MAUMEE, Ohio —
Taylor Smith doesn't want to play softball — she thinks their wind-up is funny.
The boys in Maumee are really happy she made the choice to play baseball instead because this year, Smith made the All-Star team and she's one of the top players on the roster.
Taylor Smith plays like a girl, and that's a really good thing. She's just 10 years old, but this year she made the 11 and 12-year-old All-Star team in Maumee. Not only did she make the team, but she can also play really well too. Smith is considered one of their top pitchers and she more than handles her own at the plate.
"They treat me all the same as a regular boy," said Smith. "I don't care that I play with boys, I just really don't care.”
And head coach Bill Laranga does not care either.
"Just like any other player," said Laranga. "What helps is that she's a top performer on the team as well. Blends right in. She competes just as hard, if not harder than some of the other kids out here, which is kinda fun. She just fits in, like any other teammate."
Taylor doesn't have plans to switch over to softball, and she has a message for other girls who are interested in playing baseball instead.
"Don't be afraid just because mostly boys play," she advised. "They're a little surprised of me just because there aren't many girls that play baseball."
"It's just like anything else, she just comes and plays the game, that's what she loves," explained Laranga. "You ask her and she tells you she's not gonna play softball, so I look forward to seeing how that comes to a head when she gets older because she is really good at the game. She thinks the game too, she doesn't just play it."