The newest edition of West Coast Preps’ “Studs, Stars and Superstars” is here for the 2026 Sacramento softball season.
Here were the top performances across the Sacramento region from the latest week of action. Five studs, five stars, five superstars and one MVP.
Studs
Madelyn Benzler (Elk Grove, Freshman)
Elk Grove’s freshman star keeps shining brighter and brighter entering the postseason. In an 8-1 win over Sheldon, Madelyn Benzler doubled twice and drove in two runs while once again delivering in big moments for the Delta League champs. Benzler now has 32 hits and 33 RBIs this spring, ridiculous production for a freshman playing on one of Northern California’s top teams. Pair that with a sparkling 0.84 ERA in the circle, and Benzler continues proving she’s one of the best young players around.
Kwinci Brown (Sheldon, Senior)
Another milestone. Another dominant outing. Kentucky-bound Kwinci Brown struck out seven across three innings in Sheldon’s 10-0 win over Pleasant Grove, and in the process eclipsed 400 career strikeouts. Brown continues cementing herself as one of the area’s premier pitchers before heading off to the SEC.
Emma Carne (Hughson, Sophomore)
Hughson enters the postseason scorching hot, and sophomore Emma Carne is a huge reason why. Carne punched out 10 batters while tossing a four-hit shutout in a 7-0 win over Sonora, continuing an impressive stretch for the TVL champs. Hughson now rides a 10-game winning streak into the playoffs with confidence sky high.
Jessica Cochran (West Park, Senior)
Metro League champion West Park continues to roll behind the all-around brilliance of Jessica Cochran. In a combined no-hitter against Oakmont, Cochran struck out two in one inning before completely taking over in a 10-0 win over Cordova. The senior collected three hits, three RBIs and a double while also firing a two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts. Cochran enters the postseason hitting .471 with a 1.48 ERA.
Peyton Miller (Colusa, Junior)
Peyton Miller closed the regular season on an absolute heater for Colusa. In an 11-1 win over Pierce, Miller doubled twice before following it up with three hits and a triple in a 10-3 win over Paradise. Then came another monster effort in a 13-3 win over Pierce where she totaled three hits, three RBIs and a double. Miller now sits at 33 hits and 31 RBIs this season as Colusa heads into the playoffs with momentum.
Stars
Emalee Cargill (Tracy, Senior)
Cal-bound Emalee Cargill looked unstoppable in Tracy’s 14-0 rout of Kimball, per usual. The senior star erupted for four hits and four RBIs, continuing one of the most productive offensive seasons anywhere in Northern California. Cargill is now hitting .575 with 31 RBIs and 18 extra-base hits for the TCAL champions.
Shelby Duarte (Liberty Ranch)
Duarte helped Liberty Ranch finish the regular season strong with another huge offensive week. Duarte delivered four hits and four RBIs in a 10-3 win over Bradshaw Christian after previously collecting two hits in a 12-2 victory over Galt. The consistency has been there all spring long for Duarte, who enters the playoffs hitting .448.
Kylah Glenn (East Nicolaus, Junior)
Few pitchers in the section are closing the regular season stronger than Kylah Glenn. The East Nicolaus ace struck out 15 while allowing only three hits in a 9-1 win over Durham, then followed it up with 14 strikeouts in a four-hit shutout during a 3-0 win over Durham. Glenn now owns a 1.80 ERA with 152 strikeouts this season. F
Madison Ortega (Franklin-Elk Grove, Junior)
Ortega stuffed the stat sheet in a huge week for Franklin-Elk Grove. In a wild 13-11 win over Cosumnes Oaks, Ortega doubled twice, tripled and drove in three runs while constantly applying pressure offensively. She then added three hits and three more RBIs in an 11-2 victory over Monterey Trail. Ortega now has 30 hits this season and remains one of the major catalysts behind Franklin’s lineup.
Kylie Tangney (Hughson, Junior)
Kylie Tangney continues authoring one of the top pitching seasons around. In a 5-0 win over Hilmar, Tangney tossed a two-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts while also doubling and driving in two runs at the plate. The Hughson ace is now 14-1 with a 1.02 ERA and an absurd 211 strikeouts across 95 ⅔ innings. Oh, and she’s hitting .426, too.
Superstars
Hayden Fell (Tracy, Junior)
Long Beach State commit Hayden Fell continues dominating both in the circle and at the plate for powerhouse Tracy. Fell collected three hits and two RBIs during a 20-1 rout of West before firing a one-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts in a 14-0 victory over Kimball. She now owns a microscopic 0.56 ERA while also hitting .438 for one of the state’s top teams.
Sinitalela Heleta (Sheldon, Sophomore)
Heleta put together one of the loudest offensive performances of the week. The sophomore slugger blasted three doubles and drove in four runs during Sheldon’s 10-0 victory over Pleasant Grove. Then in a tough 5-3 loss to unbeaten Ponderosa, Heleta still launched her seventh home run of the year.
Emma Juarez (West Park, Junior)
Emma Juarez helped author one of the best pitching performances of the week as West Park combined for a no-hitter in a 4-0 win over Oakmont. Juarez was electric, striking out nine across four hitless innings while completely overwhelming hitters. The junior has become a major weapon for the Metro League champs entering the postseason. West Park’s pitching staff is rolling at the perfect time.
Taylor Sansaver (Tracy, Junior)
Arizona commit Taylor Sansaver just keeps piling up monster numbers. Sansaver delivered two hits, three RBIs and a double in Tracy’s 20-1 win over West before exploding for three hits, six RBIs and another double in a 14-0 victory over Kimball. She’s now hitting a ridiculous .635 with 54 hits, 43 RBIs and 20 extra-base hits this season.
Kamryn Thornburg (Calaveras, Junior)
North Dakota State-bound Kamryn Thornburg continues stuffing the stat sheet every game out. In a 12-2 win over Linden, Thornburg struck out nine while also collecting two hits and two RBIs offensively. Then in an 8-0 shutout of Bret Harte, she punched out nine more while allowing only two hits. Thornburg now sits at a staggering 253 strikeouts this season as Calaveras heads into the postseason as a league champion.
MVP
Na’ima Calderon (Manteca, Junior)
Calderon saved some of her loudest performances for the final stretch of the regular season. In a 12-4 win over Mountain House, Calderon crushed two home runs, totaled three hits and drove in six runs in a ridiculous all-around effort. She followed it up by homering and doubling twice during an 11-1 victory over Gregori. Calderon is now hitting .467 with 29 RBIs.
