Throughout her baseball career people have told pitcher Ila Borders to give up her dream. First they said she could not pitch for her high school boys team, but she went out and won team Most Valuable Player honors at Whittier Christian High School. Then baseball experts said Borders could never pitch for a men's college team. Again she did not listen, and she became the first woman to earn a scholarship to play for a men's college team and the first woman pitcher to ever to win a college game. In 1997 Borders again proved her doubters wrong when she became the first woman to pitch for a men's minor league team. Despite her success, people still say that Borders will never pitch in the major leagues, but she has learned not to listen to those who doubt her.

Growing up

Like father, like daughter

Ila (EYE-la) Borders...