28 top 10 ten and 37 top 20 teams will head to Charlotte this weekend to take on some of the best teams in the Southeast at the USSSA Fall Beast of the East (BoE) in what is annually one of the best tournaments of the fall season. The #1 teams in our 9u (Dirtbags Black), 10u (Park Sharon Nationals), 11u (SBA Premier), and 12u (Canes Baseball NC - Hood) will be in action in their respective age groups. In addition, in what is without a doubt the best 12u field of the season, everyone of our top 10 teams and 11 of our top 12 teams will all be take the field this weekend. This looks to be a great weekend in Charlotte, so hopefully the rain holds off. Here we highlight some of the big games this weekend and even try and make some predictions about potential champions (for fun).
8u
4 teams, including 3 from North Carolina, will face off in the 8u age group this weekend at the BoE. The MARA Mud Dawgs will take on Union County Crush - Bennett and Union County Crush - Roadcap in their two pool play games. The Carolina Reds (SC) will take on both Union County Crush teams in their two pool play games as well.
Champion Prediction: Union County Crush - Bennett
9u
There are 11 teams in the 9u field this weekend, including 9 from North Carolina. Among the 9 NC teams, our top 3 teams as well as #'s 8, 9, 12, and 17 in our top 20 will all take their shot at the BoE title. #1 Dirtbags Black, currently 17-0 this fall and fresh off a title at the Top Gun Winter World Series, will face off against Ultimate Performance and the 13-3 G-town Pirates (SC). #2 SBA Premier is scheduled to go against the Venom Stars and the Upstate Young Guns (SC) in their two pool play games. SBA Premier is currently 12-5 this fall, with 4 of their 5 losses coming against 10u competition. Our #3 LBC Vipers will also be in the 9u field in Charlotte this weekend. Similar to SBA Premier, they'll face the Venom Stars and the Upstate Young Guns in their two pool play games. The Vipers come into the BoE with a 17-4 record this fall with all 4 losses coming against top 10 teams (2 vs. SBA Premier and 2 vs. #8 Triple Crown Lookouts). #8 Triple Crown Lookouts will look to bounce back from a 1-3 run at the Top Gun WWS this past weekend. They'll have their change to make a statement with pool play games against #9 East Rowan and #12 Union County Crush - Gadd. East Rowan will also look to bounce back from a 1-3 showing at the Top Gun WWS, and will take on Union County Crush - Gadd, who brings a 12-7-1 fall record into the BoE. #17 South Charlotte will take on Ultimate Performance and the G-town Pirates in their two pool play games.
Champion Prediction: Dirtbags Black
10u
9 teams will face off the 10u Majors division this weekend at the BoE in Charlotte. Among those 9 teams are 6 from North Carolina, 1 from Georgia, 1 from Tennessee, and 1 from South Carolina. 6 of our top 12 (#1, 2, 6, 8, 9, and 12) will be in this field. #1 Park Sharon Nationals, who may very well be one of the top teams in the entire country, will bring their 15-2 fall record (both losses against 11u competition) in the BoE and take on #8 Carolina Blue Mizuno and #12 Carolina Red Sox - Jones in their pool play games. Carolina Blue Mizuno will take on #9 SBA Premier - Pitts, who they defeated 4-2 at the Ripken Baseball Big Elk Tournament last weekend, in their other pool play game. Carolina Red Sox - Jones will face one of the top teams in South Carolina in Team 24 Gamecocks - Ashley (SC), who are 25-2 this fall. SBA - Pitts will also take on Team 24 - Ashley in pool play. #2 SBA Premier - Simmons, who are 10-4-1 this fall, will take on #6 Dirtbags Black in an exciting inter-regional NC match up, and the Remix CrownBreakers (GA). The Dirtbags will face the Knoxville Stars in their other pool play game. The Stars are one of the best teams in Tennessee and come into this event with a 23-5 record in USSSA in play, but with only one loss against 10u competition.
Champion Prediction: Park Sharon Nationals
11u
18 teams including 4 of our top 10 and 5 of our top 20 NC teams, as well as teams from South Carolina (4), Georgia (2), and Tennessee (1) make up the 11u BoE field in Charlotte. At first glance, the 12-6 record of #1 SBA Premier might seem a bit underwhelming for a top-ranked team. Further inspection, however, shows they only have 1 loss against 11u competition this fall (FCA BlueClaws - Hannah [FL]). They'll take on The Club Red (GA) and the White Pines Flycatchers in their two pool play games. Like SBA Premier, #2 TPA Nationals have spent the majority of their fall season competing against 12u competition. They're 9-2 this fall and will take on Mission Vipers Gold and PRO Select (SC). Vipers Gold are 9-6 this fall and coming off a 1-3 weekend at the Top Gun WWS, while PRO Select is 6-2 this fall including a win over #3 West Raleigh Blue. #4 Dirtbags Black, who are 14-6-2 this fall, will take on the Jets and Team 24 Gamecocks - Bailey (SC), who are 9-2 this fall. #9 GRIT - Koonin will bring a 6-3 record into the BoE. They'll face the Jets and #12 Carolina Havoc in their two pool play games. The 9-4-1 Havoc will face Team 24 - Bailey in their other pool play game.
Champion Prediction: TPA Nationals
12u
In a first for us, our entire top 10 and 11 of our top 12 will be a part of this huge 22-team Majors field in Charlotte this weekend. #1 Canes Baseball NC - Hood are 8-1 this fall including wins over #2 SBA - Premier, #4 Mission Vipers Gold, and #6 Five Star Carolina - Neyra. They'll take on 14-3 #10 SBA Canes - Erwin and Dirtbags Prospects National (TN). Dirtbags Prospects National are 22-1 this fall and currently the #1 ranked AAA team in the USSSA National Points Rankings (49th in power rating). SBA - Erwin will take on 5-3-1 Five Star Carolina - Neyra in their other pool play. Five Star - Neyra is scheduled to take on the Carolina Blue Sox on Friday night in their other pool play game. Our #2 team, SBA Premier, brings a 15-5 record into the BoE. They'll face the Braves and The Club Red (GA) in their two pool play games. #3 Dirtbags Charlotte are 19-6 this fall and will take on the Weddington Warriors and CBA Copperheads - Russ in pool play. Mission Vipers Gold will put their 12-3 fall record on the line against the Park Sharon Nationals and Showcase Baseball - Arnold (GA) in pool play. #5 Canes Baseball NC - Simpson is 9-5 this fall and will take on Ultimate Performance Red and The Club Red in their two pool play games. 10-2 #7 NCDB Rivercats will face their toughest competition of the fall this weekend at the BoE. They'll go against Mission Vipers Black and #12 Big Game 2025, who they defeated earlier this fall, in their two pool play games. Big Game will take on Team VA in their other pool play game. #8 LBC Attack will look to prove they belong among the top teams in North Carolina this weekend and will face the Weddington Warriors and Copperheads - Russ in pool play. #9 Kernersville Bulldogs haven't been as active as some other teams, but an 8-0-1 record including a win over Big Game 2025 has them ready to make a big impression this weekend. They will take on Ultimate Performance Red and Showcase Baseball - Arnold in their two pool play games.
Champion Prediction: Dirtbags Charlotte
13u
15 teams, including 4 of our top 10 and 8 of our top 20 teams, make up an outstanding 13u Majors division in Charlotte for the BoE. #2 Canes Baseball Eastern NC is 11-6 this fall (only 2 losses against 13u competition) will take on TPA Nationals - Foster and the 8-3 #10 Dirtbags Nationals in pool play. Dirtbags Nationals will also face Upward Stars Showcase (SC) in pool play this weekend. #4 Dirtbags TBM are 10-4 this fall and will match up against TPA Nationals - Batts and #7 NCDB Rivercats, who are 11-5 this fall. The Rivercats will face TPA Nationals - Batts in their other pool play game. 16-9 #12 Canes Baseball Charlotte - Wearing will take on #13 Golden Spikes and #18 Ultimate Performance Red in their two pool play games. Golden Spikes will face their stiffest competition of the fall this weekend and will take on Canes SC in their other pool play game this weekend. Ultimate Performance will also take on Canes SC in their other pool play game. #14 SBA Premier will look to make a statement this weekend and will go against the Carolina Vipers and Team 24 Gamecocks - Brown (SC) in their two pool play games.
Champion Prediction: Canes Baseball Eastern NC