Tiffany Brooks is getting her shot.

If you checked in with us over the winter — and who wouldn’t, with the single-digit posting we did — you read about Tiffany Brooks, a female baseball player who went into the Arizona Winter League with hopes of making one of the male-dominated minor-league rosters.

She’s signed a contract and made it to spring training with the Big Bend Cowboys of the Continental Baseball League, which means she’s getting her shot.

From the press release, titled “Tiffany Brooks Becomes First American Female Pro Baseball Player of the 21^stCentury”

Following a successful stint in the Arizona Winter League (Pro Independent Instructional League) in Yuma, Arizona where she was one of two females to ever attend, Tiffany Brooks of Spokane, Washington has agreed to terms with the Big Bend Cowboys of Alpine, Texas of the Continental Baseball League.  With this historic signing, Tiffany becomes the first female professional baseball player in America in the 21^st Century. 

Brooks, who plays 1B and is a Relief Pitcher, is excited to follow in the steps of American female ballplayers who have come before her, notably Ila Borders who pitched in the Northern League from 1997-1999, and both Mamie “Peanut” Johnson (1950’s)and Jackie Mitchell (1930’s).

Brooks said she is very pleased with the opportunity to play for a team with great local support , who played solidly last year, eventually vying for the Championship, and is very much looking forward to meeting her new manager and all the other players.

Playing professional baseball has been Brooks’ life dream since she began playing tee-ball at age 4.  “Back then,” Brooks said, “I had no idea that people thought girls didn’t play baseball when they got older.  I just played the game that I loved.  It wasn’t until later that I realized what a difficult path it was for women and girls to play baseball rather than softball.  I’m very excited about what playing for the Cowboys will mean to girls and women all over the globe who want to play baseball rather than softball.  The door is now officially open!”  Brooks went on to add, “I can’t thank Mr. Smith, the GM of the Cowboys enough for the opportunity to show what I can do.  And I couldn’t have gotten to this level without Brooks Carey, my manager at the AWL, former Major Leaguers Brent Bowers, Garry Templeton, Tim Johnson, and all of the other instructors who worked so hard with me to get me ready for an opportunity like this one.  Without their assistance, and the unfailing support of my loved ones and sponsors at Akadema, 3n2 Sports,  Birch Bats, 90 MPH Club, Gold’s Gym and Spokane Eye Clinic, I couldn’t have gotten anywhere close to this level.”

Brooks will report to Spring Training with the Cowboys in late April, following a pre-season physical.

Way to go, Tiffany. We hope to hear good things about your progress in the months ahead.