The Philadelphia Force of National Pro Fastpitch has announced the signing of Langhorne, Pennsylvania native and 2005 Shippensburg University graduate, Jaime Dacey. Dacey will be entering the NPF as a rookie in 2006 with the newest franchise of National Pro Fastpitch, the nation’s only women’s professional fastpitch softball league. After the signing, she claimed “This is an awesome opportunity. I would have never thought that I would be playing a sport professionally, and the best part about it is that the team is in the Philadelphia metropolitan area! I'm so excited to start playing again with such great competition, and for the team to be close to home is even better.”

Dacey is a 2005 graduate of Shippensburg University, where she earned the 2005 NCAA Division II batting title, posting a .549 batting average during her senior campaign. At Shippensburg, Dacey holds the record for career batting average (.420), ranks seconds in career runs (629), second in career hits (264), first in career triples (23), first in career RBI (156) and is tied for first in career stolen bases (49). Additionally, she ranks first in hits in a season (78), triples in a season (11), RBI in a season (58), and slugging percentage in a season (.852). In her senior year, Dacey was named an NFCA first team All-American.

She is looking to make an immediate impact for the Force and will be competing for a starting spot in the outfield. “I will do whatever it takes to get on base and do what I have to do to make things happen both offensively and defensively. I am the kind of player who is never satisfied, so I'm going to do my best to help this team anyway that I can. I am going to give 110% in the off-season so I could stay consistent at the plate.”

Dacey, a graduate of Archbishop Wood H.S. in Warminster, PA, is ecstatic about extending her playing career with the new professional team located in Allentown. “There are so many great things about this area, but I think one of the best parts about this city is the people and their sports teams. There are so many good teams located in Philadelphia, from the collegiate level to professional sports teams, and the fans are even better! They are so passionate and honest about their teams, and it’s great to be a part of that. The Philadelphia metro area has so much to offer and I'm excited about the addition to professional softball to such a great place.”

Dacey also played travel ball with the Middletown Magic and the Bristol Township Blazing Angels. On the Blazing Angels, Dacey was teammate with the Force’s #1 draft pick and the second overall pick in the 2006 NPF Senior Draft, Chambersburg native and Alabama Senior, Stephanie VanBrakle. Dacey is very excited to play next to Blazing Angels teammate again. “She is a competitor, a great athlete and a huge asset to any team. Not only is she a good pitcher, but she's also a great hitter with a lot of power. You're fortunate when you have a player like her on your team who you can rely on both in the circle and the batter's box. I am very lucky to have played on the same team with Steph in the past. We are good friends and I can't wait to be teammates again!”

The Force will be playing their home games at ECTB Stadium at Bicentennial Park in Allentown, PA. Don’t miss opening day, June 7th at 7:05 PM when the Force take on the Connecticut Brakettes. The Force are also holding a Pre-High School Clinic on March 4th and March 5th in Newtown, PA. For more information on the Philadelphia Force please visit www.philadelphiaforce.com.

Press Contact: Jennifer Carlo, Assistant GM or (215) 441-8600 x303.