Here it is. The biggest tournament of the spring in North Carolina has arrived. This will be one of the biggest, and certainly most competitive of the early spring season. There will be a TON of top 20 teams in action across multiple age groups. This will be an exciting event and will certainly lead to some movement in our rankings when all is said and done. Here we preview the competition and offer some thoughts about the upcoming action.
8u
The 8u age group will feature #4 East Rowan (currently 4th in USSSA’s 8u machine pitch AA national power rankings) and #8 South Charlotte Cardinals, as well as quality Youngsville Phantoms and GRIT teams in-state. East Rowan is 3-0 this spring with wins over South Charlotte and #9 Carolina Vandals already. As for out-of-state competition, the 8u field includes the Knoxville Stars (TN), who are 20-2 as an 8u team and currently ranked 9th in the USSSA 8u AAA coach pitch national power rankings, the G-town Pirates (SC), who are 20-3 as an 8u team and currently ranked 7th nationally in USSSA’s 8u AA machine pitch power rankings, and the TN TriStars, who are 19-3 as an 8u team and currently ranked 13th nationally in USSSA’s 8u AA coach pitch power rankings.
In pool play, East Rowan will face the TN TriStars and the Tega Cay Titans (SC), the latter of whom East Rowan beat twice in the fall. The Cardinals will take on the Youngsville Phantoms and the TN TriStars, while the Phantoms will face the Knoxville Stars in their other pool play game. GRIT will take on the Carolina Reds (SC) and Team 24 Gamecocks (SC) in their pool play games.
9u
The 9u majors division consists of 15 teams including #1 Park Sharon Nationals, #2 Dirtbags Black, #6 SBA Canes – Simmons, #8 Piedmont Panthers, #10 Carolina Red Sox – Jones, #11 NCDB Rivercats, #15 Union County Crush – Walker, and #18 Carolina Arsenal are all in the 9u field this weekend. In addition, perhaps the top team South Carolina, Team 24 Gamecocks – Ashley, will bring their 50-1 (!) 9u record into this event. The only team to have beat Team 24, Carolina Blue Mizuno, is also in the field. The East Cobb Astros, who are the only 9u team to beat the Park Sharon Nationals, are in this field. Needless to say, the 9u field is absolutely loaded and will be one of the best tournaments in the Southeastern US this spring.
Park Sharon will put their 33-4-1 record as a 9u team on the line and take on the Union County Crush – Walker and the NCDB Rivercats in their pool play games. NCDB and the Crush will also both face SBA Canes – Simmons, who are 9-2 this spring, in their other pool play games. The Canes will be looking to improve upon their semifinal appearance at the Atlanta Super NIT a few weeks ago. Dirtbags Black are 24-6-1 as a 9u team and will get their first taste of USSSA play this weekend. They’ll take on SBA Canes – Red and the Piedmont Panthers in their two pool play games. The Panthers, who are 27-2 as a 9u team, will also face Carolina Blue Mizuno in pool play. The Red Sox will go against the Carolina Arsenal and Team 24 Gamecocks in their two pool play games. The Arsenal will also play against Team 24 in pool play.
10u
If you thought the 9u field was talented, the 10u age group may actually be even more loaded than the 9u division. The 10u majors age group features 18 teams including #1 Canes NC – Gilchrist, #2 SBA Canes – Marconi, #3 Port City Rebels, #5 Dirtbags Platinum, #8 Mission Vipers Gold, #9 East Rowan, #12 Dirtbags Black, #13 Carolina Havoc, #15 Rock Solid Red, and #18 Youngsville Heat are all in the 10u age group in Charlotte. That’s 10 of our top 20 in-state teams playing in a single tournament. Beyond the North Carolina teams in the 10u age group, the East Cobb Astros Orange (GA) who are currently ranked 31st nationally in USSSA’s national power rankings, Crusaders Baseball (TN) who are ranked 34th nationally in the USSSA power rankings, and the East Cobb Bandits (61st nationally), winners of the fall BoE, are also all in this field.
Canes NC – Gilchrist, who are 9-0 this spring and 32-3 overall as a 10u team, will start their run towards their second Super NIT crown of the spring by facing CBC Baseball Club and the Detroit Bees (MI) in pool play. SBA Canes – Marconi will be up against the Mission Vipers Black and GRIT – Koonin in pool play. The Port City Rebels, who are 8-1 this spring, will go against Dirtbags Black and Dirtbags Platinum in their pool play games. Dirtbags Black, who are 17-7-2 overall as a 10u team, will also face the Carolina Havoc in pool play, while Dirtbags Platinum, who are 29-9-1 as a 10u team including 10-3 this spring, will match up with East Rowan in pool play. The Havoc and East Rowan will meet up against one another in their other pool play game. Mission Vipers Gold will go against the Detroit Bees and CBC Baseball in pool play, while Rock Solid Red will go against East Cobb Astros Orange and the East Cobb Bandits in their pool play games. The Youngsville Heat, who are 31-8 as a 10u team, will take on GRIT – Koonin and Crusaders Baseball in their pool play games.
11u
The 20-team 11u majors age group will feature #1 SBA Canes – Ross, #2 Mission Vipers Gold, #3 Canes NC – Hood, #5 Five Star Carolina – Neyra, #7 SBA Canes – Erwin, #8 Carolina Blue Sox, #10 Big Game 2025, as well as solid Carolina Athletics, Dirtbags East, and Vision Bandits teams. Out-of-state competitors include Crusaders Baseball (TN), the Cincy Flames who are currently ranked 56th nationally in USSSA’s 11u majors power ranking, the Carolina Bruins (SC) who are currently 7th in the USSSA 11u AAA national power rankings, and the Hartsville Heat (SC) who are currently ranked 33rd in the USSSA 11u AAA national power rankings.
In what can only be considered a cruel twist of fate by the scheduling gods, CBC Baseball Club and the CoulOak Hurricanes will both take on the #1 and #2 teams in our top 20 in SBA Canes – Ross, who are 34-9 overall as an 11u team, and Mission Vipers Gold, who are 8-0 this spring and 25-6-1 overall as an 11u team. Canes NC – Hood, who are 18-6 overall as an 11u team, will face SBA Canes – Erwin and the Carolina Blue Sox, in two great early season match ups. Canes – Erwin, who are 26-9-2 as an 11u squad, and the 16-6 Blue Sox will both go against Canes Charlotte in their other pool play games. Five Star will face off against Carolina Blue Mizuno and the Mission Vipers Black in pool play. Big Game 2025 drew the Hartsville Heat and VA Canes in their two pool play games.
12u
Although #1 East Rowan is not in the field this week, there is still an exceptional amount of in-state and out-of-state talent in this 22-team 12u field to make this one of the best tournament fields in the Southeast this spring. #2 Minion, #3 Legends Baseball, #5 Park Sharon Nationals, #11 Carolina Rockies, #12 Sanford Cobras, #16 SBA Canes – Mendez, and #20 Canes NC – Harland will all be in the majors division. #18 Carolina Chaos and #19 Carolina Prime 2024 will be playing in the AAA division. Team Carolina – Demarini (SC), the Carolina Bruins (SC), Diamond Gold (TN), BC Athletics (TN), and Team 24 Gamecocks – Brown (SC), who are 45-10 overall as a 12u team, will be some of the top out-of-state competition.
Minion, who are 11-1 this spring and 41-5 overall as a 12u squad, will look to improve upon their early exit in the Atlanta Spring Super NIT this weekend. They’ll face CBC Baseball Club and the Myrtle Beach Rays (SC) in pool play. Legends, who are 12-0 this spring and 34-3 overall as a 12u team, will take on Rock Solid Blue and Diamond Gold in their pool play games. Park Sharon is matched up against 5 Star LKN and 5 Star Carolina – Smith for their two pool play games. The Rockies, who are 28-15 overall as a 12u team, will take on Rawlings Prospects NC and Team 24 Gamecocks – Brown in pool play. The Cobras will take on SBA Canes – Mendez and Team Carolina – Demarini, and Canes – Mendez will face Team 24 Gamecocks – Stiles (SC), who are 9-2 this spring, in their other pool play game. Canes NC – Harland will face off against Rock Solid Blue and BC Athletics, who are 18-1 overall as a 12u team, in pool play.
13u
The 13u age group has not been particularly active this spring, however that will change this weekend at the BoE. #1 Canes NC – Gallaher, #3 Canes NC – Haire, #4 Knights Prime, #6 NCDB Rivercats, and #9 Carolina Havoc – Clonch are all in this field. Crusaders Baseball (TN) and Team 24 Gamecocks – Zohner (SC) will be some of the top out-of-state competition in the 13u majors division.
The Canes – Gallaher will face Team 24 Gamecocks – Zohner and Rawlings SE National (GA) in pool play. Canes – Haire will face Rock Solid Red and Crusaders Baseball in their pool play games. Knights Prime, who are 23-5 overall as a 13u team, will face the NCDB Rivercats and Black Sox (Black) in their pool play games. The Rivercats, who are 12-4 as a 13u team, will also take on Black Sox (Black) in pool play. The Havoc are set to take on Team 24 – Zohner and Rawlings SE National in pool play.