#6, Outfield, L/L

Bella Dayton

University of Texas '24

Hometown: Wylie, Texas

Bella Dayton is a 5-foot-6 outfielder from Wylie, Texas. She was acquired in the 12th round of the 2025 Inaugural Draft.

Personal Life

Background: Threw the ceremonial first pitch before the Chicago Cubs game on April 22, 2026.

Hobbies: Enjoys photography and working out, and has a dog named Bud.

Professional Experience

Athletes Unlimited Softball League (2025–)

2026 AUSL Postseason (Chicago Bandits): Dayton started in all three of the Bandits' postseason games. She collected five hits in 10 at-bats during the postseason, including a pair of two-hit outings against Utah in the AUSL Championship.

2026 AUSL Regular Season (Chicago Bandits): Dayton batted .321 with 17 hits, including one double, while scoring 12 runs. She tied for second in the AUSL with two sacrifice bunts. During a seven-game hitting streak from June 28 to July 10, she posted a .579 average, going 11-for-19. She recorded a season-high three hits in a June 30 victory over Portland while also scoring three runs. Dayton then posted back-to-back two-hit efforts against Texas on July 5 and July 6, scoring two runs in each contest. She closed out the regular season by recording a hit in three of her final four games, scoring two runs over that stretch.

2025 AUSL All-Star Cup: Secured a 20th-place finish with 880 leaderboard points. Compiled a .233 batting average with seven hits, including one home run.

2025 AUSL Regular Season (Bandits): Earned 21 starts for the Bandits, logging a .347 batting average with 25 hits and five doubles. Closed the season on a six-game hitting streak.

International Experience (2024)

Team Italy: Competed at the 2024 WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals, posting a .500 batting average with nine hits over five games. Also played for Italy during the 2024 WBSC European Championship, tallying a .520 average.

College Experience: Arizona & Texas (2020–2024)

Dayton appeared in 246 career games across Arizona and Texas, finishing with a .313 batting average and 160 hits.

Senior Campaign (2024, Texas): Started 61-of-62 games as a fifth-year senior, boasting a .378 batting average with 56 hits.

Junior Year (2022, Texas): Hit .350 at the Women’s College World Series and was named to the All-Tournament Team after guiding the Longhorns to the Championship Series.

YEAR	G	GS	PA	AB	AVG	OBP	SLG%	OPS	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	HP	SO	LOB	TB	SF	SH	SB	CS
2026 All-Star Cup	5	5	15	15	.267	.267	.267	.534	-	4	-	-	-	1	-	-	4	4	4	-	-	-	-
2026 AUSL Postseason	3	3	11	10	.500	.500	.500	1.000	2	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	2	5	-	1	-	-
2026 Bandits	19	18	58	53	.321	.357	.340	.697	12	17	1	-	-	-	1	2	6	15	18	-	2	1	2
2025 All-Star Cup	10	10	33	30	.233	.281	.333	.614	4	7	-	-	1	2	2	-	12	-	10	-	1	-	-
2025 AUSL Postseason	2	2	6	5	.200	.333	.200	.533	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	2	-	1	-	-	-	-
2025 Bandits	24	21	78	72	.347	.397	.417	.814	15	25	5	-	-	5	6	-	13	16	30	-	-	4	3
Career Totals	63	59	201	185	.319	.360	.368	.728	33	59	6	-	1	8	10	2	38	98	68	-	4	5	5

*The AUSL All-Star Cup was known as the Championship season through 2024.

Splits

DATE	HOME TEAM	AWAY TEAM	PA	AB	AVG	OBP	SLG%	OPS	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	HP	SO	LOB	TB	SF	SH	SB	CS
8/21/2026	Team Landry	Team Palacios	3	3	.333	.333	.333	.666	-	1	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-
8/16/2026	Team Brown	Team Ricketts	3	3	.667	.667	.667	1.334	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	2	-	-	-	-
8/14/2026	Team Ricketts	Team Klingler	2	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
8/9/2026	Team Ricketts	Team Corrick	4	4	.250	.250	.250	.500	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	-	-	-	-
8/8/2026	Team Corrick	Team Garcia	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	2	-	-	-	-	-

*The AUSL All-Star Cup was known as the Championship season through 2024.

Highlights

2026 MLB x AUSL First Pitches

Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) are showcasing their partnership through a series of first pitches at baseball games across the country. Follow where the pro softball players made an appearance during the 2026 season: Bri Ellis at the Houston Astros View this post on Instagram A post shared by […]

6/23/2026-
Bella Dayton was reinstated from the temporary inactive list
6/13/2026-
Bandits placed Bella Dayton on the temporary inactive list
12/2/2025-
Additional Protected Player: [Round 7]
1/30/2025Bandits
Bandits drafted Bella Dayton in the inagural draft [Round 12, Pick 2(46)]

DATE	TEAM	TRANSACTION
6/23/2026		Bella Dayton was reinstated from the temporary inactive list
6/13/2026		Bandits placed Bella Dayton on the temporary inactive list
12/2/2025		Additional Protected Player: [Round 7]
1/30/2025	Bandits	Bandits drafted Bella Dayton in the inagural draft [Round 12, Pick 2(46)]