Madelyn Furstenau ‘26, Lyonlife.org Editor-in-Chief
Athletes Unlimited professional softball has gained a lot of traction in the athletic world lately. Not only is viewership higher than ever before, but countless big names in college softball have signed with AU to continue playing at the next level. The organization is taking a different route this year, now putting together four solidified teams—The Bandits, Talons, Volts, and Blaze—instead of changing teams weekly and naming them after selected team captains. Without further ado, let us take a look at four extremely talented new and returning pro athletes who appeared in the 2025 inaugural draft:
Bubba Nickles-Camarena (Utility) —The Bandits
Bubba Nickles-Camarena became a huge name in college softball during her successful collegiate career at UCLA. She won a national championship with the team in 2019, an extremely big year for her, in which she led the Bruins with 18 home runs, 72 runs batted in (RBI), and a .390 batting average. Nickles was also ranked first in the PAC-12 for RBIs and hits. After graduating, Nickles began an Olympic career with Team USA. At the 2020 Olympics in Japan, the team won silver after losing against Japan in a 2-0 shutout. Unable to leave the Bruin bubble just yet, Nickles joined the UCLA coaching staff in 2021 as a Graduate Manager. Seemingly unready to end her softball career, Nickles also signed with AU in 2021 and has played professionally ever since. She will be heading into her fifth season as a professional athlete this year and will surely continue to obliterate the competition.
Maya Brady (Shortstop) —The Talons
Not only is Maya Brady the niece of football legend Tom Brady, but she is also one of the most accomplished softball players to ever step on a field. Brady certainly made her mark at UCLA, graduating this past spring with numerous accolades: she’s ranked second in school history for home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, and multi-home run games, has seven Pac-12 Player of the Week awards, and has started over 200 games. Understandably, Brady has chosen to continue her softball career by signing with AU for the first time this year. She will be under the general management of former Olympian and current assistant head coach at UCLA, Lisa Fernandez. With Brady’s considerable track record, she is destined to thrive in the professional softball environment this summer.
Sis Bates (Infield) —The Volts
Arguably one of the most well-known infielders of all time, Sis Bates is a talent that viewers just cannot take their eyes off of. Bates graduated from the University of Washington in 2021 and capped her collegiate career with a slew of accomplishments under her belt: 326 putouts, 466 infield assists, and an impressive .980 fielding percentage. She completed her five seasons as a Husky with only 16 errors in over 200 games played. Bates was also among the 2020 Olympic silver medalists and contributed a .364 batting average with one RBI and five runs scored in total. She signed with AU in 2021 and remains playing professionally. In 2023, she was one of two middle infielders named to the AU Softball All-Defensive Team, started every game, and accumulated numerous impressive hitting stats. Bates is set to play for the Volts this year and will hopefully continue to shine as a professional.
Aleshia Ocasio (Pitcher) —The Blaze
Aleshia Ocasio led an insanely successful collegiate career at the University of Florida. She completed her four years as a Gator with 16 career honors, 2015 All-SEC Freshman Team, 2016 USA Softball Player of the Year Top Three Finalist, 2017 Women’s College World Series All-Tournament Team, and 2018 NFCA All-Southeast Region First Team among the most notable. Additionally, she set the program record for combined shutouts over her career, ranks second in UF history in fewest walks allowed in seven innings, and threw the program’s very first NCAA postseason seven inning complete-game no-hitter. She was also a member of Puerto Rico’s national softball team where she earned two gold medals, one silver, and two bronze. Following her graduation from UF, she signed with AU in 2020. In her professional career, she has accumulated a 22-19 record with over 240 innings pitched. This year, she will be playing with the Blaze.
There is no doubt that if gifted female athletes like these four continue to carry their careers to the next level, professional softball will continue to gain the attention it rightfully deserves. With the developments AU is making, there will surely be more teams and athletes to come in future years. Fans of the sport and women’s athletics are thrilled to finally see softball televised and announced more often and hope to see the sport grow even more for years to come.
Lyon Life 