it was about helping grow the sport she fell in love with as a kid. Her older brother Kai served as motivation for playing the sport and other young girls she played with helped inspire her to keep pursuing her dream.
“For her to play baseball now, reaching her dream and what she wants to do in life, she’s doing a phenomenal job, and I’m very proud of her as an older brother,” Kai Delahanty said.
The Delahanty family acknowledged the barriers to girls playing baseball and some of the challenges that come from those who don’t support women in the sport. While Shaelyn pushes the doubt aside, she lets her game speak for itself.
“She’s very driven. That’s really what makes her a very good ball player,” Kai Delahanty said. “She doesn’t think of all the negativity that could happen or anything like that. She has always had a driven personality and just kept on going through there.”
Entering her junior year at Valley Christian, Delahanty has already put numbers up on the board for the Defenders. In her freshman year, she had a 5-1 record on the mound, followed by a 9-1 season as a sophomore, often being compared to Greg Maddux by opposing coaches.
As she continues growing and progressing in the sport, Shaelyn Delahanty said these national opportunities allow her to meet other young trailblazers like herself while sharpening her own skills. For her family, the specialty of these opportunities showcases Delahanty’s dedication to the sport.
“It’s incredible watching her grow in the sport,” Keri Delahanty, Shaelyn’s mother, said. “Watching her grow and persist and keep doing different things to help her grow is phenomenal. She doesn’t have a lot of time, but she just pours herself into it.”
