Bee’s Best: Top Sacramento-area HS baseball players as CIF playoffs approach
Baseball is in full swing, never mind the recent spring bouts of inclement weather in the greater Sacramento region.
High school teams large in enrollment and in ambition and those from smaller schools and towns have produced big seasons. Here are some top players to ponder as the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section baseball playoffs are set to start on May 5.
The names listed (in alphabetical order) are also in the running for Sacramento Bee All-Metro honors and Players of the Year recognition with playoffs often the deciding factor.
Tanner Abbott, Gridley
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher
Statistically speaking: A 6-foot-5 flamethrower headed to UC Santa Barbara, Abbott is a fourth-year varsity player for the small-school Bulldogs of Butte County in the Northern Section. He is 6-0 with a 1.09 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 32 innings, and he’s batting .432 with 18 RBIs. Abbott has games in which he struck out 11, 10, 12 and 14 batters, including two no-hitters.
Jayden Badhesha, Woodland Christian
Year: Senior
Position: Outfielder/pitcher
Statistically speaking: The Bee’s Smallest School Player of the Year in 2025 is still on fire. Badhesha is batting .548 with five home runs, eight doubles and a section-leading 40 RBIs for the powerhouse Cardinals of Yolo County, who seek the program’s third small-school section banner and second CIF Northern California crown since 2024. He is 4-0 on the mound with 54 strikeouts and is 21-1 as a varsity pitcher, with 199 career strikeouts entering Friday.
Masen Belding, Del Oro
Year: Senior
Position: Catcher
Statistically speaking: The Bee’s Medium School Player of the Year in 2025 after helping power the Golden Eagles of Placer County to their first section crown since 1991, the LSU-bound Belding has cooled off at the plate but remains a force. He is batting .256, though junior teammate Nico Bisalacchi is slugging away at a .443 clip with a section-leading six home runs.
Ayden Deome, West Park
Year: Senior
Position: Infielder
Statistically speaking: A first team Bee All-Metro pick in 2025 and committed to the University of Arizona, the hard-hitting Deome is a pro prospect who in 2025 batted .485 in 2025 to go with 16 doubles, six home runs, five triples and 49 RBIs. This season, he is hitting .344 with 23 RBI for the Metro League title contenders with a star running mate in Jace Oliver.
Kevion and Kevin Duplessis, Burbank
Positions: Infielders/pitchers
Statistically speaking: What a brother act for the Titans of Sacramento, a program on the upswing after some lean years. Kevion leads the team with a .543 average with Kevin hitting .370. Kevin has 28 runs and Kevion 25; Kevin has 29 stolen bases and Kevion 28.
Chase Groves, Elk Grove
Year: Senior
Position: Infielder
Statistically speaking: A fourth-year starter and a member of The Bee’s All-Metro team in 2025, Groves is at the forefront in helping propel the Delta League-contending Thundering Herd. He is batting .361 with a team-high 24 runs and 10 stolen bases, and he anchors an infield for a stout pitching staff that includes three arms who are 4-2.
David Engelken, Folsom
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher
Statistically speaking: Engelken this spring recorded his 100th varsity inning and his 100th career strikeout for the Bulldogs, who are in the thick of the Sierra Foothill League race. His teammates include fellow pitcher Alex Blount, who is 3-0 with an 0.82 ERA and shortstop Gavin Tietz, batting .338.
Andrew Hancock, Rocklin
Year: Junior
Position: Pitcher
Statistically speaking: A year after going 6-0 with a 2.54 ERA for the powerhouse program in the Sierra Foothill League, Hancock now sports a 1.31 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 37.1 innings. The third-year varsity player has 50 strikeouts in 37.1 innings.
Sammy Kane, Jesuit
Year: Senior
Position: Infielder
Statistically speaking: A Bee first-team All-Metro selection in 2025 and a commitment to the Oregon Ducks, the versatile Kane leads the storied Marauders with a 5-1 record, a 1.51 ERA and in RBIs with 15, to go along with 20 runs scoreed for the Delta League-contending Marauders.
Brody Miller, Yuba City
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher/infielder
Statistically speaking: A third-year varsity player for a program coming off of a CIF NorCal championship and a member of The Bee’s All-Metro team in 2025, Miller is batting .468 with 14 RBIs and 23 runs. He also sports a sparkling 0.00 ERA and a 3-1 record for one of the storied programs in the section.
Dylan Minnatee, Franklin
Year: Senior
Position: Infielder/pitcher
Statistically speaking: The Bee’s Player of the Year in 2025 and a four-year starter for a program that seeks its third section Division I title in four years, Minnatee is still cruising. Headed to LSU, the left-hander leads the Wildcats of Elk Grove in batting (.443), hits (31), slugging percentage (.729), triples (four), RBIs (20), doubles (nine), runs scored (27) and in ERA as a starting pitcher (0.58).
Kaden Nicholls, Bear River
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher
Statistically speaking: A Bee first-team All-Metro selection in 2025, a strong left-hander and a fourth-year starter headed to Cal Poly, Nicholls aims to lead the small-school Bruins of Grass Valley back to a section final. He won eight games last season and has four victories this season with 62 strikeouts in 43.2 innings, and he has a fellow arm in teammate Seth Strong who has an 0.00 ERA.
Levi Norberg, Cordova
Year: Senior
Position: Infielder/pitcher
Statistically speaking: A four-year varsity starter and a multiple-time member of The Bee’s All-Metro teams, Norberg is batting .417 with a team-leading 30 hits and 21 runs to go with 15 RBI and a 1.60 ERA for the storied Lancers.
Tyler Ritter, Roseville
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher
Statistically speaking: A first team Bee All-Metro pick in 2025, the UC Davis-bound Ritter is 6-0 with an 0.61 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 34.2 innings. He tossed a 17-strikeout gem to beat Del Campo this season and was 8-0 a year ago for the section Division IV champions, and he has pitching teammate and Vanderbilt-bound Ethan Gustus to help burden the load.
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Riley Salvemini, Woodland
Year: Sophomore
Position: Pitcher/infielder
Statistically speaking: He is batting .400 with 20 RBIs and is 5-2 on the mound with an 0.58 ERA for the small-school Wolves, who are 17-4 and 13-0 in the Golden Empire League.
Ari Silva, McClatchy
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher/infielder
Statistically speaking: A Bee All-Metro player in 2025 and a fourth-year varsity starter for the Metro League powerhouse Lions, Silva is batting .433 with 13 doubles, 28 RBIs and 24 runs. He is 6-0 on the mound with 61 strikeouts in 46.1 innings with an 0.91 ERA.
Ethan Williams, Vacaville
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher
Statistically speaking: Headed to Sacramento State, Williams is a section-leading 8-1 with an 0.72 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 48.1 innings, giving the Bulldogs of Solano County a potent 1-2 pitching look with the 6-1 Eric Johnson. Center fielder Rome Griego is batting .533.
Jasen Womack, Oak Ridge
Year: Senior
Position: Outfielder
Statistically speaking: The Bee’s 2025 Defensive Player of the Year in football headed to Cal Poly to make tackles, Womack leads the Trojans of El Dorado Hills with a .380 batting average, eight doubles and 23 RBIs. He’s proof that multi-sporing is the way to go.
