Lena is a Choctaw woman who works as a freelance journalist. Following the death of her partner in the Middle East, she returns to her home state of Oklahoma to find a fresh start. While renovating her inherited house, she discovers a hidden mail pouch containing a 1907 photograph of an Indigenous baseball team. This discovery prompts her to investigate her family's past and document the true history of the Miko Kings.

Hope is a talented Choctaw pitcher for the 1907 Miko Kings baseball team. Decades later in 1969, he is an elderly man living in the Elms Nursing Home. He lacks both of his hands and spends his days resting in bed. He frequently reminisces about his time on the ballfield and his deep affection for his former love, Dusky Long-Gone Girl.

Ezol is Henri Day's niece. She lives in 1907 Ada. She invests her time in studying the Choctaw language, specifically its relationship to mathematical theories of time and space. As a spirit in 2006, she provides Lena with firsthand accounts of the baseball team and dictates the events of the past.

Justina is an elderly woman known to history as Black Juice, a famous civil rights activist. In her youth, she attended the Hampton Normal School, where she first experienced severe racial prejudice. Though scholars view her as a hero, she harbors deep regrets about her past and prefers to discuss her youthful romance in Oklahoma rather than her activism.

Henri is the Choctaw founder and owner of the Miko Kings baseball team in 1904. He is an ambitious but sometimes clumsy businessman who runs for mayor of Ada. He hopes the baseball league will unify different tribes and protect their community during the turbulent Allotment Era.

Blip is the player-manager and star hitter for the Miko Kings. He is known for his intense dedication to the sport. He constantly hones his swing and inspires his teammates to visualize their plays. He bears a distinctive deep scar that runs from his eyebrow to his cheekbone.

Bo is a resident of Ada who frequently associates with local gamblers and unsavory figures. He faces racial discrimination from both white and Indigenous communities due to his mixed heritage. He is deeply protective of his relationships but often acts out of desperation.

Cora is the young daughter of Henri Day. She grows up in 1907 Indian Territory. She is strong-willed and often acts on her desires regardless of the consequences. Her father's strict expectations clash with her romantic interests.

MourningTree is Lena's late grandmother who built the house in Ada in 1907. She took Lena in during childhood summers, teaching her traditional Choctaw cooking and language. She always maintained an emotional distance, as she secretly blamed Lena for her own daughter's death in childbirth.

Algernon is an assistant professor at Morehouse College in 1969. He is determined to write a biography about the famous activist Black Juice. He is persistent but respectful, eventually convincing her to share her early history.

John is a pragmatic nurse at the Elms Nursing Home in 1969. He frequently listens to Hope's varied stories about the past, though he remains skeptical about which versions are actually true.

Kerwin is a young, rebellious nurse at the Elms Nursing Home. He bonds with Hope over stories of Indigenous traditions and feels guilty when his protest stunts result in Hope receiving substandard care from other staff members.

Sayyed is a Palestinian freelance photographer who builds a life with Lena in Amman. His sudden death in a hotel bombing shatters Lena's world and acts as the catalyst for her return to Oklahoma.

Kit is Lena's mother. She passed away while giving birth to Lena. Her absence leaves a profound emotional void in the family, which affects how Lena is raised by her grandmother.

Lonnie is Henri's cousin and confidant. He offers practical advice about the necessity of allowing gambling at baseball games to ensure the team's financial survival.

Leon is a mayoral candidate in Ada who uses local newspapers to criticize Henri. As a recent Christian convert, he strongly opposes gambling but shows moments of solemn respect for Choctaw traditions when faced with tragedy.

Evangeline is Justina's great-granddaughter. She lives with Justina in New Orleans in 1969 and helps arrange Algernon Pinchot's interview with her, acting as a protective intermediary.

Ahojebo is Hope's late uncle and a skilled baseball player. He played for the Winfield Reds and serves as an early inspiration for Hope's athletic aspirations.

Wild Buck is a batting coach at Jones Academy who previously played alongside Hope's uncle. He mentors young Hope and provides him with crucial information about his family's past.

Tom is a gambler and co-owner of the Corner Saloon. He frequently interacts with the Miko Kings and represents the unsavory betting culture surrounding the baseball league.