TRENDING

A girl who can hurl a 70mph fastball and score a Sport’s Illustrated cover, that is.

At 13-years-old, Mo’ne is just one of eighteen girls to ever compete in the Little League World Series, playing baseball just like one of the guys. Or, in Mo’ne’s case, better than the guys!

Standing at 5’4 and 111lbs, this eight grader is a force to be reckoned with and made national headlines, giving a new meaning to girl power.

Mo’ne helped lead her team, the Taney Dragons, from their poorly funded practice fields in Philadelphia, PA, to the Little League World Series. Along the way, Mo’ne became the first girl to pitch a shutout in the Little League World Series and the first Little Leaguer to ever be featured on the cover of Sport’s Illustrated.

Dominating the Series, Mo’ne proved her worth as a team player in a sport dominated by boys - in 2013, only 1,259 girls played high school baseball compared to the 474,791 boys, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Although her team eventually lost 8-1 to the Mountain Ridge Little League from Las Vegas, Nevada, Mo’ne inspired girls everywhere to dream big and not let gender dictate what they can and can’t do.

When asked by the Today Show how she handles the pressure and public attention, she just said she wants to stick to what she knows: “Hitting homers and striking boys out.”

You go, girl!

by Kate Radin | 2/1/2016