A ballplayer who’s dedicated to her team, first and foremost, Evergreen junior Maile Wong prefers not to draw extra attention to herself.
But because she happens to be a girl playing high school baseball, a male-dominated sport, Wong’s unique position is something her coaches, teammates and even other girls can learn from.
“Maile doesn’t want to make it about her,” said Chad Burchett, Evergreen’s head coach since 2009 who hadn’t seen a girl come through the program before Wong. “But it is special, it is amazing and she’s a great ambassador, especially for other girls just to see they’re capable of doing anything.”
Wong made history with Evergreen this season when she earned a spot on the Plainsmen’s varsity team after playing JV as a freshman and taking her sophomore year off. She’s played in all six of the team’s games so far this season at second base, quickly gaining respect from teammates and coaches.
“It’s a brotherhood out here, and Maile’s now part of the brotherhood,” Evergreen senior Jayson Whedon said. “She’s just a sister out here to us and we’re all gonna keep working with her and she’s gonna work with us.”
Approximately 1,400 girls nationwide played high school baseball during the 2023-24 school year, according to a National Federation of State High School Associations participation survey, down from 1,572 the previous year. Wong and Ridgefield senior Natalie Evans are the only known participants in Southwest Washington.
While some girls face an uphill battle to play, Wong has been welcomed with open arms at Evergreen.
“I love this team,” Wong said. “My coaches are great. They’re all super uplifting, they all cheer us on. Yeah, I love it here.”
Wong grew up around the game with her two brothers, and started playing baseball when she was 5 in Camas Little League. She became the first girl to make a Camas all-star team when she was 10. As she continued playing alongside male teammates who grew bigger and stronger, she found other ways to compete.
“Growing up, I was always told to work three times as hard,” said Wong, “so that when they all hit puberty I’d be able to keep up with them.”
Upon arriving at Evergreen High School, where her mom is a teacher, Wong’s introduction to Evergreen baseball during winter workouts in the weight room and batting cages was an intimidating environment to walk into.
As soon as she stepped on the field, however, she knew she was going to be OK.
But after Wong’s freshman year on JV, she encountered a negative experience playing on a summer ball team. As a result, she decided to step away from the game as a sophomore “to focus on my mental health,” unsure when or if she would return.
Burchett, who’s also a counselor at Evergreen, went into recruiting mode this year to convince Wong to play. Although she was initially noncommittal, when she showed up to the first day of tryouts in March, Evergreen coaches were thrilled.
So what drew Wong back to the Plainsmen?
“I honestly think the people, some of our seniors I played with freshman year, and I really wanted to get one last season with them,” she said.
Wong was one of 12 players to make varsity. The scouting report, according to Burchett, reads as follows: Her baseball IQ is off the charts. She’s always in the game, always mentally prepared. A fundamental player, too.
And?
“She’s tough as hell,” Burchett said. “She’s as tough as (any) kid we have in this program. She’s been playing baseball her whole life. She’s been around boys and she’s just one of us, she’s one of the guys.
“She was kind of on the fence about it, and I just said, ‘Hey, we need you.’ I think her building her confidence up to where she believes, and now she’s seen that she can compete with these guys.”
Wong had a breakthrough moment in Evergreen’s third game of the season against Seaside (Ore.) on March 22 when she smoked a line-drive base hit to center field in an eventual 6-5 win for the Plainsmen.
The hit was a blur for her and the team, but reflecting on it several days later, they recognized the significance of the moment.
“I don’t remember a lot, but I do remember that the pitcher was kind of giggling at me, so that made the hit feel a lot better,” Wong said.
Outside of high school and summer ball, Wong has also played for the East Bay Hurricanes, a California-based all-girls team, beginning in 2019. Sharing those experiences with other girls who love baseball, some of whom also play on high school boys teams, have been invaluable to Wong.
“That’s a connection that, I think, is unmatched,” she said. “Getting to bond with those girls who have gone through some of the same things I’ve gone through, I think that’s something I will hold in my heart forever.”
Wong has also inspired girls closer to home. Multiple coaches on Evergreen’s staff have daughters, including Burchett, whose 13-year-old daughter often asks her dad, “how’s Maile doing?”
“For my daughter to see somebody like that, that looks like her, she’s a phenomenal role model,” Burchett said. “Her attitude is so positive. But like I said, she doesn’t expect anything different … she just wants to be a ballplayer. That’s the approach we’ve taken and it’s just awesome to have her. I hope that other kids, young girls see her, idolize that and (say), ‘Hey, we can get out and scrap with the boys.’”
Wong hears stories like these, and in turn, draws inspiration from them to keep pushing.
“Sometimes I hear of little girls, they want to wear my number on their back, or they’re shocked that I play,” Wong said. “They want to come see me play. And that’s why I play.”
