Tucson, AZ– The Arizona Heat of National Pro Fastpitch is proud to announce the signing of two-time Gold Medalist Stacey Nuveman, the fourth member from the 2004 USA Olympic Team to join the Heat for 2005. Nuveman will join Lovie Jung, Tairia Mims-Flowers and Jessica Mendoza as Gold Medal winners on the Heat roster, along with 15 other NCAA All-Americans.

Nuveman is one of the most recognized and decorated female softball players in the history of the sport. She played her collegiate ball at UCLA, leading the Bruins to four Women’s College World Series appearances including a National Championship. Stacey was awarded the Pac-10 Player of the Year award three times, becoming only the second to player to accomplish that feat. In 2002, Nuveman was recognized as the USA Softball Player of the Year and USA Collegiate Player of the Year. She also received First-Team NFCA All-American honors four times.

Nuveman staked her claim to many NCAA, Pac-10 and UCLA all-time records over her career. She is the all-time NCAA career home run champion with 90 during her four years in Los Angeles. She currently holds the Pac-10 and UCLA batting average record with a .466 career average, and still owns the highest slugging percentage in NCAA history. Her UCLA records include batting average, home runs, rbi’s and walks.

In Athens, Nuveman captured her second Olympic Gold Medal as the starting catcher for the United States Team that outscored their opponents 51-1 in route to a 9-0 record. Stacey’s first Gold Medal came in the 2000 Sydney Games, as the team’s starting catcher.

Stacey is known best in Tucson for being the player to end Jennie Finch’s 60 game win streak, by hitting a pair of home runs of the Arizona star. The two will face off June 23-26 when Finch’s Chicago Bandits come to Hi Corbett Field to face the Heat.

Stacey currently works as a color commentator for softball games on ESPN and will be working the Women’s College World Series this year.

The Heat has also announced the addition of their fifth Olympian with the signing of Jessica Bashor. Jessica was a member of the 2004 Greek Olympic Team. She played her collegiate ball at the University of Iowa, where she became the school’s all-time home run leader. Jessica was a NFCA All-American as a freshman, and received All-Big-10 honors four times.

About National Pro Fastpitch
National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The league, created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL). Visit the league website at www.profastpitch.com.
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PRESS CONTACT:
Scott Kimmelman, Arizona Heat (520) 296-9595.
Online at: www.arizonaprofastpitch.com.