12u
D1
On the heels of a USSSA Beast of the East tournament that included all 10 of our top 10 12u teams, the Top Gun WWS has another outstanding field. 28 teams will be in the D1 field including 8 of our top 10, and 13 of our top 20 12u teams, as well as 11u #2 TPA Nationals. In addition to the North Carolina teams, 9 teams from Virginia including 2018 11u SWS champion Team Dirty South Bats Venom, and one from Maryland will take part in this event. Top ranked SBA Premier will bring a 21-5-1 record into the WWS one week after scoring a title at the Beast of the East. They'll face the Huguenot Red Legs (VA), who are 10-4 this fall, and the 12-4 #6 NCDB Rivercats. The Rivercats, fresh off a win over #2 Canes Baseball NC - Hood last week at the BoE, will take on #13 Dirtbags East on Friday in their other pool play game. Canes - Hood will also be in the field this weekend and will face Hit Doctor (VA) and EC Diamondbacks - Bass, who have spent a good majority of their fall season playing 13u, in their two pool play games. #4 Dirtbags Charlotte, who has posted a 23-7 record to this point in the fall season, will take on the Mid Atlantic Red Sox (MD) and Dirtbags East in their pool play games. #5 Canes Baseball NC - Simpson, owners of a 12-6 record this fall, will take on #7 Five Star Carolina - Neyra and the Huguenot Red Legs in their two pool play games. 7-5-1 Five Star - Neyra will also go against 11u #2 TPA Nationals in pool play. The Nationals, who are 13-3 this fall against a predominately 12u schedule, will face the Williamsburg Revolution (VA) in their other pool play game this weekend. #9 LBC Attack is scheduled to face the 13-6-2 Western Tidewater Rage (VA) and the 6-9 Riptide in pool play this weekend. Big Game 2025, who have gone 9-9-1 against an excellent schedule this fall, will face #19 Carolina Blue Sox and NSA 06 Elite in their two pool play games. The 11-8 Blue Sox will also take on 20-2 Rock Solid Black (VA) in pool play this weekend. #12 Cleveland Wildcats Elite will face the Riptide and 10-4-1 Canes Baseball VA - Serrano in pool play. 15-6 #15 SBA Canes - Erwin will look to bounce back after a tough weekend at the BoE. They'll face #16 Rock Solid Red and Western Tidewater Rage in pool play. Rock Solid Red will go against the 18-4-1 Tidewater Drillers Gray.
16 teams will make the play-in games to determine Gold and Silver bracket status on Saturday afternoon, with the other 12 teams being relegated to Bronze and Copper brackets. Consequently, it will be imperative for teams to put up good performances in pool play games in order to at least make the play-in game to have a shot at the Gold bracket.
Champion Prediction: SBA Premier
D2
Like the D1 division, 28 teams will face off in the 12u D2 division this weekend in Rocky Mount. #8 Kernersville Bulldogs, who are 12-2-1 this fall, are our highest ranked team in the D2 field. They'll take on the Mid Atlantic Orioles - Namkoong (VA) and 11u Loudoun South Eagles, who are 20-4 this fall and one of the better 11u teams in Virginia, in their two pool play games. We'd expect the Wendell Sharks to also be competitive this weekend and they'll face South Johnston and the Carolina Stingers in their pool play games. Carolina Titans Blue, owners of a 9-3 record this fall, could also make some noise this weekend and they'll face Stars Baseball - Justice (VA) and Mid Atlantic Orioles - Caraher (VA) in pool play. We would not be surprised to see the Dirt Devils make a run this weekend. They are 15-9 this fall and will take on the HYAA Hawks and Stars Baseball - Justice in pool play.
All 28 teams will make play-in games, however only seeds 1-16 will have a shot at spots in the Gold or Silver bracket. To determine Bronze and Copper bracket spots, seeds 17-28 will face off in play-in games (e.g. #17 vs. 28, 18 vs. 27, etc.).
Champion Prediction: Kernersville Bulldogs
D3
The 26 team D3 division should be wide open with a handful of very competitive 12u teams as well as several ranked 11u teams in the field. The Carolina Muddawgs, who are 12-4 this fall in Top Gun play, look to be one of the top competitors in this field. They will take on the Wilson Naturals and the Walk Off Warriors in their two pool play games. 11u #4 Rawlings Prospects NC will bring their 20-10-2 record into this 12u event and will face the Carolina Generals and RBI Raptors - Guise in their pool play games. 11u #7 Dirtbags East will bring a 25-4 record into the WWS. They'll take on the Zebulon Cougars and the Benson Bulls in pool play. 11u #10 NCDB Rivercats are 10-7 this fall and will face Team Ghost - John and Carolina Rage Red.
Similar to the D1 division, only 16 teams will make the play-in games to determine Gold and Silver bracket status on Saturday afternoon, with the other 10 teams being relegated to Bronze and Copper brackets. Consequently, it will be imperative for teams to put up good performances in pool play games in order to at least make the play-in game to have a shot at the Gold bracket.
Champion Prediction: Carolina Muddawgs