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Abby Moore started playing baseball at four

Arlington’s Texas Rangers aren’t playing this October.

But Arlington’s Abby Moore is.

And yes, she’s playing baseball – not softball.

The Arlington High School junior’s skill behind and at the plate took her to the stadium of the Durham Bulls in North Carolina earlier this month. That’s where she suited up and played four games for the Belles in the All-American Women’s Baseball Classic.

The Women’s Baseball Classic is in its third year, organized by , an organization that promotes baseball for girls.

“It was the first time I’d ever played with all women,” Moore said. “Or even a few women for that matter.”

In fact, the last time she played with other girls was way back where it all started in . She was just four years old at the time, but it was love at first swing.

Moore now plays varsity basketball for Arlington High, too, but there is just something special about baseball.

Moore loves the strategy.

“It’s a slow game. I feel like you’re really in control,” she said. “Especially as a catcher, you control the game. Everything is always in your hands. The scales can flip at any time. Nothing’s ever too far out of reach.”

But as Moore reached fifth and sixth grade, all the girls she’d played with in Little League started switching to softball.

“All my friends were going to softball … and I was like no.”

She had no intention of getting pushed out of the sport she loved.

“So, I stuck to baseball,” Moore said, “and I’m glad I did because it’s what I love and what I enjoy.”

High School Ball

Moore has now played select baseball for years as the only girl. Only once has she played a team with another girl. It was a team from Mexico, and their female player was filling in for her injured brother.

But being the only girl isn’t usually a big deal.

“A lot of the guys I’ve been playing with since I was at North Arlington Little League, so most of us all know each other and it’s really no big surprise,” Moore said.

It can be a surprise for the other teams though.

“It’s a doubletake sometimes,” she said.

It was also a bit of a surprise for Arlington High head baseball coach Brian Womack several years ago when Coach Andrea Scott, Arlington High’s head soccer coach and athletic coordinator, told him that there was an eighth-grade girl who might come out for baseball when she reached high school.

Womack had never had a girl try out for baseball, but the father of two daughters was willing to give her a shot.

Moore showed up for workouts that summer before ninth grade and hit the weight room at 7 a.m. each morning.

“She was at every single workout and stayed around doing all the baseball drills,” Womack said. “She’s as dedicated as anybody who has gone through here. She loves to play the game. She works her tail off for you.”

Moore, a catcher and outfielder, played on the JV team her freshman year but got sidelined as a sophomore after tearing her ACL playing basketball.

Now a junior, Moore has worked her way back from the knee injury and has her sights set on varsity. She just finished playing fall ball with her Arlington High teammates.

“She legitimately has the talent to compete and play,” Womack said.

The Road to Durham

“I love catching,” Moore said. “You get behind the plate and everything else goes away. It’s you and the pitcher and nothing can really beat that. Absolutely nothing can beat that.”

That’s why Moore attended a one-day summer camp with catcher . Even though the camp was taught by a female – Krimball plays for the USA women’s baseball team – Moore was the only girl who attended.

But she got to stay afterwards and talk with Krimball and connect over their shared passion for baseball.

“That whole experience kind of opened the door [to the Women’s Baseball Classic],” Moore said.

That experience and a special friend.

Moore’s next-door neighbor introduced her to , who played for the Rockford Peaches in 1953. The Peaches – the team featured in the film “A League of Their Own” – was part of the started in 1943 during WWII.

“I love her so much,” Moore said about Rogers, who now lives in North Texas. “She’s so funny, so sweet. Her stories are incredible because she played in the original league.”

Rogers attended one of Arlington High’s fall baseball games last month and encouraged the players after the game.

“At the end of the day, she and women like her were the ones who paved the way for us,” Moore said. “It’s really cool to have someone like her in my corner where I can text her, call her any day, even hang out since she’s local, and get advice and hear stories.”

Seeking advice from Rogers and Krimball is what led to the experience of a lifetime.

“My name got brought up to the people with All-American Girls Baseball, and I was awarded the opportunity to go out there and play.”

Swinging for the Bull

Moore was one of only a few high school girls selected to play in the Women’s Baseball Classic. Most of the other players were college-aged or older.

But the age didn’t matter.

“I didn’t know anybody,” Moore said about arriving at the ballpark in Durham. “It was my first year. But I walked into that room, and I didn’t have to know anything about anybody because we were all already united in the way we’d all had similar paths. So, we all understood each other already.”

Moore played liked she belonged, too. She caught in one game and played outfield in the three others.

“I had a pretty good weekend at the plate,” Moore said.

Indeed, she did, with five hits and six RBIs.

“It was amazing,” Moore said. “It was honestly the most fun I’ve ever had playing baseball. It was so cool.”

The Future

Moore would love it if she gets to play baseball – or softball – in college. But her focus for the future is getting into a good university to study engineering.

That won’t be a problem. Moore is ranked number two in her class of nearly 700.

“She’s not only very talented athletically, but she’s brilliant in the classroom and just an all-around great kid,” Womack said.

Regardless of what the future holds, Moore has already established a legacy that could pave the way for younger girls – just like her friends Rogers and Krimball did for her.

“I have had little girls come say hi, ask for a picture, ask me for some advice – small things like that,” Moore said. “It’s motivating to know that there are people who are watching you and wanting to follow in your footsteps.”