Bella Dayton

Personal: Dayton is the daughter of Alan and Denise Dayton and has four brothers. A three-sport athlete in high school, Dayton also competed on the basketball and track and field teams. She has a dog named Bud. She credits University of Texas assistant softball coach Kristen Zaleski as someone who has made a meaningful impact on her life. As a child, Dayton participated in a wide range of sports, including lacrosse, basketball, track and field, soccer, and volleyball. One of Dayton’s proudest accomplishments is reaching the NCAA Women’s College World Series three times during her collegiate career at Texas. Outside of softball, she enjoys photography and working out. She wears jersey No. 6, the number she was given when she transferred to Texas.

International Experience: Dayton competed for Italy at the 2024 WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals, posting a .500 batting average with nine hits over five games, including one double and two triples. She recorded a 4-for-5 performance against Puerto Rico, including a triple and four runs scored. Dayton also played nine games for Italy during the 2024 WBSC European Championship, where she tallied a .520 batting average with 13 hits, including one double, one triple, and two home runs. She drove in seven runs and scored 13 times during the tournament.

College Experience: Dayton was a three-year letter winner at Texas after spending her freshman and sophomore seasons at Arizona. Over the course of her career, she appeared in 246 games with 192 starts, finishing with a .313 batting average and 160 total hits. Dayton also tallied 12 career home runs and 80 runs batted in. As a three-year starter for the Longhorns, she compiled a .330 average over 181 games, with 132 hits, including 18 doubles, six triples, and 10 home runs, while driving in 70 runs. As a fifth-year senior, Dayton started 61 of 62 games and boasted a .378 batting average with 56 hits. In the 2023 campaign, she hit .344 while starting 35 of 52 games and ranked third on the team with 38 runs scored. She also tallied eight multi-hit games. As a junior, Dayton posted a .276 batting average over 68 games, including 59 starts. She contributed 43 hits, including nine doubles, one triple, and five home runs, driving in 23 runs. Dayton was a member of the 2022 NCAA Women’s College World Series All-Tournament Team after guiding the Longhorns to the Championship Series. She hit .350 at the Women’s College World Series, driving in three runs over seven games. Dayton appeared in 64 games with 37 starts over two seasons at Arizona, posting a .221 average with three doubles, two home runs, and 10 RBIs, including seven as a sophomore. She appeared in 44 games as a sophomore with 22 starts and saw action in 20 games with 15 starting assignments during the COVID-shortened freshman season. Dayton paced the Wildcats with 10 stolen bases in as many attempts and authored a .302 batting average with 13 runs scored.