The push to bring professional women’s baseball back to the home of the Rockford Peaches

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The International Women’s Baseball Center is accelerating its push to improve Beyer Stadium, the historic home of the Rockford Peaches, in order to entice a new women’s professional baseball league to come here.

The Women’s Pro Baseball League is interested in playing its inaugural season next year at Beyer, at 245 15th Ave. on the south side, according to Kat Williams, CEO of the IWBC. But that interest is dependent on approximately $5 million in improvements to the field and stadium to make it ready for professional level play. The first games are expected to be played in May 2026, and Williams would like to see the entire season played here in Rockford, or at least a part of it.

“For the new women’s baseball league to play at the site of the last women’s pro baseball league is a historic story that women’s baseball deserves,” Williams said. “We believe that the women’s professional baseball league will reap great rewards by honoring that history.”

The effort to improve Beyer was bolstered on Monday by $400,000 in state funds that state Sen. Steve Stadelman has secured for the project. That brings the total committed to the improvements up to $1.1 million.

“Not only is it a huge infusion of $400,000, but it’s an infusion of excitement,” Williams said. “It shows that it’s not just Rockford. It’s not just a local thing. It’s a state thing. It’s a national thing.”

To get it ready for pro play, Beyer needs field regrading, irrigation, bleachers, lights, a scoreboard, press box and restrooms. There are also a series of player and fan amenities planned, including a picnic area with a women’s baseball gallery.

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“Given the rich history of the Rockford Peaches and women’s baseball in Rockford, attracting these inaugural games to Beyer Field is an opportunity not to be passed up. I want to help IWBC make the improvements necessary to accommodate women’s professional baseball sooner rather than later,” Stadelman said. “Having this world-class sports event occur on the Peaches home field will serve as an example of the economic catalyst that’s possible when the museum is fully developed.”

The IWBC, along with Stadelman, Mayor Tom McNamara, Rockford Park District Executive Director Jay Sandine and other local dignitaries, announced the $400,000 grant on Monday at a news conference at the stadium. The press event was part a thank you from the IWBC and part a call to action to spur additional giving so it can make improvements in time to bring the WPBL here next year.

“This investment will help enhance the historical venue, create a unique tourist experience, and provide endless opportunities for youth, teens and neighbors,” Sandine said. “The excitement and crowds we saw when we welcomed the USA Baseball Women’s National Team were just the start of the opportunities to showcase and push women’s baseball forward.”

Beyer was the home to the Rockford Peaches from 1943 to 1954 as they played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The Peaches were one of the founding teams in the league and, along with the South Bend Blue Sox, were one of two teams to play in every season of the league.

Williams, who is part of the advisory board for the new women’s pro league, said the league understands the historical significance of Beyer Stadium.

“They could go to another stadium. Someplace where all of those things already exist … and everything’s already in place, but so what. They are building on the history that was created right here on Beyer Stadium,” Williams said. “But it’s on us to do the upgrades that they need in order to come and play here.”

Some of the other backers who have committed funds to the project include former player Maybelle Blair, the Perks Family Foundation, the Smith Charitable Foundation, Major League Baseball, Amazon Prime Video, Winnebago County and J&M Planning.

The city of Rockford also committed $400,000 of federal stimulus funds toward the project. Going forward, the city also plans to provide $300,000 annually from its Hard Rock Casino gaming tax revenue to the project.

“The city of Rockford has been a proud supporter of the International Women’s Baseball Center for years,” McNamara said. “The legacy of Beyer Stadium is not just about baseball — it’s about trailblazing and community pride. Women’s baseball is a vital chapter in Rockford’s story, and we’re committed to preserving and celebrating that legacy for generations to come.”

The IWBC has been working on bringing a museum and activity center to south Rockford since 2016. In addition to the field improvements, the goal is to build a nearly $23 million comprehensive indoor community sports center and women’s baseball museum. That would be the second phase of the project after field improvements, with a $3 million third phase dedicated to building out the exhibits inside the museum hall.

“The IWBC will host national and international games, exhibitions and tournaments, increasing Rockford’s visibility throughout the country and the world,” Williams said.

The IWBC has already invested about $2.5 million by razing old buildings across from Beyer Stadium, making several stadium upgrades, bringing national exhibition games here and tapping world-renowned architect Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang to create the concept design.

Williams said she’s often asked to compare Beyer to the Field of Dreams, a baseball diamond in Iowa that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. “Field of Dreams” is also a classic baseball drama released in 1989 — three years before “A League of Their Own” put the Peaches on the silver screen. Beyer, Williams said, is a field of dreams in its own right.

“This was the field where young girls dreamed of playing the game that they weren’t allowed to play before,” she said. “Since (‘A League of Their Own’) came out in 1992, this field has continued to be a field of dreams for young girls, for women. Bringing a professional league here would make it even more so. ”

How to help | International Women’s Baseball Center in Rockford

To donate to help improve Beyer Stadium and bring the International Women’s Baseball Center museum and activity center to Rockford, go HERE.

Partnership inquiries should be directed to KWilliams@IWBC.org and Nick@PlusSevenCompany.com.

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas