MERCED, Calif. – Incoming freshman Madilyn Nickles was named the Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year on Wednesday, becoming the sixth Bruin to earn that honor.

Starting this fall, the Bruins’ roster will feature a trio of players that have won Gatorade National Softball POY honors, which includes 2011 honoree Paige McDuffee, who will be a redshirt senior next season and 2015 honoree Rachel Garcia, who will be a redshirt freshman in 2017. Also earning the prestigious award, while also playing in Westwood, were Anjelica Selden (2004), Lisa Dodd (2003) and Amanda Freed (1998).

Nickles was named the California Gatorade State Player of the Year on June 2. She is the ninth Bruin to earn State POY honors, joining fellow Californians Garcia (2013 and 2015), Jessica Hall (2010), Selden, Dodd and Freed, Texan McDuffee, Washingtonian Whitney Baker (2006) and Floridian Claire Sua (2000).

The 5-foot-8 right-handed pitcher and shortstop posted a 20-5 record and a 0.63 earned run average in her senior campaign, leading Merced High School to a 22-7 record and a trip to the semifinals of the Sac-Joaquin Division I Tournament. Nickles struck out 308 in 167 1/3 innings, allowing only 81 hits and 28 walks, while tossing three no-hitters and nine shutouts. At the plate, Nickles hit .552 with eight home runs, 27 runs batted in, 20 doubles and a 1.126 slugging. She did not strike out in 104 plate appearances.

Nickles has spent the last two summers with Team USA, spending 2015 with the U.S. Junior National Team and 2016 with the USA Elite Team. She played in 14 games last summer at the World Cup of Softball and World Championships, posting a homer, 14 RBI and six walks. Nickles was the only high school player invited to last January’s selection camp.

Nickles has maintained a 3.97 grade point average in the classroom. She has volunteered locally as part of multiple community-service initiatives through her school’s Rotary International Interact Club. Nickles has also donated her time generously to youth players, serving as a volunteer assistant for the past four years with both ASA Development Camps, as well as Nike Softball Camps. In addition, she has coached and advised area U-12 to U-14 players on an individual basis and served as an instructor at USA Softball Youth Camps.

“She is a very versatile athlete who can hit with power and consistency,” UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “Madilyn can pitch and play any position on the field. I look forward to getting her on the field for us as she brings her very competitive personality.”

The Gatorade National Player of the Year award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence, as well as high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the softball diamond. Nickles is now a finalist for the Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year award. USA Today High School Sports administrates the nationwide selection process in collaboration with Gatorade.