Copyright WDIV ClickOnDetroit
NEWPORT, Mich. – Bella Villarreal first picked up a baseball when she was 4 years old -- playing for her local T-ball team. She was born into a baseball family -- her mom Tonya, her dad Michael, and most of her family played. From the start, her parents knew Bella was special. “We started at a young age,” Michael said. “She progresses really fast with everything she does. She’s very talented. She’ll never admit how good she is -- she puts in the work. She’s amazing.” Bella grew up playing on all-boys teams. “Here in Michigan, you go to a tournament and it’s all boys. The only girl you saw for years was Bella,” Michael recalled. “Everybody knew her. Everybody knew who Bella was.” At age 16, she discovered Baseball for All, an all-women’s travel baseball program founded by Justine Siegal, the first woman to be hired as a coach by an MLB team. Through Justine’s program, Bella joined the Perfect Catch, an all-women’s baseball team out of Chicago. “I started shifting away from playing with the boys. I wanted to focus on women, and I found the perfect team. They’ve been absolutely wonderful to me,” Bella said. Bella is a right-handed pitcher who can also play anywhere in the infield. Her pitching repertoire includes two types of fastballs, a changeup, and a curveball. In August, Bella tried out for the Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. “She killed it,” Tonya said. “She pitched against women much older than her. She struck them out and hit against one.” After tryouts, Bella received an email saying she is draft eligible for the Women’s Professional Baseball League. The WPBL draft will take place in November, and Bella is eligible to be drafted by one of four teams -- New York, Boston, Los Angeles, or San Francisco. Bella is currently attending Eastern Michigan University and studying Exercise Science. She trains four days a week with a trainer and dedicates two days to practicing both hitting and fielding. “This kid works so hard,” Tonya said. “She’s in it.” Next month, Bella will play in the Roy Hobbs World Series: Women’s Division in Fort Myers, Florida. She was also invited by the USA Women’s National Team to participate in a development program with a roster of the Top 40 elite women’s baseball players. This program is designed to develop top female baseball players and prepare them for future national team opportunities. “I think it’s amazing, and it’s challenging,” Bella said. ”There are a lot of people out there who tell us we’re not supposed to be doing this. Every day we keep proving that we’re capable. It’s a big accomplishment for me and everybody else.” Bella sees herself sticking with baseball for a long time -- even after she retires. “I love coaching,” she said. “I’d love to coach little ones or women my age or older. Even helping injured women, being by their side when they get hurt on the field. There are so many things I would love to do.” Bella also had words of wisdom for young girls who play baseball. “Don’t doubt yourself, don’t think you can’t do something when someone tells you you can’t. You can. There are many women out there to back you up and support you. Work hard, do you, and have fun with it.”
