At 40, Akron's Micaela Minner Could Be WPBL’s Most Historic Draft Pick

AKRON, Ohio — From the baseball diamonds of Texas to professional softball fields in Akron, Micaela Minner’s athletic journey is shaping up to be one of the most remarkable comeback stories in modern women’s sports. Now 40 years old and based in Northeast Ohio, Minner is preparing to enter the Women’s Professional Baseball League Draft this November. If selected, she would become the oldest player drafted into the league’s inaugural season, which is set to launch in May 2026.

The WPBL will be the only professional women’s baseball league in the country and just the second in U.S. history. Over 600 women registered for the league’s first tryout in Washington, D.C., making it the largest women’s baseball evaluation event since 1943, when the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League held its own historic tryouts. That league, which ran until 1954, later inspired the 1992 film A League of Their Own.

Minner was among the few women who advanced through the initial rounds of evaluation. The tryout included drills, assessments, and live gameplay to identify the top talent eligible for the 2025 WPBL Draft. The league has not yet announced where the draft will take place or which cities will host its six debut teams, but anticipation continues to grow.

Minner’s connection to Ohio dates back more than a decade when she was drafted to play professional softball for the Akron Racers. During her two seasons in the National Pro Fastpitch league, she earned the title of “Most Inspirational Player,” representing Akron as both a top-tier athlete and a community leader. Prior to her professional softball career, she starred at the University of Missouri, leading her team to the 2009 Women’s College World Series and earning Team Offensive MVP honors.

Her path to the WPBL is a full-circle return to baseball. Minner grew up playing baseball in Texas until age 15, developing the foundation that would later fuel her success in softball. Since 2017, she has played summer baseball for the East Coast Yankees, an all-women’s team competing in national tournaments. This ongoing commitment has kept her skills sharp and her competitive drive strong.

Beyond the field, Minner has become a fixture in Northeast Ohio’s sports and coaching community. For more than 11 years, she has operated a sports training company, specializing in elite hitting and mental skills development for athletes aged 7 to 22. More than 200 of her trainees have gone on to play college-level softball or baseball.

Her influence also extends to media and entertainment. Minner appeared in Ethan Coen’s film Drive-Away Dolls, participated in Season 27 of Worst Cooks in America, and will be featured in the upcoming film A Christmas Drawn Together. She has used her growing platform to promote women's empowerment, mental resilience, and sports leadership.

With the WPBL aiming to reshape the future of women’s baseball, Minner’s potential selection would not only make history but also highlight Ohio’s ongoing contribution to women’s athletics. As the league’s debut approaches in May 2026, Minner continues to embody the values of persistence, leadership and community impact that have defined her career.

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