OKLAHOMA CITY – On Thursday, San Diego State softball assistant coach, Madilyn “Bubba” Nickles-Camarena, was announced as one of 36 athletes selected for consideration for the 2026 USA Softball Women’s National Team.
Nickles-Camarena is in her first season on The Mesa as an assistant coach after coming down to America’s Finest City from UCLA, her alma mater. The player pool is made up of current and recent collegiate stars including former UCLA pitcher Rachel Garcia, who was a volunteer assistant coach for the Scarlet and Black during the 2022 campaign.
A 2020 Olympic Silver Medalist with Team USA, Nickles-Camarena was a three-time All-Pac 12 honoree and a two-time NFCA West All-Region First Team selection and led the Bruins to the 2019 NCAA Championship. The All-Women’s College World Series Team pick led the Bruins in hits, home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage that season. After graduation, Nickles-Camarena has played professionally, including competing for Stacey Nuveman Deniz’s Bandits during the Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s inaugural 2025 season.
The group of players chosen for the pool will serve as the foundation for the 2025-28 Olympic quadrennial cycle and if selected to the 2026 USA Softball Women’s National Team, will compete in the World Baseball Softball Confederation World Cup Group Stage, which will be held in September in Oklahoma City. All 36 athletes will participate in the 2026 USA Softball International Cup, formerly known as the World Cup of Softball, which will be held in Oklahoma City from late July through early August.
Nickles-Camarena and San Diego State are hosting Utah State at SDSU Softball Stadium this weekend for a three-game series. Contests will be held at 6 p.m. PT on Thursday and Friday and noon on Saturday. The games on Thursday and Saturday will be streamed on Mountain West Network.