A turnaround that began last season with a new coaching staff and an infusion of young, talented players will take another step forward Tuesday when the Denair High softball team hosts a playoff game for the first time in a generation.
When the pairings for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 7 playoffs were announced Friday, Denair (12-9) earned the No. 2 seed and a first-round home matchup against No. 7 Elliot Christian (3-7) of Lodi.
Denair finished fourth in the very competitive Southern League this season. The three teams ahead of the Coyotes in the standings – Le Grand, Mariposa and Stone Ridge Christian – all qualified for the Division 6 playoffs.
Making the playoffs checks off another box for Coach Andy Dayton and his assistant, Chad Boucher. A year ago, they took over a program that had not won more than three games in a season in 17 years. They went 8-12 in 2024 and now are one of eight teams competing for a Section title in Division 7.
“We came to Denair — Chad as denair alumni and me from Hilmar — wanting to change the culture and creating a winning format at Denair,” Dayton said. “That begins with coaching and teaching proper mechanics and giving the girls hope and drive that they know they can win with work.”
Junior third baseman Braelyn Marroquin leads in the Coyotes in many offensive categories – average (.500), hits (32), home runs (3), runs batted in (28) and runs scored (39).
“She is an exceptional athlete, and her defense and base running is very tenacious and aggressive,” Dayton said. “She has a great bat and it is always getting better.”
Sophomore Kenzie Prine (.429, 27 RBIs, 11 doubles), senior Makayla Dayton (.414, 16 RBIs, 7 doubles) and sophomore Avery Nilsson (.345, 23 RBIs, 8 doubles) also are key contributors to the Coyotes’ attack.
On the mound, Dayton has been the ace with a 7-2 record and 110 strikeouts in 91 1/3 innings. Prine (2-1, 32 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings) pitches when Dayton needs a rest.
“Makayla has put in countless hours on her pitching and has paid off as multiple colleges are looking at her,” said Dayton of his daughter. “Kenzie is training to be the future ace of the staff the next few years and she has big power potential. Avery is a savior with her catching and she has lots of growth coming as she is also a sophomore with Kenzie.”
If the Coyotes win Tuesday, they will host either No. 3 Delta Charter (8-5) of Tracy or No. 6 Vacaville Christian (5-10) on Thursday in the semifinals. The championship game is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Modesto Junior College west campus.
