Yuba-Sutter community welcomes in High Wheelers

This article was originally written by Jeff Larson for The Appeal Democrat. To read the original article, please visit https://www.appeal-democrat.com/sports/yuba-sutter-community-welcomes-in-high-wheelers/article_9496746c-b83b-11ef-8565-679727a0c1b1.html

Dominique Belza, a former Marysville councilmember and candidate for state assembly, said baseball runs deep in his own family dating back to his grandfather getting a ball signed by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig when the two made their way to Marysville in 1927.

Belza still thinks about that ball – which he wishes still exists – to this day. He says it would be worth a lot of money.

In many ways, baseball has shaped Belza into who he is today – a man who helped guide the latest baseball franchise to the Yuba-Sutter region.

Alongside Marysville Vice Mayor Bruce Buttacavoli, Belza helped cement the third baseball team in the last three summers to Bryant Field in Marysville, a ballpark that's been here since the days of Ruth and company and withstood many challenges and upswings through the past decades. 

Belza believes the current team, the Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers, out of the Pioneer Baseball League, will be the best fit for Marysville and the region as a whole.

Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers, a pro independent baseball team started by a East Bay childhood friend duo, were officially introduced to the Yuba-Sutter community on Wednesday in front of a group of reporters, community members and well wishers. The team will compete against 11 other squads from all over the Western United States in a 96-game schedule from May to September. There will be 48 games at Bryant Field starting with the scheduled home-opener May 20 against the Grand Junction Jackalopes.

Belza said the game itself has always been what matters most to his family and others growing up in East Marysville.

He still remembers the feeling he gets each time he hears that patented sound the bat makes the moment it comes into contact with the ball.

"(At) the crack of the bat everybody is on the edge of their seat," Belza said. "It is truly is our American pastime." 

Belza can't wait to see what the High Wheelers bring to Yuba-Sutter for many generations.

The franchise, started by Bryan Carmel and Paul Freedman, won the PBL a year ago while playing out of the Yolo County area near UC Davis. The Yolo High Wheelers, which they were called in 2024, were the 12th team into the PBL following in the footsteps of the Oakland Ballers.

When the opportunity came about to relocate, Carmel and Freedman jumped at the situation, bringing in a lot of the same faces that helped the team have success in Yolo County. The Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers, which they will now be formally called, will be run on the field by Manager and Assistant General Manager Billy Horton. 

Horton, who came to Marysville for the first time on Wednesday, recalled his initial impressions of Bryant Field.

"It has a great vibe," Horton said. "I think it has tremendous bones." 

Horton said the playing surface is in good shape and the outfield wall is higher than he expected. Moving forward, Horton said the wall will become padded as a safety feature, the scoreboard will be altered slightly along with upgrades done to the batting cages and clubhouse in order to bring Bryant Field up to the standards of the PBL, one of four MLB partner leagues each not affiliated with a major league franchise. In total, the city has invested over $500,000 to bring the High Wheelers to town. 

Ultimately, it will be up to the team itself as to how long it stays around. 

But Horton said he likes what he saw on Wednesday during the signing that included members and city officials of both counties alongside both the Yuba City and Marysville Mayors. The latest venture is a team-effort and community-first approach to running a professional franchise in Yuba-Sutter. 

"I want to thank the original Mudcats, Gold Sox and Drakes for keeping baseball in Bryant field alive and help us get to this point," Buttacavoli said. 

Season ticket prices are currently available at https://www.highwheelers.com.