Luisa Gauci has a philosophy that guides her life: “Baseball before anything.” Her overwhelming love for the game, and her almost fanatical dedication to pursuing it on the field, has led her around the world, and now brings her far, far away from her native Australia.

It led her to a stint playing summer ball in North Carolina when she was still in high school, a venture she admits was “dodgy” and can’t quite believe her parents allowed. It led her on a longshot quest to find an American college that would let a 5-foot-2 woman from Brisbane play on their baseball team.