League will begin play in 2024 as the first for-profit summer collegiate women’s league

Rochester, Minn. – The Northwoods League is excited to announce the launch of a new women’s summer collegiate softball league. The league, which is set to debut in the summer of 2024, will provide female college athletes with an opportunity to compete at a high level during their offseason.

“Thirty years ago, we disrupted the landscape of baseball, and we hope to have a similar effect on softball going forward by offering women a truly unique, memorable and valuable experience in the Northwoods,” said Northwoods League Baseball Chairman/co-Founder, Dick Radatz, Jr.

Initially, the new league will be comprised of teams from across the Northwoods League’s footprint. Team locations will be announced at a future date. The teams will play a 40-game schedule, with games starting in June and running through the beginning of August.

“We believe that this new league will help fill a void in the summer softball landscape,” said Northwoods League Softball Chairman/co-Founder, Kathy Radatz. “We have seen tremendous growth in interest in women’s softball in recent years, and we are excited to be able to provide a platform for female athletes to continue to hone their skills and compete at a high level during the summer months.”

The Northwoods League is no stranger to providing high-quality summer collegiate experiences for college players. The league, which was founded in 1994, draws over 1,000,000 fans annually, and has become one of the premier summer baseball leagues in the country, with over 320 former players having played or playing in Major League Baseball. With the launch of this new women’s summer collegiate softball league, the Northwoods League is poised to continue its tradition of innovation and excellence in helping to grow the game of softball.

For more information about the Northwoods League and its new women’s summer collegiate softball league, visit northwoodsleague.com/softball and follow on Twitter at @NWLsoftball.

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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now entering its’ 30th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 24 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, 325 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.