Organizers hope camp is a first step toward building a new league for a new generation of female baseball players

NORTH PORT — Dozens of girls from all over the country and Canada showed up Friday for the first day of the American Girls Baseball camp at CoolToday Park.

Sophia Mathewson of Cape Coral is no stranger to the diamond. She’s been playing baseball since she was 7 and was the first female to play on Cape Coral High School’s boys team.

Sophia, 17, pitches and plays first and third base. She made the varsity team this year as a sophomore and was captain of the school’s junior varsity boys team.

When her mom took her to Little League tryouts at age 7, Sophia surprised the coaches by hitting the ball over the outfielders’ heads in her first at bat.

“It just went from there,” said mom Debbie Mathewson.

Sophia has played on girls’ national teams in Cooperstown, New York, but mostly has suited up against the boys.

“Baseball is my passion. I wouldn’t ever think of myself playing a different sport,” Sophia told the Fort Myers News-Press last year.

Michael Beachy of North Port brought his 7-year-old daughter, Michaela, to the three-day camp. She started playing T-ball when she was 3 years old.

“I like the idea of advancing women in baseball,” Beachy said. “Hopefully, this organization will.”

Head coach Kevin Madsen of the New England Women’s Red Sox said he was impressed with the girls who came to play.

“I’m amazed at the talent,” said Madsen, who has been coaching girls and women’s baseball for 20 years. “I thought I would run into a bunch of first-timers. For their age and skill levels, they listen to what we have to say.”

Most of the coaches who were teaching at the camp play on Madsen’s women’s team. They led the girls in footwork, stretching and skill drills on the back practice fields at the new Atlanta Braves spring training facility.

“It was a relief to show up at camp and see only serious baseball players on the field,” said Tammy Hollonbeck of Tampa. Her 9-year-old daughter, Payton, was worried that there would be girls in hair bows and brightly colored socks, attire popular in the world of fast-pitch softball.