The Sutter Buttes Little League Intermediate (50/70) All-Star team celebrates after winning the California District 2 championship, the first step in a postseason run that carried the team to the 2026 Northern California State Tournament. Photo courtesy of Sutter Buttes Little League.

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - A combined Sutter Buttes Little League and Sutter Area Little League Intermediate (50/70) All-Star team has put together one of the strongest postseason runs in recent local youth baseball history, advancing to the 2026 Little League Intermediate (50/70) Northern California State Tournament after winning district and section championships.

Managed by Brandon Kesterson, the team completed the regular season with a 15-1 record before carrying its momentum into postseason play.

The Intermediate Division is designed for players ages 11 to 13 and serves as a transition between traditional Little League baseball and the full-sized field. The division uses a pitching distance of 50 feet and base paths of 70 feet while introducing rules such as leading off bases and pickoff moves.

Sutter Buttes opened postseason play at the District 2 All-Star Tournament, held June 14 through June 20 at Olivehurst Linda Little League. The team went 4-0 to capture the district championship and advance to the Section 2 Tournament.

The section tournament, hosted by Foothill Area Little League near Redding, produced similar results. Sutter Buttes won three straight games without a loss to claim the Section 2 championship and earn a berth in the Northern California State Tournament.

This year's Northern California State Tournament is being played at Boomtown Sports Complex at Riverfront Park in Marysville with assistance from Sutter Buttes Little League, giving local fans an opportunity to watch some of California's top Intermediate Division teams compete.

Following opening ceremonies July 11, Sutter Buttes received a first-round bye before facing Roseville Little League on July 12. Sutter Buttes built a 6-0 lead entering the bottom of the sixth inning before Roseville rallied with five runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to force extra innings. Roseville scored in the bottom of the eighth inning to claim a 7-6 victory.

Despite the loss, Sutter Buttes remained alive in the double-elimination tournament and was scheduled to face Los Gatos Little League on July 13 in an elimination game.

The team's postseason run has already placed it among California's top Intermediate Division programs. Hundreds of Intermediate (50/70) teams begin postseason play each summer, with district and section tournaments narrowing the field to just 17 state tournament qualifiers, including seven from Northern California and 10 from Southern California.

The Northern California champion advances to the West Region Tournament in Nogales, Arizona. The regional winner earns a berth in the Little League Intermediate (50/70) World Series in Livermore.

The accomplishment is believed to mark the first time in more than 20 years that either Sutter Buttes Little League or Sutter Area Little League has advanced an Intermediate (50/70) All-Star team to the Northern California State Tournament.

The team's path has not come without challenges. After winning both the district and section championships, the roster shrank from 15 players to 11 when four players left to honor previous commitments with their travel baseball teams.

Despite carrying one of the smallest rosters remaining in the tournament, Sutter Buttes has continued to compete against the state's top teams while representing the Yuba-Sutter region.

Michael Bullard contributed to this story.