Meet The Sacramento Bee’s 2026 Baseball Players of the Year and All-Metro teams
Tyler Ritter used to work behind the plate as a catcher.
Then he became a pitcher, during his youth in a Placer County Little League program. And then he got hooked.
Freshly graduated from Roseville High School, the 6-foot-1 Ritter left his mark with the storied baseball program by doing just about everything right. He threw strikes, dominated lineups, won games and his coaches and teammates knew him as a top-tier teammate — the best compliment one could receive.
Ritter is The Sacramento Bee’s 2026 All-Metro Player of the Year after going 11-0 on the mound and powering the Tigers to a record 30-4 season that ended with a 14-game winning streak and three championships.
The UC Davis-bound ace had an 0.62 ERA and struck out 10 or more batters seven times, including a one-hit, 17-strikeout gem to beat Del Campo 4-0. He sizzled in the playoffs, winning starts against Beyer of Modesto 6-1 with 11 strikeouts, East Union of Manteca 8-0 with 10 strikeouts, Central Catholic of Modesto 4-1 with 10 strikeouts and Santa Cruz 5-0 with seven strikeouts.
Roseville cruised to championships in the Foothill Valley League, the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV bracket and then went 3-0 to claim the CIF Northern California Division III banner.
The thrill of a strikeout? Glorious, Ritter said. He had 124 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings.
“It’s like a home run for a batter, a momentum shift,” Ritter said. “Getting a strikeout says I’m still in control and can send a message that transfers to our side.”
Ritter raved about his teammates, the stars and the unsung grinders, and expressed gratitude for the experience of being a Roseville Tiger on a campus where sports excellence has become a way of life. A superb student, Ritter went 24-1 over his three-year varsity career as a starter, repeating as a section champion.
“I’m unbelievably proud of what we did, and I’m proud of the school and the town,” Ritter said. “We got so much support from the administration at the school, fellow students and the community. The support we received made it all the more fun to go out and compete.”
Franklin’s Minnatee caps career in style
The Bee’s overall Player of the Year in 2025, Dylan Minnatee of Franklin of Elk Grove is The Bee’s Large School Player of the Year after capping a four-year varsity career by batting .391 with 28 RBIs and a 3-0 record on the mound with an 0.68 ERA in earning Delta League MVP honors.
The LSU-bound star helped Franklin win the CIF NorCal Division II championship.
Rio Americano’s Howell-Chase leads Raiders to first title in 30 years
Playing superb at shortstop and at the plate, Trey Howell-Chase helped power Rio Americano to its first CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship in 30 years, taking the Division III championship and advancing to a CIF NorCal regional game. He is The Bee’s Medium School Player of the Year after winning MVP honors in the Capital Valley Conference.
Howell-Chase batted .377 with 52 hits, 39 stolen bases, 27 RBIs and 38 runs. He had two hits and an RBI in the section title win over El Capitan of Merced.
Nakumura leads Wheatland to record season
A rock behind the plate for leading pitchers Chase Barton (11-2), Brodee Malecha and Jaxon Becker, Wheatland junior catcher Kale Nakamura was one tough out at the plate in earning Bee Small School Player of the Year honors.
He batted a team-best .414 to go with 10 doubles, two triples, 37 hits, 32 RBIs and 31 runs for a Pirates team that beat Woodland for the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division V championship before falling to Roseville in the CIF NorCal Division III finals as the team finished with a school record 25 victories.
Woodland Christian’s Badhesha repeats as winner
Jayden Badhesha is the repeat winner of The Bee’s Smallest School Player of the Year after the senior dominated his craft this spring.
The left-hander was 5-0 on the mound with an 0.72 ERA. He batted .539 with 11 home runs, 57 RBIs and 40 runs for the small-school powerhouse program in Yolo County.
Bellotti coaches Elk Grove back to the top
A longtime assistant coach to the program who helped previous coach Jeff Carlson stuff the trophy case with championship hardware, Joe Bellotti steered the storied Thundering Herd back to the top in a banner season.
Elk Grove won the Delta League that included rival Franklin winning the CIF NorCal Division II championship, and then the Herd won the program’s 12th CIF Sac-Joaquin Section banner. Elk Grove was The Bee’s top-ranked team the second half of the season and capped the season by playing for the CIF NorCal Division I banner.
Others considered for Coach of the Year honors include Elijah Garcia of Roseville, which won CIF section and NorCal titles; Bryan Kilby of Franklin, who in his final season as head coach won the program’s first CIF NorCal title; Jason Landreth, who guided Rio Americano to its first CIF section banner in 30 years; and Bradford Barton, who steered Wheatland to a school-record 25 wins and to a CIF section championship.
2026 Player of the Year
Tyler Ritter, Roseville, Sr.
Large School Player of the Year
Dylan Minnatee, Franklin, Sr.
Medium School Player of the Year
Trey Howell-Chase, Rio Americano, Jr.
Small School Player of the Year
Kale Nakamura, Wheatland, Jr.
Smallest School Player of the Year
Jayden Badhesha, Woodland Christian, Sr.
Coach of the Year
Joe Bellotti, Elk Grove
2026 All-Metro Baseball
FIRST TEAM
Pitchers
Anthony Bascherini, Elk Grove, Sr.
Joey Dormann, Rio Americano, Jr.
Ethan Gustus, Roseville, Jr.
Andrew Hancock, Rocklin, Jr.
Pierce Tully, Rio Americano, Sr.
Catcher
Hudson Hall, Elk Grove, Sr.
Infielders
Ayden Deome, West Park, Sr.
Chase Groves, Elk Grove, Sr.
Ben Jordan, Roseville, So.
Andrew Jones, Granite Bay, Jr.
Outfielders
Tristen Bartlett, Elk Grove, Sr.
Trace Murchison, Woodcreek, Jr.
Jasen Womack, Oak Ridge, Sr.
Austin Chang, Roseville, Sr.
Utility
Drew Beasley, Rodriguez, Sr.
Masen Belding, Del Oro, Sr.
Brad Blankenheim, Amador, Sr.
Ryan Cody, Franklin, Jr.
Cooper Gannon, Elk Grove, Jr.
Jayden Hernandez, Elk Grove, So.
Eric Johnson Vacaville, Sr.
Sammy Kane, Jesuit. Sr.
Bryce Kurihara, Rio Americano, So.
Parker Lipp, Jesuit, Sr.
Levi Nyberg, Cordova, Sr.
Riley Salvermini, Woodland, So.
Ari Silva, McClatchy, Sr.
SECOND TEAM
Pitchers
Chase Barton, Wheatland, Sr.
Ben Gull, Christian Brothers, Sr.
Devin Murphy, Sutter, Jr.
Caden Nichols, Bear River, Sr.
Ethan Williams, Vacaville, Sr.
Catcher
Armaan Badhesha, Woodland Christian, Sr.
Infielders
Nick Busalacchi, Del Oro, Jr.
Dylan Knell, Lincoln, Sr.
Jayden McNeal, West Park, Sr.
Ryan Lujan, Rocklin, Jr.
Isaac Schroeder, Granite Bay, So.
Outfielders
Sam Amezcua, Bradshaw Christian, Jr.
Garrentt Brink, Placer, Sr.
Derek Gale, Rio Americano, Sr.
Jax Whitesides, Twelve Bridges, Sr.
Utility
Brody Bieneman, Del Campo, Sr.
Cohen Dwyer, Woodland, So.
Chase Dyer, Elk Grove, Jr.
Dylan Eddings, Vacaville Christian, Sr.
Evan Fusji-Sisler, Bradshaw Christian, Sr.
Kevion Duplessis, Burbank, Sr.
Nick Jones, Laguna Creek, Sr.
Brody Malecha, Wheatland, Jr.
Brody Miller, Yuba City, Sr.
Gavin Otis, Placer, Jr.
Jaimeson Rawlins, Colfax, Jr.
Brody Stoller, Laguna Creek, Sr.
David Tanner, Woodland, Sr.
Aiden Zwissig, Sutter, Sr.
Honorable Mention
Max Abbott, Valley Christian, Fr.; Jaylin Blackwell, Foothill, So.; Connor Boese, Granit Bay, So.; Aiden Carvalho, Foothill, Sr.; So.;Cole Callison, Sutter, Jr.; Colby Cobb, Rocklin, Jr.; Kaden Coates, Antelope, Maxton Creeger, West Campus, Sr.; Jesus Cosio, Wooland, So.; Noah Couture, River City, So.; Gavyn Dulaney, Whitney, Jr.; Ryder Eason, Bear River, Jr.; David Engelken, Folsom, Sr.; Trevor Evangelho, West Park, Jr.; Gavin Gnech, Lincoln, So.; Mike Goski, Golden Sierra, Jr.; Rome Griego, Vacaville, Sr.; Ben Gull, Christian Brothers, Sr.; Andy Hintz, Center, Sr.; Cole Hutson, Delta, Sr.; Max Guth, Yuba City, Jr.; Jarett Hackney, Twelve Bridges, Sr.; Jason Harris, Franklin, Sr.; Caden Heitmeyer, Folsom, Sr.; Landon Johnson, Elk Grove, Sr.; Phil Jones, Leroy Greene Academy, Sr.; Jack Kimball, Vacaville Christian, Jr.; Carlos Lopez-Vega, Highlands, Sr.; Adrian Montesinos, Esparto, Sr.; Joe Parsons, El Dorado, Sr.; Ethan Quach, Bradshaw Christian, Jr.; Ethan Rhee, Vista del Lago, Sr.; Esteban Rodriguez, Woodcreek, So.; Brayden Saucedo, Oakmont, Sr.; Isaac Santos, Dixon, Sr.; Eli Selvester, Foresthill, So.; Robby Silski, Placer, Sr.; Brady Stowers, Colfax, Jr.; Noah Teply, Oak Ridge, Sr.; Jacob Teravskis, Argonaut, Sr.; Jordan Villanueva, Woodland Christian, Sr.
THE BEE’S FINAL TOP 20
1. Elk Grove (29-7)
2. Roseville (30-4)
3. Franklin (25-9-1)
4. McClatchy (26-6)
5. Jesuit (19-13)
6. Granite Bay (19-14
8. Rio Americano (27-7)
9. Vacaville (20-10)
10. Laguna Creek (18-12)
11. West Park (24-6)
12. Rocklin (14-15-1)
13. Del Oro (16-11-)
14. Oak Ridge (13-16)
15. Woodcreek (17-11)
16. Folsom (18-11)
17. Placer (23-6)
18. Wheatland (25-9)
19. Woodland (28-6)
20. Lincoln (23-4-1)
How these teams were selected: The Bee’s All-Metro Teams were chosen based on personal observation, local media and coaches’ input, playoff team success and stats entered into MaxPreps.