Our first rankings are out, and they represent somethings old, and somethings new. There are several fresh teams and faces, as well as some of the same stalwarts who have been entrenched in the rankings for years. We try to include the results of the fall 2020 season, while also weighting more heavily towards recent results. Teams that we know are not playing are removed (West Raleigh), but this is usually fluid as many teams still have not yet played a game in 2021. Here we recap our first rankings of 2021.
8u
As we do every year, West Raleigh has been removed until they begin their travel season later this spring/summer. This opened the door for a new #1, and that spot was filled by the SBA Futures. The Futures appear to have moved onto kid pitch/9u, so they will be a difficult team to slot in these rankings going forward. Several teams will be battling right behind them, including Area Stars Orange and the MARA Fury, who are both off to hot starts this spring. Rip City and the Sanford Spartans were the two newcomers to the 8u rankings, and with only 13 teams currently ranked, we hope to expand this list as the season progresses.
9u
The Mission Mavericks moved into the #1 spot after their recent wins over #2 SBA Futures and #3 SBA Rowan Prospects. It is great to see the top teams in this age group battling it out and we like to reward teams that are playing high level competition. The Area Stars took a big jump up our rankings after recent wins over #7 5 Star Carolina RailRoaders. Canes Baseball NC - Land is a relative newcomer in this age group who, although they have not played yet, largely consists of players from a team who finished the fall in our top 10 so we expect big things from this group. This is another age group in which we expect to see a lot shake out over the next several weeks, and we will look to add teams to fill out a top 25 in the weeks to come.
10u
The Carolina Cardinals have made a big statement this spring, and moved up to #2 in our first rankings after a recent win over the SBA Futures. They went 1-1 against the Futures in the recent USSSA Atlanta Spring Super NIT, and we felt the Futures' overall record still gives them a slight edge in this age group. Nevertheless, there are several teams including the SBA Nationals and SBA Rowan who have made claims to be considered #1 in this age group. The Carolina Revolution moved from #13 to #7 after some recent wins over top 10 teams and a willingness to play the top teams. 5 Star Carolina - Secrist was rewarded similarly as they moved into our top 15. Area Stars - Derick were another big mover in this age group, going from #23 to #13 after they got out to a hot start with multiple wins over ranked teams this spring.
11u
The SBA Futures may be one of the top 4-5 11u teams in the country, and their recent tournament win at the USSSA Atlanta Spring Super NIT is a prime example of that. It just so happens that two of the other top 20 or so teams in the country also reside in North Carolina in Dirtbags Black and the SBA Nationals. Recently, these 3 teams were in the same Perfect Game field, with the Nationals posting a close 5-2 win over the Futures in the quarterfinals, and the Dirtbags edging the Nationals 3-2 in the finals. That gave the edge to the Dirtbags in our rankings for the time being, but this will be fluid situation all year, with all 3 of these teams having a legitimate claim for #1. The Rawlings Prospects moved up to #4 and are just behind this first group of 3. Area Stars - Zach, Five Star - Neyra, and the NCDB Rivercats all look to be in a similar grouping with the Rawlings Prospects, in what appears to be one of the more competitive age groups in the state.
12u
The SBA Futures and Canes Baseball NC - Pirro will be battling all year for #1 in this age group. For now, however, there is the slightest gap between these two with the Futures holding a recent win over our national #1 TX/FL Canes Elite compared to a recent loss against this common opponent for Canes - Pirro, as well as the Futures 1-0 win over the Canes from the fall. Obviously, this is about as close as it gets between what appear to be 2 of the 10 or so best teams in the country. Canes - Wiggins if off to a great start this spring, and has moved up from #11 to #4 in our latest rankings. USA Prime Rock Solid Red posted an early spring win over #6 Coastal Cyclones Black to justify their jump to #5. Other big movers in the 12u rankings included #11 Dirtbags Camo, who continue to improve each season, and #12 Carolina HighSpeed, who shown a penchant to play top competition, and play them wall.
13u
#1 was a tough call here. Dirtbags Black earned this spot in the fall, however we are well aware of the significant roster turnover for their team from fall to spring. Additionally, they have yet to play. For us, we plan to leave them here until: 1) another team shows they belong as #1, or 2) they show they don't belong there when they start to play. Many of the teams in this age group have yet to start playing, but new entry #4 Canes Baseball NC - Eason will be a team to watch in the early going. They were one of the beneficiaries of the roster turnover with Dirtbags Black. Dirtbags East moved up in our rankings from #13 to #5 after a strong showing at a recent Perfect Game event. This will be an age group that is sure to shake up as more teams get going this spring.