Marika Lyszczyk, a prominent figure in baseball and social media, returned to her roots this weekend at the B.C. Girls Baseball Championships held at Whalley ballpark. The 24-year-old from Tsawwassen shared highlights from the event on her social media platforms, engaging with young players who follow her online.

Currently working with Momentum, a baseball content creation company in Scottsdale, Arizona, Lyszczyk has amassed a significant following, with over 99,000 Instagram followers and more than 146,000 on TikTok. Her journey in baseball began long before her rise on social media. In 2018, she made history as the first female player in the B.C. Premier Baseball League while playing for the Whalley Chiefs.

Lyszczyk continued to break barriers in 2020 when she became the first woman to play catcher in an NCAA game for the Rivier Raiders, a Division III team in New Hampshire. She later transferred to Sonoma State University, where she focused on pitching for the Division II Seawolves in 2023.

This summer, she took another significant step in her career by making her debut in men’s professional baseball. On June 24, she pitched for the Dublin Leprechauns, an independent league team in California, allowing one run over two innings. She made another appearance on July 15 but faced challenges, giving up three earned runs in two innings. Due to her commitments with Momentum, she was unable to continue playing for Dublin.

David Laing, CEO of Baseball B.C., praised Lyszczyk for her dedication to mentoring younger players. "Marika has been great for us. She always has time for the youngest of our athletes and never misses a chance to share her story and her beginnings," Laing said. Scott MacKenzie, director of operations for Baseball B.C., added, "Marika’s amazing feats in baseball are proof of what’s possible, and her success will undoubtedly inspire a new generation of young girls to pursue their dreams with confidence."

Lyszczyk expressed her passion for both baseball and content creation. "It’s always been a dream of mine to play professional baseball. And it’s super cool that simultaneously I can do two things that I absolutely love," she said. She emphasized the importance of showing young girls that they can pursue baseball, stating, "It’s fun to be able to show girls that they can continue to play baseball and maybe one day play college baseball or even pro baseball."

Having been with Momentum for nearly two years, Lyszczyk previously created content independently and worked with Major League Baseball. The company’s content team includes former big-league pitcher Trevor Bauer and Eric Sim, a former player in the San Francisco Giants system. Lyszczyk credits Sim for encouraging her to pursue this career path and appreciates the training she receives from experienced players.

Looking ahead, Lyszczyk hopes to expand Momentum’s reach in sports content. "I want to see us continue to crush baseball content and maybe even branch out and do more sports and incorporate baseball into other things," she said.

Despite the challenges of balancing her commitments, Lyszczyk remains enthusiastic about her dual career as a YouTuber and a professional baseball player. "It’s still so crazy when people ask me what I do for a living and I tell them that I’m a YouTuber. I mean, that never gets old for me. It’s just so crazy."

As she continues her journey, Lyszczyk aims to inspire others and demonstrate that there is a place for women in baseball.