Queensland State Titles: A Future That Grew From Four Jerseys
When the first Queensland State Titles were held in 2018, it was pretty simple. Four different coloured jerseys, a small group of women, and a few days of baseball played purely for the love of it.
Fast forward seven years and that version of the event is almost hard to picture. The 2025 State Titles brought together a record number of athletes across 23 teams and four levels of competition, with more than 50 games played over six days across Brisbane and the northside.
But this year, it felt like so much more than just games on a diamond. It was about seeing what women’s baseball in Australia can look like when it’s given space to grow.
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A Week That Showed How Far the Game Has Come
The week kicked off at Runcorn Indians Baseball Club from 12–14 December with the Open Women’s State Titles. Five Division 1 teams from Brisbane, the Gold Coast and North Queensland delivered a weekend of high-quality, high-intensity baseball. North Queensland took gold after a thrilling final against Brisbane Metro, with Brisbane North finishing with bronze.
Division 2 featured eight teams and one of the standout moments of the tournament. The Northern Territory Buffaloes made their State Titles debut, earning a historic bronze medal and quickly becoming one of everyone’s favourite teams in the process. Brisbane South claimed the Division 2 title.
From there, the action shifted north to Narangba Demons Baseball Club for the Youth Women’s and Little League Girls State Titles. Brisbane South topped the Youth Women’s division, followed by Brisbane North Navy and Brisbane Metro.
In the Little League Girls division, the Gold Coast took gold, with Brisbane South and Brisbane North rounding out the podium.
Across every division, it was hard not to notice how much stronger the depth now is. The talent keeps showing up, and it’s showing up everywhere.
Why This Tournament Matters
Queensland is the only state in Australia that runs Open Women, Youth Women and Little League Girls state titles as one integrated event. Young players don’t just hear about what’s possible next, they can see it happening right beside them.
From Women’s Pro Baseball League draftee Molly Paddison playing and coaching, to the first Australian girl to record a hit at the Little League World Series in Monica Arcuri, the event put the full pathway on display, past, present and future, all in the one place.
And it’s not just about watching from the stands. It’s Little Leaguers watching, then being coached by senior women. It’s coaches, umpires, scorers and administrators, many of them women, delivering an event that felt highly professional while still deeply local.
“Going from the first state titles… where we just had bags of four different coloured jerseys… to this today… seeing how many girls are playing… it makes me a little emotional,” said Gold Coast Elite Women’s player and Youth Women’s coach Kya Foxwell. “I can’t wait for the future.”
And none of this happens without people quietly putting the work in.
The People Who Make It Happen
The Tournament Director
For Tournament Director Anna Day, the State Titles are the result of hundreds of hours of work and more than two decades involved in the game.
“I love the game. I love the people,” she said. “Coming back every year and seeing kids who played with my kids now coaching… it’s the big baseball family.”
Behind her is a team of scorers, umpire coordinators, ground crew, administrators and volunteers. They’re the engine room of the tournament, often unseen, always essential.
The Pathways Manager
Baseball Queensland Performance Pathways Manager Nick Bachono sees the growth in team numbers and player depth as critical to the state’s national championship aspirations.
“Seeing the growth from 2018 to now, 20 teams across three tiers, it’s incredible,” he said. “And the retention is just as important.”
The Coaches and Mentors
For many elite players, giving back isn’t optional. It’s just what you do.
“I’ve always wanted to give back,” said Gold Coast coach Kya Foxwell. “I had great coaches growing up. I want to be that for someone else.”
That same mindset was on display with WPBL draftee Molly Paddison, who played in the Elite Women’s competition and coached in the Youth Women’s division for Brisbane Metro.
“When I was younger, I had young Queensland players coach me,” she said. “That inspired me to give back to the younger girls.”
The Scorers and Umpires
Scorers like Leigh, who began scoring because women weren’t encouraged to play when she was younger, now sit behind the plate at an all-women’s tournament watching the next generation come through.
“It’s exciting,” she said. “You feel like you’re contributing. And seeing girls you’ve known since juniors now playing seniors or going overseas, it’s amazing.”
The Northern Territory Trailblazers
The NT Buffaloes brought energy, joy and history to their first appearance at the State Titles.
“We have women who have never played before,” said Gemma Scales. “But our community is tight. We train together, we support each other, and we’re building something real.”
The Next Generation Is Already Here
And then there is Monica Arcuri. At just 12, she became the first Australian girl to record a hit at the Little League World Series.
“At first I didn’t know I was making history,” she said. “I just wanted to get a hit.”
Now 13, Monica is preparing for a move to Japan, where she will balance school with six to eight hours of baseball a day, while dreaming of the Women’s Pro Baseball League.
“I want to be like Molly Paddison,” she said, glancing across the field at Queensland’s newest WPBL draftee. “I want to try out for both the American and Japanese pro leagues. I just want to play more baseball.”
And dreams like this are now real possibilities for girls like Monica.
What the Pathway Looks Like Now
Queensland Youth Women’s coach Neal Ragau, now in his ninth year in the state’s youth pathway program, has seen the shift up close.For Ragau, it’s about creating opportunities for everyone, opportunities he wishes existed when his daughter was coming through.
“We went from struggling to field an under-16 team to selecting from 80 players,” he said. “The growth is amazing. And the reward is someone like Molly Paddison being drafted. That’s now a goal for every female player in Queensland.
“We’re not looking for female players,” he said. “We’re looking for baseball players.”
Why I Fell in Love With This Event
Honestly, it was everything.
A welcoming, supportive and inclusive week of baseball, unlike any other.
I really hope we see more weeks like this across Australia, because it showed it’s about more than “if you build it, they will come”.
If you keep building something, it will grow.
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