Baseball preview: Top teams, players to watch this season

Coaches around the area are anticipating another season full of action and down-to-the-wire league races.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The 2026 baseball season is underway across the North Bay. Last year was the first time since 2019 that no local teams claimed a North Coast Section title, but the postseason was certainly not devoid of excitement. Rancho Cotate completed a historic season with a Northern California title after an improbable run as the No. 15 seed to a runner-up finish in the NCS Division 2 playoffs. Casa Grande also knocked off one of the premier programs in all of Northern California en route to a third-place finish in the NCS Division 1 playoffs.

Why it matters

Coaches around the area are anticipating another season full of action and down-to-the-wire league races, all culminating with the NCS playoffs starting in mid-May. This preview highlights the top teams and players to watch as the new season gets underway.

The details

In the NBL-Oak division, Windsor and Cardinal Newman appear to be the main contenders again after splitting the league title last year. The Cardinals are in a bit of a retooling year after graduating some key pitchers, but return several all-league players. Windsor also has to replace some top talent but has a strong pitching rotation coming back. Rancho Cotate, which had a historic postseason run last year, should also be a factor in the league race. In the NBL-Redwood, Analy is coming off a dominant league title-winning season and looks poised to again be the team to beat. Healdsburg, which finished second last year, returns a lot of talent and could challenge Analy. Santa Rosa, the only team to beat Analy in league play last year, also has a strong group back. The VVAL race should again be a three-team battle between Casa Grande, Petaluma and Justin-Siena, the three teams that tied atop the standings last season. Casa Grande has a lot to replace, while Justin-Siena returns a top arm in Griffin Messenger.

  • The 2026 baseball season is underway across the North Bay.
  • The NCS playoffs start in mid-May.

The players

Waymo

An American autonomous driving company and is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company.

Walker Reed Quinn

A 45-year-old San Francisco resident who has a history of vandalism and was out on bail for prior cases related to Waymo vehicles.

Rainbow Grocery Cooperative

A local food natural foods grocery store, organized as an employee-owned co-op and born out of a 1970s grassroots natural food movement calling for access to nutritious and organic food.

Gordon Edgar

A 31-year employee who oversees Rainbow's cheese counter.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.