The Modesto Junior College softball program reached record heights this season.
Locals Donnie Donaldson, Kaytlin Garcia, Dave Ward, Mike Corsaut, Brooklyn Heffernan and Jannet Valencia filled key roles as the Pirates amassed a 28-15-1 overall record, claimed a share of the Big-8 Conference title with a 15-6 mark and qualified for the 3C2A State Championship Tournament.
“It was a dream season,” said Donaldson, Modesto Junior College’s head coach. “We hit all of our goals. It was a pretty special group from top to bottom. They all had each other’s backs. There was no drama. They just wanted to win.”
Donaldson, Garcia, Ward, Corsaut and Heffernan have ties to Ceres High’s softball program.
Valencia was a four-year standout at crosstown-rival Central Valley.
Donaldson, a 1989 Ceres High School grad, served as head coach of the Bulldogs for eight seasons.
Garcia, a 2016 Waterford High grad who played for CHS sophomore and freshman years, is the Pirates’ pitching coach.
Ward and Donaldson have coached together at the junior-college and high-school levels.
Corsaut, a 1983 CHS grad, is Modesto Junior College’s recruiting coordinator. He previously coached softball at his alma mater for 11 years.
Heffernan (Ceres High class of 2022) starred at pitcher, while Valencia (Central Valley class of 2024) contributed as a utility player in 2025.
“If you’re going to build a successful junior-college program, you have to recruit players from competitive high-school programs like Ceres High and Central Valley,” Donaldson said. “The Ceres Youth softball program is fantastic. It feeds both high schools.”
“It’s so cool to see the connections,” Corsaut added. “Hopefully, we keep that connection and pipeline going.”
Modesto Junior College enjoyed its best season to date under sixth-year head coach Donaldson’s guidance.
He was named 2025 Big-8 Conference Coach of the Year.
“It’s a testament to how the players performed,” Donaldson said. “Most of my work comes in the preseason and offseason, getting them set up to be successful during the year.”
The Pirates didn’t field a team the year before Donaldson’s arrival due to a lack of numbers.
Donaldson coached softball at Ceres High from 2007-14 and Waterford from 2016-19.
Ceres High amassed a 139-77 overall record, qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs six times and won two league titles during Donaldson’s eight-year tenure.
Waterford had a combined record of 66-35-2 and participated in postseason tournament all four years under Donaldson’s direction.
“Donnie brought the (Modesto JC) program back from the dead,” Corsaut said. “He works really hard at what he does.”
“I’m happy with the direction the program is going,” Donaldson said. “We’ve had progressively better seasons. Now, we start over. We graduated seven starters. We did a pretty good job recruiting. We have some talent coming in. We’re looking to bring in more bleachers for seating capacity because we’ve had more crowds come in.”
Corsaut became Modesto Junior College’s recruiter after retiring as head coach of Ceres High’s softball program following the 2024 season. He led the Bulldogs to eight league titles and nine playoff appearances during his 11-year tenure (2019-24, 2002-06).
“He does whatever he can to find players,” Donaldson said.
Garcia, Donaldson’s daughter, brought a wealth of experience to the team.
She played softball at the college level for Southwestern Oklahoma State University and Southern University A&M College.
Garcia had a productive two-year career with Ceres High.
She amassed an 18-5 record at pitcher with 105 strikeouts and nine shutouts.
She batted .333 with two homers, one triple, 15 doubles, 53 RBIs and 40 runs.
Garcia was voted co-Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore.
She was named co-Southern League MVP senior year.
She posted a 17-8 record with a 1.82 ERA, three no-hitters, four shutouts and 22 complete games.
She ranked second in the section in strikeouts with 277.
Garcia batted .593 with eight homers, five triples, 19 doubles, 36 RBIs, 45 runs and nine stolen bases.
“Kaytlin’s had some of the best coaches around,” Donaldson said. “She knows the game. She gets along with the players so well. They really respect her.”
Heffernan suited up for Modesto Junior College for just one season.
The right-handed pitcher didn’t disappoint.
Heffernan earned all-state honors. She was also voted Big-8 Conference Pitcher of the Year.
Heffernan managed to compile a 24-11 record with a 2.05 earned-run average, 199 strikeouts and 36 walks in 236 innings despite being slowed by a back injury.
She ranked third in the state in innings pitched (236), fifth in strikeouts (199) and sixth in wins (24).
“It shows you mentally tough she was,” Corsaut said. “She didn’t want to let her teammates down.”
“She had a great year,” Donaldson stated. “Having a pitcher of Brooklyn’s caliber, you always know you’re going to be competitive.”
Heffernan previously pitched for San Francisco State.
She took a year off from the sport before resuming her playing career with the Pirates.
“I didn’t know how good she was until she started pitching for us,” Donaldson said. “Speed-wise, she’s low to mid 60s. She moves the ball in all directions. She has a fantastic changeup. She knows how to set up hitters. She has a high softball IQ.”
“She’s one of the best players I’ve ever coached,” Corsaut added.
Valencia, a freshman, logged playing time in the outfield.
She batted .263 from the plate with five hits, two RBIs, four runs, five walks and three stolen bases.
She appeared in 21 games.
“Jannet is a good athlete,” Donaldson said. “She can do a lot of different things.”
Heffernan was a four-year standout on Ceres High’s softball team.
She shared the WAC’s Most Valuable Player Award senior year.
She was voted MVP of the WAC South Division as a junior and the league’s top player in the ninth grade.
Heffernan had a career record of 34-11 at pitcher with a 1.72 earned-run average, 407 strikeouts and just 49 walks in 2801/3 innings.
In 79 games, Heffernan batted .375 from the plate with seven home runs, six triples, 27 doubles, 73 RBIs, 26 runs, 39 walks and 16 stolen bases.
She committed just four errors on defense.
Heffernan had on-base, slugging and on-base plus slugging percentages of .470, .625 and 1.095, respectively.
She helped lead Ceres High to a combined record of 60-20 (41-3 in league), a pair of conference titles and two playoff appearances in four seasons.
The Bulldogs would have advanced to the postseason during Heffernan’s junior and sophomore years. But high school athletic programs throughout the Sac-Joaquin Section had their seasons cut short in 2021 and 2020 due to COVID-19 safety concerns.
Valencia earned first-team all-Central California Conference honors during her final season of high school.
She logged playing time at shortstop and pitcher.
Valencia batted .370 from the plate with one triple, three doubles, six RBIs, 13 runs and 14 stolen bases.
She totaled 15 strikeouts and two saves at pitcher.
Valencia and the Hawks made history during her junior year. The first-team CCC honoree batted .436 on the year with six doubles, 19 RBIs, 33 runs and 25 stolen bases as the Hawks compiled a program-best 19-4 overall record, claimed the CCC title outright with a near-perfect 11-1 mark and participated in the playoffs for the first time.
