YC shut down Fairfield, 5-0: No. 4 Honkers host Christian Brothers for the first time in a decade Friday night

Yuba City High’s Brody Miller had not allowed an earned run in over 20 innings on the hill this year.

So it was without question that the senior Miller would get the start to kick off the Honkers’ 2026 playoff run Wednesday in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III postseason at home against Fairfield. Despite what Miller called early-game struggles, the veteran hurler managed a complete-game shutout, littered with just two hits allowed, as No. 4 Yuba City blanked No. 13 Fairfield, 5-0, to advance into the single-game quarterfinals set for 6 p.m. Friday at Winship Field (YCHS), located off Clark Avenue and B Street.

“That’s a good team over there, Fairfield, props to those guys,” YC head coach Maury Castaneda said. “Brody Miller is just a beast; it’s hard to beat him. He’s one of the best in the section, maybe the state.”

YC (14-13) will host No. 5 Christian Brothers (14-14) for the first time since 2016 when the Honkers were led in part by MLB draftee and Cal grad Cameron Eden.

A win Friday and the defending SJS D-III champs advance into the semifinals series against, in all likelihood, No. 1 Rio Americano (23-6) – a program that YC is also familiar with having played and beaten the Raiders in 2025.

“It’s what we do; when the lights are on we like it and playoffs are when they come out and play their best ball,” Castaneda said. “It is what people expect around here.”

YC struck first and often on Wednesday, thanks to Miller’s aggressiveness on the base paths in the first, reaching on an error by the Fairfield third baseman and then advancing all the way to third and eventually home on a wild pitch to score the game’s first run. An inning later, Miller again reached on a fielding miscue by Fairfield that plated two runs to push the lead to 3-0.

Perhaps the biggest hit came from junior Max Guth, who laced one to right in the fifth for a triple, and later scored on a safety squeeze for the game’s fifth run. Guth had two hits to join Kyler Oberlin and Wyatt Lane at the plate.

“Our bats have been getting hot; we have been scoring more runs,” Guth said. “That was a really good pitcher we faced (with an under one) ERA and I think we dealt with him really good … We’ve been focused on hitting and it has been showing the past couple games.”

Guth is no stranger to key swings in the postseason with a walkoff in the NorCal final a year ago for the program’s first state title. He feels this year’s squad will embrace its newfound role to continue to win in May and June.

“Last year we went in more dominant with a good record and won league; (we’re) underdogs this year,” Guth said, … “honestly just coming out and playing our game we can beat any team.”

Miller, who’s latest complete-game, moved his pitching numbers to zero earned runs over 27.2 innings for a 0.00 ERA, said it comes down to trust when YC takes the field.

“I trust all the guys; everyone made a play,” Miller said. “I trust them, so they got to trust me. We’re in a good spot; we are going to play some good teams. (Christian Brothers) is in a really good league, so they shouldn’t be a surprise and we shouldn’t be a surprise … It will be a really good game.”