SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis senior softball player Danika Bailey will sign with California on National Letter of Intent signing day on Wednesday, November 12. Bailey committed to the Bears as a sophomore and recently confirmed her commitment after an official visit to the school.

“It is a dream come,” said Bailey, who wrote in her journal as an eight-year old that she wanted to attend and play softball at Cal. “I have wanted to go there since I was eight years old. I have had people I looked up to go to school there. To be able to follow my dream and push through it to make it come true is an exciting moment.”

Bailey’s decision was further cemented after her official visit to Berkeley.

“It was so good,” said Bailey. “I did not want to come back to high school. It made we want to get there quicker but I realize I have to wait for my time to come. I did not want to leave at all.”

She chose the Bears and Head Coach Diane Ninemire’s program for its tradition, proximity to home and strong reputation with her former teammates.

“It is close to home and when I am there I feel like I am home,” said Bailey. “They made feel like I was part of them.”

Bailey, who plays for Sorcerer Softball club, hit .556 in limited action (6 games) with three triples and three runs batted in as a junior after batting .525 as a sophomore. Overall, she has hit .435 over her varsity career with 60 runs scored. After missing most of her junior season at St. Francis due to injury, she is excited to hit the field this spring for the Troubadours.

“It was hard,” said Bailey of missing the season. “Even though I was hurt, I was willing to go out there and play to help the team. It was very frustrating. I tried my best to help in other ways. I am really excited for this season.”

Bailey will participate in a celebration at St. Francis on Nov. 12 to recognize each of the Troubadour student-athletes signing to play collegiate sports next fall. The event begins at 9 a.m. in the Campus Learning Center and will be live streamed online.