There was no bigger game this weekend in North Carolina than 12u #1 SBA Futures taking on our 12u national #1 TX/FL Canes Elite. The game lived up to the hype and then some. And while this was the headline match up of the weekend, there was still a lot of good baseball across the USSSA landscape this weekend. Here we recap the USSSA action from this past weekend.
9u
The 9u Majors division in Charlotte was a loaded division with 4 of the top 5 teams in North Carolina and the top team in South Carolina in the field. #1 SBA Futures, #4 SBA Rowan, and South Carolina #1 Dirtbags Carolina all went 2-0 in pool play, with the Futures notching a big 17-2 win over #5 Dirtbags Black, SBA Rowan also defeating Dirtbags Black, and Dirtbags Carolina scoring a win over #2 Mission Baseball Mavericks. In the quarterfinals, Dirtbags Carolina rolled to a 9-1 win over the SBA Americans, SBA Rowan blanked the Carolina Revolution 8-0, the Mission Mavericks notched a 14-5 win over SBA Rowan Red, and the SBA Futures scored a 10-4 win over Dirtbags Black. In the semifinals, SBA Rowan topped SC's #1 team Dirtbags Carolina 10-6, and in a match up of our #1 and 2 teams in North Carolina, it was #2 Mission Mavericks getting the 9-1 win over #1 SBA Futures. In the finals, the Mission Baseball Mavericks finished off a very impressive weekend with a 14-6 win over SBA Rowan.
In Greensboro, Rogue/p-nut went 3-0 for the weekend, outscoring their 3 opponents a combined 31-6.
10u
The 5-team 10u field in Charlotte included North Carolina's #1 team (SBA Futures), #2 team (SBA Rowan Prospects), and #8 team (MARA Cobras) in the field. This weekend belonged to the Futures as they scored wins over both MARA and SBA Rowan Prospects in pool play, then defeated the North Lincoln Destroyers in the semifinals, before notching a 14-6 win over the SBA Rowan Prospects in the finals. This weekend should serve as an early season message that the Futures are not planning on giving up their top dog status in the 10u age group any time soon.
In Greensboro, the Walk Off Warriors bounced back from an 0-2 showing in pool play on Saturday to go 3-0 on Sunday including a 16-14 win over the Triad Warriors in the finals.
11u
The Union County Crush impressed this weekend in Charlotte, going 5-0 overall to take the title. This included wins over On Deck Charlotte, the South Park Sabres, and a 7-3 win over the SBA Americans in the finals. For the weekend, the Crush outscored their 5 opponents a combined 48-13.
12u
When the schedule came out for this past weekend's event in Charlotte, we think everyone hoped for the same thing we did - a match up of North Carolina #1 and national #8 SBA Futures and national #1 TX/FL Canes Elite. We got what we were hoping for as these two matched up in the finals, after rolling their way to respective 3-0 records prior to the finals. Prior to the finals, the Futures had outscored opponents 34-3, while the Canes had outscored their 3 opponents 44-4. The Canes carried a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the 5th inning, however the Futures were able to strike in the home half of the inning, scoring 4 runs to take a 4-3 lead. The Canes added a run in the top of the 6th to tie the score at 4, and the Futures were unable to answer sending the game to extra innings. In the top of the 7th, starting with a runner on 2nd, the Canes were able to squeeze a run across to take a 5-4 lead. In the bottom half of the 7th, the Futures tied it up at 5 with a single from the lead off hitter in the inning. A subsequent single and a walk loaded the bases with no outs, however the Canes were able to get a double play at home and first on the next batter to set the stage with two outs and runners on second and third. As can often happen in youth baseball at any level, a passed ball on the next hitter allowed the winning run to come across and the Futures to pull off a 6-5 win over the nation's top ranked 12u team. As best we can gather, this was the Canes 3rd loss of the season to a 12u team, and their overall record stands at 68-3. The Futures moved to 27-0 overall for the year with the win. As good as Canes Baseball NC - Pirro has been this year, and this spring in particular, we have a very difficult time separating these two for ranking purposes. #9 5 Star Carolina Elite went 3-1 for the weekend, with their only loss coming at the hands of the Canes.
In Greensboro, #22 Summerfield Stars took home the title, going 3-0-1 for the weekend. The GBC Prospects had a nice weekend as well, finishing 2-1-1 overall and reaching the finals after scoring a win over #14 NC Young Guns in the semifinals and a tie against the Summerfield Stars in pool play.
13u
In Charlotte, Forbes Baseball Academy, on of the top teams from Virginia, posted an outstanding performance, going 4-0 overall and outscoring opponents a combined 42-10 across 4 games. This was punctuated by a 9-2 win over an excellent Red Clay Athletics team in the finals.