Can this UCLA softball duo follow a national title with Olympic gold? - Tampa Bay Times

Can this UCLA softball duo follow a national title with Olympic gold? - Tampa Bay Times

CLEARWATER — Bubba Nickles was in her hotel room doing homework when she got the news from UCLA softball teammate Rachel Garcia.

They both had made the U.S. Olympic team, each fulfilling a childhood dream of competing in the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo.

“I remember seeing the text message from Rachel to open my email,” Nickles said. “At first, I had no idea what she was talking about. But she was right. We made it. That was the coolest thing ever that it came from Rachel.”

Elated, the two also realized what that meant. Both were about to embark on the Stand Beside Her Tour, a grueling five-month stretch of tournaments and games in 20 states nearly every weekend during that span.

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The schedule overlaps with the college softball season. That left a difficult decision. Garcia and Nickles, both seniors, had to redshirt this season.

Instead of leading the Bruins to another national title, they hope to help Team USA win gold.

“We kind of understood the process, and what would result in making the team,” Nickles said.

UCLA players congregate near the dugout between innings while facing Alabama on Friday during the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater. [DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times]

Garcia already knows what it is like to be away from her UCLA teammates. She redshirted as a freshman in 2017 to recover from a knee injury. Since then, Garcia has become the most dominant pitcher in college softball, winning player of the year honors the past two seasons.

“This is my second time sitting out, but it’s definitely different this time around,” Garcia said. “It’s more than just not being around the UCLA Bruins. I’m now around a completely different team. There’s an upside to it because I get to be a part of this Stand Beside Her Tour and this Olympic journey, which I’m super excited for but I’m still going to be rooting for UCLA.

The bonds developed were tough to leave behind, too. Both are friends with nearly every Bruins player and they talk via group text messages at least a few times a week.

“I think it’s tough because we just came off a national championship and we became so close,” said Nickles, a utility specialist who led UCLA with 18 home runs and 72 RBIs last season. “To leave them behind was difficult at first.”

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This weekend, their paths converged. The national team and UCLA are both playing in the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational. Though the teams are facing each other, they are often at the Eddie C. Moore fields at the same time.

Autograph seekers flocked to Garcia and Nickles each game. Both are known names in college softball, especially after winning a national title. Their popularity has soared even more as members of Team USA.

UCLA's Jenavee Peres (43), left, and Seneca Curo (11) get amped up before batting in the third inning Friday vs. Alabama. [DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times]

UCLA handles nearly all of Garcia’s fan mail. The volume is so intense she has a hard time keeping track of it all.

Though they are stars, Garcia and Nickles do not have a seniority on the national team. They went from veterans in college to youngsters on an Olympic squad that includes just one other player still in college (Arizona’s Dejah Mulipola).

“Age doesn’t matter,” Garcia said. “We’re on this team for a reason. I’m just thankful that we have veterans who have been through this before and we can go to if we are having a tough time. We’re all in this together and are after the same goal, so that kind of eases things, as well.”

To get by, Garcia and Nickles lean on each other.

“I know when Rachel is having a tough day or good day and she knows the same with me,” Nickles said. “Even our parents are close. We all hang out together. It’s awesome."

On Thursday, Team USA players had their first full day off since starting the tour two weeks ago. Ken Eriksen, the USF coach in charge of the national team, told them to go for a walk, or lay in the sand at Clearwater Beach, anything to get away from softball.

Then it was back to games, workouts, conditioning.

And for Garcia and Nickles, one last chance to see their college teammates before continuing on with the tour.

St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational

Where: Eddie C. Moore Complex, 2780 Drew St., Clearwater

Tickets: Tournament passes are sold out. Single-game tickets for Fields 1 and 3 can be purchased at the gate on the day of the game for $25 ($20 for youth). Find more info here.

Sunday: Georgia vs. USF, 9 a.m. (ESPN3), Missouri vs. Minnesota, 9:30 a.m. (ESPN3), Texas Tech vs. Washington, 10 a.m. (ESPNU), Team USA vs. Oklahoma State, 10 a.m. (ESPN3), FSU vs. Liberty, noon (ESPN3), Northwestern vs. Virginia Tech, noon (ESPN3), James Madison vs. South Carolina, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN3), Team USA vs. Washington, 12:30 p.m (ESPN3), USF vs. UCLA, 3 p.m. (ESPN3), FSU vs. UCLA, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

2020-02-16 10:00:00Z
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/high-schools/2020/02/16/can-this-ucla-softball-duo-follow-a-national-title-with-olympic-gold/

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