Merced’s Nickles earns spot on Junior National softball team

Madilyn Nickles got the email on her phone while she was sitting in physics class Monday.

The Merced High School junior earned a spot on the ASA/USA Junior Women’s National Softball Team following a three-day tryout last weekend.

“It was during sixth period,” Nickles said. “They told us they would send out an email at 11 a.m. to tell us who made the team. I finally got the message at 11:16. I saw my name on the middle of the list. I had to tell my classmates and teacher.”

Nickles, 16, was one of 10 girls selected out of 112 who attended the open tryout in Irvine on Friday. Nickles and the other nine players were invited to compete at the two-day junior national team tryout camp along with 27 other players who already earned invitations.

Nickles wasn’t sure what her chances were of making the team when she decided to try out, especially vying for a spot against college and high school players from across the country.

The plan was, if she didn’t make the first cut, she could spend time with her family at Disneyland.

“It was pretty tough,” Nickles said. “There were so many girls. I wanted to go just for the experience, and at least I would get a trip to Disneyland if I didn’t get picked. Me and my mom were at Nordstrom when I got the text that I was asked to come back to try out for the junior national team on Saturday. I almost screamed out loud when I read the text.”

Nickles, who has won back-to-back Central California Conference MVP awards, tried out as an infielder and, as a member of the class of 2016, is the youngest player on the team.

Nickles will compete with the junior national team at World Cup X from June 29-July 5 in Southern California and at the International Softball Federation Jr. Women’s World Championship from Aug. 9-15 in Oklahoma City.

“It’s awesome,” Merced coach Bart McAfee said. “She made the junior national team, and she’s still in high school. That’s pretty neat.”

This story was originally published January 5, 2015 at 7:24 PM with the headline "Merced’s Nickles earns spot on Junior National softball team."