Portland, Maine- The Portland Sea Dogs, Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, will host Women in Sports Night on Friday, August 21st at Delta Dental Park at Hadlock Field.
The night will begin with a pregame women in sports panel on the field behind home plate from 4:45 pm to 5:15 pm. The panel will include Sea Dogs Director of Broadcasting Emma Tiedemann; Lani Silversides, the Founder of Strong Girls United and a former Division I athlete; Jennifer Kessy, an Olympic Silver Medalist in volleyball; and Maddie Chaput, a track & field star at the University of Maine.
The first 1,000 fans to enter the ballpark will receive an Emma Tiedemann talking bobblehead, courtesy of Planet Fitness. Tiedemann became the Sea Dogs broadcaster in 2020 and is currently just one of two female broadcasters in Minor League Baseball, joining former Sea Dogs assistant broadcaster Rylee Pay, who is currently the voice of the Tacoma Rainiers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Tiedemann was the 2024 Maine Sports Broadcaster of the Year. In 2024, she and Pay made history by becoming the first female duo to call a Boston Red Sox game. Tiedemann made history again on August 5, 2025, when she joined Alanna Rizzo to form the first all-female broadcast booth to call an entire Red Sox game on NESN. Tiedemann returns to the NESN booth for a third time on August 5, 2026, when she and Rizzo team up again to call the Red Sox game against the Chicago White Sox. The talking bobblehead features Tiedemann’s call of a Sea Dogs combined no-hitter on July 23, 2023.
The pregame ceremonies will also include recognizing the Women of the Sea Dogs staff and the introduction of the “Starting Nine”, highlighting nine women in sports who have been influential to the next generation for opportunities for women in sports. Each woman will throw out a ceremonial first pitch and will be presented with a team jersey. The women being recognized include:
Layne Audet
Audet serves as the Ticket Operations & Business Analytics Manager for the Maine Mariners. Audet joined the Mariners in October 2023 as a Sales Associate. She was promoted to Coordinator, Ticket Operations and Business Analytics in January 2024 and Ticket Operations and Business Analytics Manager in January 2026. Layne is a recent graduate of the University of Maine at Orono with a degree in Marketing and Management. It was there, volunteering at UMaine hockey games, that she found her passion for working in sports.
Maddie Chaput
Chaput is a track & field star at the University of Maine. During her time with the Black Bears, she has set personal records in all her events. Off the track, Chaput is working on her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. She is also a Pliable athlete with several NIL partnerships and a huge TikTok following. A Brunswick native, Chaput is also extremely passionate about increasing the popularity of women's sports.
Lisa Frates
Frates serves as the Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications for the Portland Hearts of Pine. She has over 20 years of experience across sports, mission-driven organizations, and community institutions. Frates is passionate about helping organizations root themselves deeply in the communities they serve, not just as programs or teams, but as part of a place’s identity.
Jennifer Kessy
Jennifer Kessy is a former professional beach volleyball player and Olympic silver medalist. She represented the United States at the 2012 London Olympic Games, where she and partner April Ross earned the silver medal. A standout at the University of Southern California, Kessy went on to enjoy a successful international career, winning multiple FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour events and competing against the world's top teams. Following her playing career, she has remained active in the sport as a coach and mentor, helping develop the next generation of beach volleyball athletes.
Alicia LaRocque
LaRocque serves as the Director, Corporate Partnerships for the Maine Celtics. In 2023, she was honored by MaineBiz as a 40 Under 40 recipient. Prior to joining the Maine Celtics, she worked at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine, where she was able to increase the organization's impact on the community — and felt blessed to know each day the great work the organization did for families and sick children. In her roles, she looks to continue to find creative and intentional ways to do good in the community.
Kate Re
Kate Re is one of Maine's rising stars in short-track racing and a trailblazer for women in motorsports. A native of Norway, Maine, she made history in 2020 as the first female driver to qualify for the prestigious Oxford 250 on speed. Since then, she has continued to break barriers, becoming just the second woman to win a Super Late Model feature at Oxford Plains Speedway while consistently competing among the region's top drivers. Through her talent, determination, and success on the track, Re is inspiring the next generation of female racers and proving that skill—not gender—defines a champion.
Lani Silversides
Silversides is the Founder and Executive Director of Strong Girls United, which is a nonprofit organization that empowers girls to be strong, confident, and resilient through sports, mentorship, and mental health programming. She was also a Division I basketball player at the University of Vermont, finishing her career ranking among the all-time leaders in 10 different categories.
Madison Spencer
Spencer joined the Sea Dogs in the fall of 2022 and currently serves as the team’s Manager, Ticket Sales and Events. You may also spot her on the field as an in-game host, bringing energy and excitement to fans during between-inning entertainment. Passionate about creating memorable experiences, Spencer believes Portland has the best fan base around and loves finding new ways to connect the community through sports. In addition to her work at the Sea Dogs, she is the newly elected President of Propel, having previously served as Secretary.
Maine Mayhem
The Maine Mayhem provides female athletes, who are 18 or over, the opportunity to play full-contact football in a positive environment where the expectation is that honesty, integrity, and sportsmanship are embraced by every participant. The team was founded in 2015 and began competitive play in 2016. The team competes in the WFA (Women’s Football Alliance). The WFA has approximately 60 teams nationwide. The mission of the Maine Mayhem is to provide women the opportunity to both learn and play tackle football in an encouraging environment that focuses on the fundamentals and techniques necessary for a positive experience in football and life.
Tickets for the game are available at seadogs.com or by calling the Sea Dogs ticket office at 207-874-9300. Group rates and the opportunity to be involved in pregame ceremonies are available for girls and women’s sports teams that would like to attend.