FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 6, 2026
Samantha Rubin
samantha@mallardsbaseball.com
608-665-1220

Lexi Godwin Departs Madison Night Mares for New Coaching Opportunity
Kara Hammock will replace Godwin as head coach effective immediately

The Madison Night Mares are excited to announce that Kara Hammock has been promoted to Night Mares coach, effective immediately. 

Lexi Godwin has accepted a role with the University of Pittsburgh’s softball program and will no longer be available to coach the rest of the 2026 season in Madison. She exits the role with the most wins by a Head Coach in Northwoods League Softball history with 57, the all-time high for a single season win total with 37, a career winning percentage of .877, the 2025 Northwoods League Softball Coach of the Year Award, and brought the Night Mares the organization’s first ever Northwoods League Softball Championship in 2025.

“My gratitude goes out to Sam, Vern, and the entire Night Mares organization for giving me the opportunity to begin my coaching career in Madison,” Godwin said.  “From the very beginning, they have all been supportive and understanding of my goals to continue my coaching career in college softball. This team is being left in amazing hands with Kara, Arin, Griffin, and Ellie, who are all committed to bringing another championship back to Madison. Although I am stepping away to pursue my dreams, my love and full support will stay with this coaching staff and group of girls.”

Hammock, a 2025 graduate from the University of Florida, served as a student assistant coach for the Gators during their 2026 season. As a player, Hammock finished her senior season with the Gators with a record of 9-2 across 25 appearances and 64 innings pitched. Prior to her time in Gainesville, Hammock spent 3 seasons at University of North Carolina Wilmington where she posted a 39-19 record with 267 strikeouts and was named the 2024 Coastal Athletic Association Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

“Stepping up as head coach is a huge honor,” Hammock said. “Lexi has worked so hard the past two summers to establish a strong foundation for this program. I am excited to continue to help grow and support these girls and their careers, not only on the field, but off. I am excited to use my playing experiences at Florida to gain trust and share knowledge with the team.”

“We are so grateful for Lexi, both for the time she spent in Madison and the impact she left on our organization. We could not be more excited for her to continue chasing her dreams of pursuing a coaching career,” Night Mares General Manager, Samantha Rubin said. “We are also incredibly excited to have Kara take over as our head coach. We know she is motivated to continue the foundation of success, and her experience will greatly impact the growth of our players and the continued success of summer-collegiate softball.”

For more questions about the Madison Night Mares, email info@madisonnightmares.com or call 608-246-4277.

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Leveraging the 32-year success of the Northwoods League, the first for-profit Summer Collegiate Baseball League, Northwoods League Softball (NWLS) is the first for-profit Women’s Summer Collegiate Softball League which began play in the Upper Midwest in the summer of 2024.  The purpose of the League will be to develop players for their college, Olympic and future professional play.  Teams will be promoted similar to minor league baseball teams, playing games in front of fans in a fun, friendly, family-oriented environment.