2026 Women in Sports Day Featuring Trailblazing Keynote Speaker Justine Siegal

Carlinville, IL — Blackburn College will celebrate the achievements, leadership, and lasting impact of women in athletics during its 2026 Women in Sports Day Celebration on Saturday, January 31, 2026, beginning at 12:00 p.m. in the Blackburn Athletic Center Atrium. The event will feature keynote speaker Justine Siegal, a nationally recognized baseball coach, sports educator, and advocate for gender equity in sports. Registration is requested and is now available through the Blackburn College website.

Siegal is widely known for breaking barriers in the traditionally male-dominated world of baseball. In 2009, she became the first woman to coach a professional men's baseball team when she joined the Brockton Rox of the independent Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball. In 2011, she again made history as the first woman to throw batting practice to a Major League Baseball team, working with the Cleveland Indians during spring training.

Her trailblazing career continued in 2015, when Siegal became the first female coach employed by an MLB organization, joining the Oakland Athletics for a two-week coaching stint in their instructional league in Arizona. She has also thrown batting practice for several Major League teams, including the Tampa Bay Rays, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, and New York Mets.

Beyond her professional milestones, Siegal is the founder of Baseball For All, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing opportunities for girls and women in baseball. Her work has positioned her as a leading voice in sports gender equity, and she is widely recognized for successfully coaching baseball in environments that were previously male-only.

Siegal has also contributed on the international stage, serving as a coach for the Israel National Baseball Team during the 2016 qualifier for the 2017 World Baseball Classic. She currently coaches in Baseball United as a member of the Arabia Wolves coaching staff under manager John McLaren.

Following the keynote program, attendees are encouraged to stay on campus to cheer on the Blackburn College women's basketball team as they face Principia College at 1:00 p.m. in Dawes Gymnasium.

The 2026 Women in Sports Day Celebration is open to alumni, students, families, and community members. Advance registration is requested and can be completed through the Blackburn College website under Alumni and Athletics events.

For additional information or to register, https://blackburn.edu/event/alumni-event-2026-celebration-of-girls-and-women-in-sports-day/.