Explorers Add Mayo and Denton
AA Sioux City Explorers

Explorers Add Mayo and Denton

Published on January 20, 2026 under American Association (AA)
Sioux City Explorers News Release


SIOUX CITY, Iowa - The Sioux City Explorers have announced that the team has signed true-rookie outfielder Jackson Mayo out of the University of South Florida and infielder Zane Denton, who comes over from the Pioneer League, to contracts for the 2026 season. The exciting duo are the 16 th and 17 th roster additions of the offseason for the Explorers and Manager Steve Montgomery.

Jackson Mayo joins the Explorers after playing four seasons at the University of South Florida. The Jacksonville, Florida native started in 54 of 55 games in 2025 for the Bulls and finished second on the team with seven home runs while slashing a line of .233/.333/.415. He would drive in 31 runs and swipe 12 bases, tying for second on the team in that category. Mayo reached base safely in 41 out of 55 games in 2025 for South Florida.

In 2024, Mayo started 48 games while playing 51 for the Bulls. He hit .262 with eight home runs and 36 RBI and finished tied for second on the team in homers and in RBI. Mayo slashed a line of .262/.367/.486 and added eight stolen bases over the course of the 2024 season. He recorded 15 doubles and picked up 10 multi-RBI games for South Florida.

Mayo played 47 games as a sophomore, hitting .189 with five home runs and 20 RBI in 2023. His first home run of the season was a game-tying three-run jack in the ninth inning, helping USF overcome a five-run deficit on the way to a 10-9 win over the seventh ranked University of Florida on the road in Gainesville. In 2022 the outfielder played in 49 games and started 41 as a true Freshman at USF. Mayo produced a .265/.366/.503 slash line during his first season on campus with nine home runs and 31 RBI. For his career, Mayo finished with a .240 average while belting 29 home runs and driving in 118 runs in 202 games.

Mayo would spend three summers playing wooden bat league summer ball. In 2022 he played for Gainesville of the Sunbelt League, hitting .290 in 28 games with two homers and eight RBI and adding 20 stolen bases. In 2024 and 2025, Mayo played for Williamsport in the MLB Draft League. He hit .276 with three home runs with 22 RBI in 2024 and hit .357 with three long balls and 24 RBI to go along with 24 team leading stolen bases in 2025. Mayo was named to the league's All-Second Half Team following the season. He led the league with 61 hits across the entire summer and set a Williamsport-MLB Draft League record for most in a season and finish first in total bases (85) and runs (39).

Mayo was born in Birmingham, Alabama but grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and graduated from Bolles High School in Jacksonville. He was named to the academic honor roll all four years in high school and was the team MVP award recipient following his Senior Year. Mayo bats and throws left-handed and can play all three outfield positions. He played 55 games in left field his final season at South Florida after playing 50 games his Junior season in centerfield.

Zane Denton, a switch hitter, made his professional debut last season in the Pioneer League, seeing action with three different teams in 2025 following two stops in the Southeastern Conference. Denton began his college career at the University of Alabama before transferring to the University of Tennessee. In his only season to take the field for the Volunteers, he was part of a College World Series club that made it all the way to Omaha in 2023.

Denton began the 2025 season with Billings in the Pioneer League. In 21 games he hit .274 with 10 RBI before being placed on waivers on June 28. Northern Colorado/Colorado Springs claimed and signed Denton on July 3. He would go on to play in 49 games for Owls/Sky Sox, slashing a line of .319/.430/.543 with nine home runs and 37 RBI. The switch hitter would finish the 2025 season playing in four games with the Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers, going 1-for-10 with an RBI during the final week of the season. Denton would play 74 games in the Pioneer League in 2025, putting up a slash line of .298/.408/.461 while launching nine long balls and knocking in 48 with 19 doubles.

In the summer of 2024 Denton played at Forest City of the Coastal Plain League, appearing in nine games. He did not play in 2024 after announcing his intention to transfer in June of 2024 to Austin Peay University. After the year off, Denton made his professional debut last season in the Pioneer League.

The 2023 season was an impressive campaign for Denton with the University of Tennessee. Denton claimed several key moments in Volunteer baseball history over the course of the season. In Tennessee's regional matchup against Clemson, he hit two home runs, including a game-tying blast in the ninth inning to send the game to extra innings in a contest Tennessee would go on to win in 14 innings. In the regional final he hit another bomb in the Vols 9-2 win over Charlotte to punch a ticket to the Super Regionals. Denton then added to his legacy of being one of Tennessee's top clutch postseason hitters in program history with a two-out, three-run homer to lengthen the lead to four during the Volunteers win over #9 Southern Mississippi to advance on to Omaha and the College World Series.

Denton played 66 games for Tennessee in 2023 slashing a line of .269/.403/.566 with 16 home runs and 59 RBI following his transfer from the University of Alabama. He finished third on the team in home runs and led the Vols in RBI on the season. He added three team-leading triples and finished second on the team in walks with 46. Denton would earn all SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll honors and was named to the 2023 NCAA Clemson All-Regional Team.

In 2022 Denton was the University of Alabama's everyday third baseman, starting all 58 games for the Crimson Tide. He hit .263 with 12 doubles and 13 team-leading home runs with another team lead in RBI with 48 on the season. Denton slashed a line of .263/.337/.483 for Alabama and added 14 multi-RBI games over the course of the 2022 season. He would also be named to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll following the spring semester.

Denton started all 58 games for the Crimson Tide in 2021, starting 53 at third base and five at first. He would slash a line of .308/.405/.489 with 10 home runs and 40 RBI. Denton finished tied for second on the team in RBI and earned third in homers. He worked 35 team-leading walks during the season for Bama. Denton was second on the team with 14 multi-RBI games and had 21 multi-hit games, including a team-high 11 in SEC play.

In 2020, Denton made his Alabama debut on opening day against Northeastern, starting at third base and going 1-for-3 with an RBI and scoring a pair of runs. He would go on to play 13 games for the Crimson Tide, starting 11 games before the season was shut down due to the world-wide pandemic.

Denton attended Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tennessee where he was ranked the top third baseman in the state of Tennessee and the #5 overall player in the state. Baseball America tabbed Denton the #21 draft prospect in the state of Tennessee in 2019 and the 10th rated third baseman in the country. Denton played in the Little League World Series in 2013, and his brother Bryce played professionally in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

2026 Players signed:

INF Cameron Bufford

C Caden Matlon

RHP Ryan Beaird

RHP Trey Morrill

LHP Ben DeTaeye

C Dillon Tatum

IF Braulio Vasquez

IF Alberto Osuna

OF Yeison Asencio

IF Elliot Good

RHP Tahnaj Thomas

RHP Julio Rosario

RHP Peniel Otaño

LHP Reed Butz

RHP Max Charnin

OF Jackson Mayo

IF Zane Denton

The Explorers are set to open their 33rd season in Siouxland on the road on Friday night, May 15, against the Chicago Dogs. The club will celebrate opening night at Lewis and Clark Park on Friday night, May 22, against the Lincoln Saltdogs. Ticket packages for the 2026 season along with sponsorship and partner opportunities are available now by calling the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS. Follow the Explorers social media channels and the club's website xsbaseball.com for off-season news and updates.

FOLLOW THE EXPLORERS DURING THE OFFSEASON LIVE ON EXPLORERS EXPRESSO AND DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST.

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American Association Stories from January 20, 2026


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