Meggie Meidlinger - USA Women's Baseball Team pitcher, World Cup Gold winner gives back

Meggie Meidlinger - Architect, Baseball pitcher, 2015 USA Women’s Baseball Team Gold-Medal winner & role model continues to give back to the game 

• Full battery from Catcher to Pitcher
• Maximizing mechanics as a pitcher
• Why are young girls expected to move out of baseball and onto softball?
• Successful Women’s sports in professional & basketball teams. Why not baseball?
• Little League to High School – teammates who support one another
• “Yeah, that’s right, you just got struck out by a girl”
• High School – Meggie knew she wanted to continue to play baseball
• Sophomore year first female in Virginia to win a varsity boys baseball game
• Meggie pitched a Perfect Game as a Senior in High School
• Pitching with 100% confidence from the mound
• Sports Illustrated – Faces in the Crowd -  Did Life change after that?
• After high-school there were no scholarships or teams for women’s collegiate baseball
• Meggie followed her love of Architecture into college.  
• Now as a professional architect Meggie design’s from a Pitcher’s perspective
• Found baseball again with Women’s National Baseball team
• Special things can happen when you are able to blend things together – Uganda – Architect & baseball
• USA Women’s Baseball National Team players: Anna Kimbrell, Stacy Piagno, AJ Hamilton joined Meggie to run a baseball clinic for young girls in Uganda
• Baseball is bigger than itself
• Since 2019 there are now over 300 girls are now playing baseball in Uganda in 8 separate regions
• Kids hungry to learn more about the game – how to throw a curveball
• MLBDevelops Trailblazers – Meggie & fellow teammates  coach young girls in baseball
• See young girls opportunities growing at an exponential rate
• The All-Americans & Ila Borders as a pitcher was an inspiration for Meggie as she grew up
• Kelsie Whitmore a great role model for young girls today
• Division 1 NCAA women’s baseball – when will we see this happen
• Women’s Baseball World Cup this Summer – 1st 2018 in Thunder Bay this year
• 6 teams in the World Cup
• USA Women’s Baseball Team won the World Cup in 2006
• Faith & belief is a huge part of Meggie’s path in her career and giving back
• What is baseball if it is not fun
• USA Team will be training in July in Minneapolis
• The team is “Ready to dominate”
• Meggie is grateful for the trailblazers who have brought so much to the game including the AAGPBL, Ila Borders, the Silver Bullets and many others.

Chapters

• 15:49 Uganda Baseball Meggie Meidinger

Transcript

Meggie Meidlinger, USA Women's National Baseball Team, Trailblazer on BaseballBiz On Deck

[00:00:00] Mark Corbett: Meggie Meidlinger joins BaseballBiz on deck today. Meidlinger is a trailblazer and inspiration for women in the game. She joined the United States women's national baseball team as a teenager and was part of the team that won the gold in the 2006 women's world cup in Japan. Today, Meggie continues to play the game and will be part of the 2024 women's baseball world cup to be held in Thunder Bay.

[00:00:26] Mark Corbett: She also helps young girls develop their skills in the game in the U. S. and Uganda. We can't wait to hear more. So let's get started.

[00:00:43] Mark Corbett: Welcome to BaseballBiz on deck. I'm Mark Corbett, your host. And with me today, I have Meggie Meidlinger, and we're going to discover a little bit more about women in baseball, what this particular woman has achieved and her path to fun and business and giving back to a lot of other young women who participate in the game.

[00:01:04] Mark Corbett: Hey, welcome, Meggie. How you doing today? women who 

[00:01:06] Meggie Meidlinger: Hey, Mark, I'm good. How are you doing? Thanks so much for having me today. 

[00:01:09] Mark Corbett: It is an absolute pleasure. I had a great opportunity to meet you, uh, at the, let's see, trailblazer series down at Vero beach, Florida. My gosh, what an event that was. 

[00:01:20] Meggie Meidlinger: Oh, it's an incredible, it's, it's one of my all time favorite events, uh, each year, and it's incredible to see how much it's growing and, uh, I have a blast at that event every single year.

[00:01:30] Mark Corbett: I mean, anybody who came to that would see all these young women who are, who've actually. You've been playing in the game, but they're being coached, they're being taught by people like yourself, who've already achieved so much, you know, with the USA baseball team, and that has to be, they have to be locked in on you and all the other women who are coaching.

[00:01:53] Mark Corbett: During those few days there, it's got to be, you know, something as a life experience, if you will. 

[00:01:59] Meggie Meidlinger: Oh, absolutely. And, um, you know what, what I tell the girls each year at these things too, is man, what an incredible opportunity, you know, these, these events are, are top of the line. And, you know, these events weren't happening when I was their age growing up and let alone knowing that other girls were playing baseball.

[00:02:16] Meggie Meidlinger: So for these girls to, to be able to play and attend at these events, um, Um, and meet other girls playing baseball and get coached and just be surrounded by women in the game of baseball is, is just an incredible thing to get, to be a part of. 

[00:02:29] Mark Corbett: Well, let's talk a little bit about growing up in baseball, because I know I've, some of the things I've read about you said.

[00:02:36] Mark Corbett: Basically, you were picking up a ball at four years of age and ready to play the game. 

[00:02:41] Meggie Meidlinger: Ready to go. I started playing at, uh, four or five years old and I got my parents to sign me up for, for T ball right away. The other kids in the neighborhood were playing baseball and I wanted to play too. And the rest is history from there.

[00:02:56] Mark Corbett: Well, and that's great. One of the things I want to talk about too, is looking there at one of in, uh, let's see, it was, Jennifer rings book game of their own in a chapter on you. And it shows a photo of you as a young, youngster and catcher's gear. So you you've been on both sides of the battery. Haven't you?

[00:03:15] Meggie Meidlinger: That was a short lived a career behind the dish only lasted a few years. And, uh, I have a lot of respect for, for my catchers. Uh, catchers are incredible and, uh, nothing but respect for them. But, um, You know, couldn't do what they do. 

[00:03:32] Mark Corbett: Well, I was kid with some of the youngsters who come into the museum I work at, uh, it's a Tampa baseball museum.

[00:03:38] Mark Corbett: And I asked, you know, what position they play. Soon as I get a catcher, uh, because it's also the home of Al Lopez. He was a catcher. I, I said, well, you're the person who gets to call the game. You're the one who, who tells a pitcher what to deliver the, my gosh, the ability to be able to deliver that. Uh, I know.

[00:03:56] Mark Corbett: When I look at some players in the major league baseball, I see height seems to be an advantage in a sense that a player probably has a larger hand or fingers to be able to control the ball more. 

[00:04:10] Meggie Meidlinger: I mean, I see great pitchers, um, any height of the spectrum. I mean, I've, I've always been one of the tallest girls out there and I like to maximize my height and my size and my strength for sure, but also see a ton of female pitchers out there who are A fraction of my size, uh, delivering it with such velocity and maximizing their mechanics.

[00:04:32] Meggie Meidlinger: And, you know, I think maximizing mechanics to a certain advantage, um, can get you a long way. So I, I see it on both sides of the spectrum, Mark, just there's, there's a lot of growing talent out there in women's baseball right now. 

[00:04:45] Mark Corbett: Well, see, and I think that's important. I think it's almost as to that kind of statement I made earlier, almost oversimplifies what's involved with a pitcher, just as it easily oversimplifies to say women in baseball, men in baseball or softball and baseball.

[00:05:00] Mark Corbett: None of those things are just Clearly cut, but it is so interesting to me to see that you as a youngster were going after baseball. I, I don't even know why it's been a forced culture to say, as a youngsters coming up, a young lady saying, okay, are you ready now to switch over to softball? 

[00:05:20] Meggie Meidlinger: That's a good question.

[00:05:21] Meggie Meidlinger: I mean, where did that exactly come from? I always say, you know, you have men's tennis and women's tennis. You have men's basketball and women's basketball. Why? How did baseball and softball get to be so drastically different of of games to play? And, um, I was fortunate enough that I was not Pushed or forced into softball.

[00:05:40] Meggie Meidlinger: I had a very supportive community that allowed me to stay in baseball, and I'm just forever grateful for my little league. Uh, the high school team I played for, um, coaches I played for all growing up. Um, very grateful for those opportunities. I was able to stick with it. 

[00:05:55] Mark Corbett: Well, Megan, you know what that I found really interesting too, is as I read the article inside of Jennifer's book is how basically it sounded like you grew up with the players that were on the team that these weren't like you were stepping into a new school each year and a whole bunch of other kids that you were having to be surrounded around it, but you probably had a familiarity with, with your team.

[00:06:18] Meggie Meidlinger: Absolutely. Yeah. By the time I got to high school, I mean, um, I knew I wanted to play. and not make the switch to softball. And, um, a lot of those guys on my high school team, you know, I was at one high school my freshman year and then switched over to another, but in both scenarios, all those guys were guys I grew up playing little league with, um, with or against.

[00:06:39] Meggie Meidlinger: And, um, just super grateful for, for my high school teammates. Um, and that they always had my back. They were always supportive of me. And especially when we went out of district, um, uh, they were always by my side. 

[00:06:52] Mark Corbett: What makes a big difference? I think it's support. You know, I've talked to the past with others, uh, people who find whether it be family or friends, if they have a good, uh, what I want to say, a foundation of that, it can certainly help them, you know, whatever they're doing, whether it be professionally or personally.

[00:07:09] Mark Corbett: So with you, I mean, my gosh, you were able to do so much. You were in high school and you threw, was it a complete game of attendance victory? Yeah. 

[00:07:19] Meggie Meidlinger: Yeah, that was, um, my senior year. I threw a perfect game. Um, my senior year and my sophomore year, I became the first female in the state of Virginia to win a varsity boys baseball game.

[00:07:30] Mark Corbett: I love it. I love it. Asking you a question as a pitcher, do you have a lot of variations that you're using? I mean, do you have, when you're certain things you're saying, I mean, when you're pitching to a better, do you have a fastball curve ball? Do you, you mix it up? What's your strategy for the mound? 

[00:07:48] Meggie Meidlinger: Yeah, I mean, honestly, it's a strategy depending on on each batter.

[00:07:52] Meggie Meidlinger: I mean, we face a lot of different teams around the world. And so for me, it's it's always been on the same page is is the catcher and and throwing every single pitch with 100 percent confidence. And it's, it's been a challenge. You know, that's a loaded question mark to to answer only because it, it depends on the batter.

[00:08:10] Meggie Meidlinger: It depends on how they're reacting to the first pitch. I throw and, um, kind of taking in all of that information all at once to to decide and execute on on all the following pitches. 

[00:08:22] Mark Corbett: Yeah, I guess I was coming from the mindset of sometimes I'll see a pitcher and they may be, they'll just have a, a rhythm with one or two pitches and that's it, it's like, well, they've really got to find ways to mix that up.

[00:08:35] Mark Corbett: And of course, like you said, it has to be, have a signature basically for each batter. That's up there. Right. Oh, wow. You know, Meggie, I mean, to me, that sounds like so much fun coming up with a sport that you enjoy and have, have any other, uh, youngsters around and use it. that are enjoying that. But did you ever have a stigma or any kind of pushback from being a young lady playing the game?

[00:08:59] Meggie Meidlinger: Uh, Mark, I have to be. I was so fortunate with my experience growing up. And, um, you know, the only times that anything would come up is if we'd go out of district and in high school. Um, You know, some comments would be made or, or things like that. Like I said earlier, all of my teammates in high school always had my back in those situations.

[00:09:19] Meggie Meidlinger: I, I, I do remember one time we were out of district. Struck a few guys out and are, you know, my catcher would always say under his breath to the guys like, yeah, that's right. You just got struck out by a girl. And, um, thankfully I didn't have anything major. And again, just can't think, thank, uh, my, my high school teammates enough for just the support I had.

[00:09:40] Meggie Meidlinger: I I'm, I'm really grateful for those opportunities. 

[00:09:42] Mark Corbett: Well, that's great. I mean, you, you hope that all players are supporting one another equally. And it sounds like that's how it was with you. Anytime a player's in need, you're going to be backing them up. Absolutely. Tell me about the Sports Illustrated article.

[00:09:56] Mark Corbett: You're in high school and the, the faces in the crowd article. How did, did life change after that? 

[00:10:02] Meggie Meidlinger: Um, I wouldn't say much changed after that, Mark. I mean, there were several articles come high school and, and news reports. I do remember, Camera crews would come out to practice and so I did have a camera in in my face a little bit more during that time between, you know, the sports illustrated articles, newspapers, news teams.

[00:10:24] Meggie Meidlinger: So there was a little bit more media attention, which, um. you know, comes with some of those things. And so I think that time with some of that attention, it was just really focusing, you know, staying focused on, on the task at hand, playing my game, despite kind of any of the, the added things of, of the media attention around that.

[00:10:43] Meggie Meidlinger: And, um, luckily I was able to still zero in and, and keep playing the game I loved and all of that was, was great. And I'm so glad other girls could, could find out that other girls were, were playing baseball at the time as well. 

[00:10:58] Mark Corbett: Well, that's a great way to bring it all together. And the thing of it is when I'm looking at young girls and women's baseball, it's great to follow up and say, my gosh, great.

[00:11:08] Mark Corbett: There this young lady, she was able to play the okay. They didn't have a women's baseball team, but you know, young girls were able to play well on that high school baseball team. But once you go to college, it's like, I am dying for the day that I'm seeing division one teams of women's teams play against one another.

[00:11:29] Mark Corbett: And I don't know when that door is going to be cracked completely, when NCAA is going to be offering scholarships for that, because I see so many great players who say, well, you know, if I'm going to go to college and I'm going to have to be a softball player. And in my mind, it just isn't right. I don't know what it's going to take to turn all that around, but I think there just should be that opportunity.

[00:11:55] Mark Corbett: So in lieu of that, though, you have the USA National Women's Team. If you don't have a collegiate team, we basically have a USA team, and you've done fantastic with them. 

[00:12:07] Meggie Meidlinger: Well, thank you. Yeah, I'm Mark. I'm waiting for that day as well to have collegiate women's baseball. And and the great thing is, is there are collegiate club teams popping up around the country.

[00:12:18] Meggie Meidlinger: And so there is progress. But, um, yeah, unfortunately, we're we're at a time of of women's baseball history where, you know, we have a lot of great support system, kind of the Nine to 18 year, year age. And, and then it drops kind of when, when girls go to college and, you know, a lot of girls are having to adjust of if they're not playing baseball, are they, they switch into softball?

[00:12:38] Meggie Meidlinger: Are they playing a different sport? How do you keep up with things? Um, especially team USA wise. And, um, so I I'm with you, Mark. I long for the day to where it's, you know, an NCAA sport and there's more collegiate teams all around the country playing. 

[00:12:54] Mark Corbett: But in your path, correct me if I'm wrong, Meggie, you didn't let that dictate what you wanted to do when you went to college.

[00:13:00] Mark Corbett: You, you went and sought, uh, was it architecture? 

[00:13:04] Meggie Meidlinger: That is correct. Um, ever since the second grade, I, I both wanted to be an architect and a professional baseball player. And so, um, when the college decision came up, I went to Virginia tech and, uh, studied architecture there. Um, got a degree in architecture and, and I'm up and, and, uh, Practicing architect, uh, to this day.

[00:13:24] Mark Corbett: Wow. That is so cool. I've always admired architects and, um, I always think, I wish I could find one of the architects to build us a new state in Tampa. 

[00:13:35] Meggie Meidlinger: Well, uh, you're in luck, Mark. I'm actually a sports architect. 

[00:13:38] Mark Corbett: Oh, you're kidding. Tell me about, tell me about a couple of the projects you're working on. If you can.

[00:13:43] Meggie Meidlinger: Yeah, that's actually doing a baseball stadium right now, uh, here in Georgia, and, um, it's a whole expansion, uh, pitching technology, batting tunnels, um, the whole gambit. So honestly, that's, that's a dream come true of a project right there, getting to combine those two passions together between, between architecture and baseball.

[00:14:01] Meggie Meidlinger: And, um, man, it's, it's, it's a dream come true of a project. A lot of fun. 

[00:14:06] Mark Corbett: Oh, that, that is ultra cool. I mean, there's so many times I go to a stadium and I'm fascinated with either how fantastic it is, or, or there's an item or two that, Oh, good heavens did, did somebody think this through 

[00:14:19] Meggie Meidlinger: it can make or break a player and fan experience, right?

[00:14:23] Meggie Meidlinger: And, um, you know, I, I like to think I've seen enough stadiums that, you know, from my fan perspective and a player perspective and, and a coaching perspective with, uh, the MLB and USA events that, um, seen all of those things come to, come. together is a lot of fun. 

[00:14:39] Mark Corbett: I always worry about the ones where basically you have the bullpen practically on out there on the field and thinking, looking for some erstwhile about ball coming over there.

[00:14:51] Mark Corbett: It's like, Oh my gosh, please put a net up over that area or something. Protect these people. 

[00:14:56] Meggie Meidlinger: Don't worry. I might be a little biased in my designs, uh, for pictures, perspectives. 

[00:14:59] Mark Corbett: That's perfect. That's perfect. Oh, man. You're in college, you're studying architecture, but you haven't set baseball completely aside.

[00:15:13] Mark Corbett: I mean, at that point in your life, what, what, how are you still staying involved? 

[00:15:16] Meggie Meidlinger: So I first joined the national team in 2006. And then 2008, I was in college. Um, and then there, there was a time after that, that I was not playing on team USA and I, I moved overseas and was doing architecture in Uganda. Um, so there was honestly a time there mark in the middle of my career where, um, I thought my career was done.

[00:15:38] Meggie Meidlinger: Um, you know, other things, um, were happening and, um, I'm very grateful for the whole second half back half of, of my career. I've had. 

[00:15:48] Mark Corbett: One thing you said really touched me because I've seen it in the past as far as the work in Uganda and I thought, why, how did that start women in baseball in Uganda? I thought some light switch somewhere turned on and said, Hey, this is where we need to be.

[00:16:03] Mark Corbett: And this is what we're gonna do. How did that get started? 

[00:16:06] Meggie Meidlinger: You know, Mark, uh, special things can, can happen in life when you get to combine a lot of passions together. And so, um, for me, the story with Uganda is, um, I, I went overseas to, I was working for a ministry organization that does architecture and developing countries.

[00:16:22] Meggie Meidlinger: And, um, I got placed in Uganda, um, to do architecture work. Um, Baseball is is not a popular sport in in Uganda. Uganda is known for soccer. That's the majority of the sport. So obviously for me at a time when I thought my career was over, it doesn't mean that you don't stop loving the game or want to stop playing.

[00:16:45] Meggie Meidlinger: Took my glove and a few baseballs over and Taught a few people how to throw the baseball. Uh, I still wanted to throw. And one of the organizations I was working with, one of the kids wanted to learn how to throw a baseball. So I taught him how to throw and he, he fell in love with the game. So honestly, Mark, one thing led to another, and I found out that there was a, a baseball organization in Uganda.

[00:17:07] Meggie Meidlinger: And, um, I took Richard one day to, I reached out to them and Richard and I went to go check it out to see what practice was like, it was right down the street from where we were and. Found this whole group of people playing baseball at the field. And Mark, at the time, it was really cool story. It was, it was all boys out there, but there was one girl out there playing baseball out there with, with the rest of the guys.

[00:17:29] Meggie Meidlinger: And it's like, this is a story I'm, I'm all too familiar with. Kind of from there, got connected with Jimmy with the Uganda Baseball Association, and he and I stayed in touch over the years, and he started following just everything that was going on with women's baseball in the United States. So between Team USA and all the MLB events throughout the year, and we stayed in touch, Uh, in 2019, he and I organized the first women's baseball clinics in Uganda.

[00:17:58] Meggie Meidlinger: And so a group of four of us, myself, Anna Kimbrell, Stacey Piagno, and AJ Hamilton went over there. And it was the first women's baseball clinics. And it was a huge success. So many girls came out. They were hungry to learn the game of baseball. You know, sport, baseball is bigger than itself, right? And baseball provides So many opportunities to to travel the country to stay in school and and for these girls.

[00:18:22] Meggie Meidlinger: It's a different story than it's the same story, right? But it's also a different story of using sport to for them to stay in school, continue their education. Some of those things aren't as easy as it is for us here. And so Since 2019, Jimmy has just grown the game of women's baseball immensely. Over 300 girls are now playing baseball in Uganda.

[00:18:46] Meggie Meidlinger: We, we got to go back, myself, Anna again, Ashton, and Kelsey Whitmore, uh, we got to go back this past December and Baseball has expanded down to eight different regions in Uganda. They're starting a league, and there's actually going to be an East African women's baseball tournament coming up in the fall.

[00:19:04] Meggie Meidlinger: So, um, these girls are just hungry to learn the game of baseball. There, there's no excuse. These girls show up wearing whatever they have, barefoot, you know, they might take a ball off the shin, and they're ready for the next ground ball. They learn so quickly and right now it's just a matter of getting gear and opportunities over to them, but their growth and development in the past four years since we were last there is just incredible and so inspiring to see the growth of the game there.

[00:19:35] Mark Corbett: Well, Meggie, I tell you that is that's it's entertaining and exciting to see, you know, any youth pick up the ball, maybe for the first time and to be encouraged to do something with it. And when they achieve it, whether it's getting that ball over first, you know, getting somebody out, you know, are pitching it across the plate.

[00:19:52] Mark Corbett: I mean, to me, that that's refreshing. As much as I love going to watch professional game. I enjoy. Watching either amateur or going down and watching the little league and seeing those young minds and eyes just devour the joy of the game while they're out there. 

[00:20:07] Meggie Meidlinger: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. It's so much fun.

[00:20:09] Meggie Meidlinger: And you know, even doing pitching lessons with some of the kids and it's like, Hey, we want to learn a curve ball and you just show them a few simple things. And the minute those things click, it's just, and you see the, their eyes light up. It's a really fun thing to be a part of. 

[00:20:23] Mark Corbett: Wow. Well, but you didn't stop there.

[00:20:26] Mark Corbett: I mean, you came back, you know, with the USA team and working with the trail blazers program with what the MLB develops. 

[00:20:35] Meggie Meidlinger: Yeah. The, those things have been awesome. I just love, um, coaching the younger girls again, just to see these opportunities that these girls now have and, and to see everything just growing at an exponential rate is, is a lot of fun and to just get back.

[00:20:51] Meggie Meidlinger: I mean, when. When I was a kid, there weren't other women really playing to look up to. I mean, I knew about the, the all Americans and in the forties and fifties, um, Ila borders was a huge inspiration for me knowing that, that she was a female pitcher, but other than that, there was few. And now for these girls to see the entire USA national team to see, um, all these incredible women coaching in the majors and the minor leagues and you know, what Kelsey Whitmore is doing.

[00:21:19] Meggie Meidlinger: It's. It's really empowerful to, for these young girls to be able to, you know, see things that they can achieve and, and keep pushing these, these boundaries. 

[00:21:29] Mark Corbett: Future of women in baseball. Keep looking for, you know, more, but with what you're achieving and paving the way for all of those things. I mean, I, I, I know division one's not going to happen next week, but I'd like to see it within a decade.

[00:21:44] Mark Corbett: And that's even too long for me personally. Uh, but I don't know what was, we'll see what happens, but I am so inspired what you and the others that are, that are doing with these young women and keeping it alive and it's, it makes a difference. So when I'm, if I'm sitting there by you, I'm saying, okay, Meggie.

[00:22:07] Mark Corbett: Show me what's the rest of 2024 look like? What did your calendar must be just chock full. What do you have on your schedule? 

[00:22:14] Meggie Meidlinger: It's a, it's pretty full there for the rest of the year, but all good things. I mean, this summer, this summer is a huge summer for us. Um, summer 2024, July is, um, It's a world cup summer.

[00:22:27] Meggie Meidlinger: And the last time we had a world cup was in 2018 COVID delayed a few things. So this is a long time coming for us. It's been six years since the last world cup it's in Thunder Bay, Canada this year. And, and so it's a big summer for us for, for women's baseball, having the world cup this summer, um, been long anticipation and, and we're, we're ready to rock and roll with it.

[00:22:47] Meggie Meidlinger: We had qualifiers last year. There's six teams in the world cup and we're, we're ready to go out and show the world who we are. 

[00:22:55] Mark Corbett: And we're waiting to see it. You've, this isn't a new trip for you though, back in 2006, right? 

[00:23:02] Meggie Meidlinger: 2006, we, we won gold in 2006. We were playing in Taiwan that year. And, um, 2006 was, was my first year with the team USA.

[00:23:10] Mark Corbett: Geez, my knees. I, again, I look at this and I'm just so excited about what you achieved and the example that you set for a lot of other young ladies. And, you know, I see a thread in here mentioned a few times, it wasn't something you made a big deal out of, but I get a sense that faith is part of who you are as well, and probably drives you where you're giving back, whether it be to Uganda or to the young ladies over here in the U S.

[00:23:38] Meggie Meidlinger: Absolutely. My, my faith is, um, The most important thing to me and my relationship with Jesus. And it's just the opportunities I've been given is not something I ever take for granted, especially with the whole second half of my career. Shoot. Any, anytime you asked me to go coach young girls playing baseball and just give back in that way is a huge honor.

[00:24:03] Meggie Meidlinger: And, and anytime I step foot on a field, it's, it's just a huge amount of joy and fun because, I mean, What is it if it's not fun? Right. And just very grateful for all those opportunities. 

[00:24:15] Mark Corbett: Well, it's good to hear you say that too, because I think sometimes people are afraid to, to speak about what their faith is, is done for them and, you know, what they've been able to achieve.

[00:24:24] Mark Corbett: So thank you for sharing that. Absolutely. Okay. Jumping back. I'm a little bit jumping, being all over the place here, but becoming back to Thunder Bay. So what's that going to look like? 

[00:24:38] Meggie Meidlinger: Yeah. End of July. Um, Thunder Bay, we, we head up for training in Minneapolis and we'll, we'll have time together all as a team before heading up to Thunder Bay and a lot of great teams and countries showing up this year.

[00:24:52] Meggie Meidlinger: We're, we're ready to dominate. We've been doing a lot of hard work these last several years. And I think we have a lot to show the world who we are. 

[00:25:01] Mark Corbett: Well, I'm looking forward to it. Thank you, Meggie, so much for all you're doing. 

[00:25:05] Meggie Meidlinger: Absolutely. 

[00:25:07] Mark Corbett: Is there anything else you'd like to share or think we should mention?

[00:25:12] Meggie Meidlinger: Yeah, Mark, I think I wouldn't be where I am and the opportunities I've been given in my career without all the trailblazers before me and all the women of the All American League, Ila Borders, the Silver Bullets. Um, I think there's a lot to acknowledge, um, to even get the storyline of women's baseball to where we are today.

[00:25:30] Meggie Meidlinger: And just so grateful for those who have paved the way before me. Um, I'm excited for how this, uh, Trail is continuing, going to continue to be blazed. And I'm looking forward to the future of women's baseball, but, um, so grateful for all those who with title nine and just everything, everyone who's gone before me to even allow the opportunities I've been blessed to have.

[00:25:52] Mark Corbett: Well, thank you, Meggie. I appreciate all you've done too. And I know all the young girls and women who participate with the game do as well. So we continue to hope and pray for more growth for that. And, uh, again, thanks for all that you've been doing with it, Meggie. 

[00:26:06] Meggie Meidlinger: Well, thank you very much, Mark. 

[00:26:08] Mark Corbett: All right.

[00:26:08] Mark Corbett: Meggie on BaseballBiz on deck. Thank you so much for coming. Uh, thanks for the illumination. And, uh, hopefully we can talk about more things to come in the future with women's baseball. 

[00:26:20] Meggie Meidlinger: Would love that. Thank you so much for having me today, Mark. 

[00:26:23] Mark Corbett: Alrighty. I want to thank Meggie Meindlinger again for joining BaseballBiz on Deck today, and for all that she does for women and girls who love the game.

[00:26:33] Mark Corbett: Remember, you can find BaseballBiz on Deck on Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, YT Radio, and of course at www.baseballbizondeck.com. Be sure to leave your reviews and subscribe and we look forward to talking with you again real soon. Also want to leave special thanks to XtakeRUX for the music rocking forward.