17-year-old Adelaide “Addie” Frank from Oakville High School became part of women’s baseball history, being selected in the sixth round (103rd overall) by the Los Angeles franchise in the inaugural draft of the Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL).
The draft, held on November 20, 2025, marked the launch of the WPBL, a long-awaited professional outlet for elite female baseball players. Frank, a standout first baseman, was the third pick in the round, joining a Los Angeles roster that values her as a young prospect with immense growth potential behind a veteran core. “We are SO incredibly proud of you and can’t wait to watch you chase your dreams at the next level,” read a jubilant post from The Grind, the St. Louis-area training facility where Frank has honed her skills. Her selection capped a whirlwind year that saw her evolve from a dual-sport high school star to a national team hopeful.
Frank’s love affair with baseball began in the unlikeliest of places: a backyard chain-link fence in Oakville, Missouri, where a pint-sized version of herself once smashed balls so hard they embedded in the mesh. Growing up in a supportive family—her father, Karl, and mother by her side through every milestone—Addie wasn’t pushed into the game; she gravitated to it naturally. “I fell in love with baseball early on,” Frank reflected in a recent profile, crediting the sport’s rhythm and history for capturing her heart. Inspired by trailblazers like Mo’ne Davis, whose 2014 Little League World Series heroics graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, Frank started playing club baseball around age 12.
Her high school career at Oakville High School has been nothing short of spectacular. As a senior, Frank earned Missouri Class 5 First Team All-State honors in softball, batting .543 with 13 home runs, 13 doubles, four triples, 53 runs scored, and 40 RBIs over the season. She also claimed Suburban South Conference Player of the Year and three-time First Team All-Conference, All-Region, and All-Metro accolades. But it’s her baseball prowess that truly sets her apart: Starting at first base as a freshman for the Tigers, Frank has moonlighted as one of the nation’s top women’s baseball talents, playing for the Missouri Bombers 18U Gold club team and securing a spot on the USA Baseball Women’s National Team’s 40-player roster—a prospect pipeline for the senior national team.
This summer, Frank’s star rose even higher. At the WPBL tryouts in Washington, D.C., from August 22-24, she was one of over 600 athletes vying for 150 draft-eligible spots. Amid drills at the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy and a high-stakes scrimmage at Nationals Park, Frank impressed scouts with her power hitting and fielding savvy. She even absorbed techniques from international stars like Japan’s Ayami Sato, tweaking her swing to launch balls farther and harder.
The WPBL will launch its inaugural season on August 1, 2026. All games for the four teams (New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco) will take place at a neutral site, Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. The season includes a four-week regular season, an All-Star Game, and a two-week postseason tournament.
