A well-known women’s baseball player and coach with ties to Maine is alive, contrary to reports by a California newspaper and others on social media that say she had died.
Ghazaleh “Oz” Sailors came to Maine from California and was a star pitcher during her years at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. She graduated in 2015 and amassed several honors, playing professional baseball in the U.S. and abroad, coaching and advocating for women in the sport.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported her death on July 1, and the nonprofit baseball organization she worked for said June 28 on social media that Sailors had died. Despite those reports, the Bangor Daily News learned Tuesday that Sailors is alive after speaking with Commander Forrest Dudley of the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department.
The BDN reached Sailors by telephone on Tuesday and she declined to comment on reports of her death.
The July 1 San Francisco Chronicle article was written by senior sports enterprise reporter Ron Kroichick. Responding to questions from the BDN, Kroichick said the Chronicle posted a story Wednesday afternoon saying Sailors is alive.
In the article, Kroichick said the Chronicle learned of Sailors’ “death” from Baseball for All, the organization for which she worked.
Baseball for All’s post appeared on June 28.
“Oz Sailors, a pioneering woman in baseball who pitched in college, played professionally around the world and later coached at two Bay Area high schools, died last week at age 31,” the post stated.
The organization said it had created the Oz Sailors Baseball Opportunity Fund in her honor to help advance girls baseball, and encouraged donations to support the fund.
Sailors is listed as director of player development under Baseball for All staff.
Sailors hadn’t communicated with her parents for some time but had maintained contact with her brother, Hajir Sailors, the Chronicle’s story on Wednesday said. Hajir Sailors had contacted the Chronicle questioning her death.
In the Chronicle article, Oz Sailors’ mother Haleh Sailors said her daughter might have had a mental breakdown.
Hajir Sailors also contacted the BDN with questions about his sister’s death. Reporters spoke with both Hajir and Oz Sailors on Tuesday.
Neither Baseball for All, nor legal adviser Donna Cohen, have responded to multiple requests for comment.
Sailors had overcome adversity and harassment as a female in a primarily men’s sport, and was the only female pitcher in the NCAA, the BDN reported in 2014.
Sailors was the first University of Maine at Presque Isle student to deliver a talk in the campus’ Distinguished Lecturer Series, speaking in 2014 about breaking barriers. She was inducted into the university’s Owls Athletics Hall of Fame in February.
BDN/Aroostook Republican reporter Melissa Lizotte contributed to this report.
