Cascade Christian transfer has made herself at home again with help from those within Comets program

Danika Brackett couldn’t have imagined herself as a Crater Comet when she entered high school.

As a senior playing her final month of the softball season, now Brackett couldn’t envision herself being anywhere else.

As someone who grew up playing in the youth softball program for Crater but spent her first three years of high school at Cascade Christian, Brackett has made herself back at home with the Comets in short order this spring — much to the benefit of both parties.

“I started as a Crater player when I was super young, so it was just pretty easy to just blend right in with them again,” said the 18-year-old Oregon Tech signee. “Everything felt pretty natural — just like it did when you were younger — so that helped a lot.”

“I’m very grateful for the team that I am on right now and that I chose Crater,” she added. “I wouldn’t change anything.”

It’s safe to say fifth-ranked Crater feels exactly the same way, with Brackett stepping into a utility role on defense — primarily at shortstop or catcher but also in the outfield — as well as the leadoff role on offense.

Entering Friday’s 3 p.m. doubleheader in Central Point against Eagle Point — a top-10 clash that could help determine the Midwestern League champion — Brackett is batting .590 with a .630 on-base percentage and .820 slugging percentage.

In Tuesday’s resounding win over the No. 7-ranked Eagles, Brackett blasted her first home run and third triple of the season, and boasts 16 RBIs to go with 30 runs scored and a 15-for-16 effort in stolen base attempts.

“The last few games I’ve had these ideas about, oh, this one’s gonna go out, this one’s gonna go out, and I’ve been hitting them pretty close to the fence,” Brackett said with a laugh of her first spring season home run after three summer season blasts. “I’ve just been waiting for that one that’s gonna go out. I didn’t think it was gonna happen on that one. Honestly, my triple before that felt like a home run, and then my home run felt more like a triple. But it worked.”

It certainly has, for Brackett and the Comets, who are 11-8 overall and are a half-game behind Thurston at 8-2 in MWL play. Eagle Point is also 8-2 in league, trailing only the Colts (15-5, 10-3 MWL).

“She’s been a catalyst for us this year,” said Crater head coach Chris Arnold. “I think the team really just respects how hard she goes, and I think the team appreciates the spark that she gives us, not just in the lineup offensively, but her drive defensively and playing the field as well.”

It’s all been a bit of a whirlwind for Brackett when you consider moving from a Challengers program that struggled to field players — and victories — during her tenure.

The reverberations of that team disbanding, however, has sent shockwaves through several other local programs as North Medford (Becca Tuivanu), South Medford (Ashlyn Cooper), Eagle Point (Emalee Logan) and Phoenix (Carsyn Sousa and Isla Ulrich) have each benefited mightily from the introduction of former Cascade players.

Each school in that group, including Crater, has seen that extra ingredient play a vital role in all of them fostering lofty state playoff aspirations this season.

“It’s definitely been a big change,” Brackett said of the transition. “Going from Cascade, it was definitely more fun ball than anything, and then you come over to Crater, and it’s super competitive and there’s a ton of girls.”

“I think the biggest difference was that I came into Crater and the coaching was just completely different,” she added. “The coaches were super passionate about what they were doing, and I think it just changed the whole dynamic of everything. When you’re passionate about your own sport, it totally makes you want to play more when your coaches are in it with you.”

A great deal of credit for Brackett’s eased transition also has to go to the other players on the team, and the fact that the group has been so welcoming and embracing of the senior in her return to the fold.

“We like to think that’s part of what our program is, a nurturing family, and we’re supportive of each other,” said Arnold. “It’s a challenging situation when you introduce new people, whether they’re freshmen or transfer students, and being really clear about what our program stands for. Part of it is welcoming people in and wanting to challenge each other, and in a competitive sport in high school, it’s tough.”

“That’s one of the lessons that I think all the participants learn,” he added, “is what sacrifice means of being a part of something bigger. I think that’s a key piece of why this has worked so well, is the other girls on the team.”

Brackett is joined by Taylor Ryan and Autumn Kelly as the lone seniors for Crater, but juniors like Amanda Hammer and Abby Canfield and sophomore Allyson Nottingham have played key roles for a few years at the varsity level for a program used to being a 5A playoff contender.

This year’s group got off to an inauspicious start — going 0-6 to start the 2025 campaign — but Crater appears to have settled in as a team and roles have been a little more carved out.

Brackett credited the coaches for their encouraging ways to help the team ride through the opening slump, which was largely against quality programs from the 6A level and Nevada.

“As we’ve gotten into our spots, like these girls go here and these girls there, and we’ve practiced more,” said Brackett, “we’ve gotten more confident in ourselves and each other. We just kind of have that connection — and we got that really fast, actually — so I think that has helped a lot. And the coaches, they seriously encourage us so much, and they’re there every day for us. They’re working hard, just as much as us.”

For someone like Brackett, who has been playing softball seemingly all her life — “It’s always been my passion,” she noted — this final high school season playing out with meaningful games down the stretch run has been a dream come true.

“Danika is a competitor,” said Arnold. “She definitely shows you that in her approach to what she wants to do in the softball world. She’s worked really hard to be where she’s at.”

“Danika is also unassuming,” added the coach. “She’s not going to make waves. She’s going to come in and fit in and do whatever we need. I think that’s another testament to who she is as an individual. She wants to be part of a team and wants to be able to help a team be successful. Her style is not to come in as a senior and say this is what I need, she’s just going to do what she can to help the team. I think all the girls see that and know that, and we’re thrilled to have her as an addition to the team this year — as a Crater Comet — and excited for what the future is going to hold for her.”

That future beyond Crater, however, hopefully won’t come too soon for Brackett and company.

“As the season has gone on, we’ve kind of grown this bond together, and it feels the same way as when I was super young,” said Brackett. “It’s super special to continue playing with them, especially as this is my last year with them, so I just cherish every moment I have on the field with them. You’ve really got to be grateful for everything you have, because you never know when it’s your last game and that’s all I’ve got.”

Reach sports editor Kris Henry at kris.henry@rv-times.com or 458-488-2035