Mo’ne Davis is back. But don’t expect novelty headlines; this isn’t about a 13?year?old Little League phenom tossing 70?mph heat. Nope—now 24, she’s eyeing a comeback in the Women’s Professional Baseball League, and this time it’s under her own terms.
Davis, the first girl ever to throw a shutout and record a win in Little League World Series history, became a cultural phenomenon in 2014. She graced the cover of Sports?Illustrated, earned a spot in Cooperstown’s Hall of Fame, and inspired girls around the world. Now, she’s joining over 600 hopefuls at tryouts in Washington, D.C. (Aug 22–25). Competing alongside pro baseball pioneers like Kelsie?Whitmore, all for spots in the league’s inaugural draft this October.
HBCU Roots: Building a Legacy at Hampton
But Mo’ne’s not coming back with just Little League experience. A 2023 graduate of Hampton University—an NCAA Division I HBCU—she spent two seasons anchoring the Lady Pirates’ infield. In her freshman year (2020), she flashed stellar defense, ranking third on the team in chances (77) and putouts (46). At the plate, she batted .333, slugged .357, and reached base at an impressive .423 pace. She recorded three multi-hit games, two multi-RBI outings, a 10-game on-base streak, and a 3-for-3/three-RBI/two-stolen-base explosion against Hartford on Feb 23.
Her sophomore campaign may have dipped offensively. She batted .219 with six doubles, 16 RBIs, and an 8-for-8 stolen base runs. But she remained a reliable defender with a .923 fielding percentage in 221 chances.
“From second grade all the way through graduation I’ve been at a predominantly white school. Just to be able to go to an HBCU and to get that experience, just to follow the path that a lot of African-Americans went through, I think it would be pretty cool,” Mo’ne Davis told ESPN’s Outside the Lines in 2019. “I feel like a lot of black athletes should look into HBCU’s, and it’s one of those decisions I’ll be able to say I won’t regret and I made the right decision.”
After graduation, Davis swapped cleats for a mic, providing ESPN commentary during Little League games. Proof she still has her finger on baseball’s pulse.
From ESPN to the WPBL
Now, she’s channeling all that experience into a bold mission: reviving women’s professional baseball in America. If the league and draft pan out, the Women’s Professional Baseball League—slated to debut in summer 2026—could feature six teams filled with talent-hungry women, and Mo’ne wants her name called.
It’s the natural next chapter for an athlete who has long pushed boundaries. From dominating all-boys teams with Taney Baseball in Philadelphia to competing at a top-tier HBCU to broadcasting on ESPN, Davis has a chance to layer each experience into one opportunity.
If the tryouts go well, this won’t just be a comeback—it’ll be a declaration. The HBCU alum, once Little League’s star, won’t just return to baseball. She’ll be trailblazing it.
