USSSA Beast of the East Preview April 2019

This is it. Perhaps the biggest youth baseball event in North Carolina is here. 233 teams across 6 age groups (8u to 13u) will compete at the USSSA Beast of the East (BoE) this weekend in and around the Charlotte area. Many of the very best teams from North Carolina will be in action, including the #1 and #2 North Carolina teams in 5 out of 6 age groups. In total, there will be 54 ranked teams from North Carolina and 9 ranked teams from South Carolina competing in the Majors divisions this weekend, as well as multiple teams ranked in Perfect Game's National top 100s. In short, there may not be a better overall field in North Carolina this year. Here we preview some of the best match ups of the weekend and make some predictions about who may come out on top.

8u

This will be the best 8u field in North Carolina in the early spring season thus far. 13 teams will be in action, including 6 of our top 10 teams (#1, 2, 5, 6, 7, & 9). #1 East Rowan will face off against the Carolina Reds (SC) and the Charlotte Metro Region #5 MARA Mud Dawgs in pool play. #2 Dirtbags Black will face off against #9 Lugnuts Blue and the WCWAA Waves in their pool play games. The Lugnuts are set to take on the South Charlotte Cardinals in their other pool play game. #5 McDowell Titans will put their outstanding 23-1 overall record on the line against perhaps the best competition they have faced as an 8u squad. They'll face the Carolina Reds and the MARA Mud Dawgs in their pool play games on Saturday. Both #6 SBA Futures and #7 Dry Pond are set to go against Union County Crush - Roadcap and Equip in their pool play games. Interestingly, there are only a few match ups of our ranked teams in pool play, however this is an age group where it appears there is still a lot to sort out with regard who the top teams are.

East Rowan has been the top dog in the 8u age group since the fall, but the gap behind them is not as large as it is in other age groups. They also haven't been as active this spring as other teams, which may put them slightly behind at this time. We think that will make them susceptible to an upset, but would not be surprised to see them come out on top. Dirtbags Black is 8-0 already this spring and appears to us to be ready to take their shot at the top teams around.

Predicted champion: Dirtbags Black

9u

13 teams will compete in the 9u Majors division this weekend in Charlotte. Among these will be teams ranked #1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, and 16 in our North Carolina top 20, as well as #1 and #8 in our South Carolina top 10. NC #1 SBA Futures will face off against SC #8 Titans Baseball and the Upstate Reds (SC) in pool play. #2 Dirtbags Black is scheduled to take on #4 HPT HiToms and SC #1 Team 24 Gamecocks - Clayton. The HiToms and Team 24 will both take on NC #6 Triple Crown Lookouts in their other pool play games on Saturday. The Lookouts will meet up with Team 24 - Clayton in their other pool play game. NC #3 LBC Vipers will face #8 Five Star Carolina - Young and #10 Ultimate Performance Black Sox in pool play. Five Star - Young will take on #16 Union County Crush - Gadd in their other pool play game, while Ultimate Performance will face Motor City Hit Dogs - Hammond (MI) in their other pool play game. Crush - Gadd and Motor City will face one another in their other pool play games.

The SBA Futures have separated themselves slightly in the 9u age group. They haven't lost to anyone in their own age group since September 2018. They are the favorite this weekend, but they'll have their work cut out for them with 5 of the top 6 North Carolina teams and 7 of the top 10 in the field. In addition, teams such as the 11-1 Motor City Hit Dogs, who are coming from Michigan, are not driving all the way to Charlotte to hand the Futures the 9u title. In the end, we'll go with the Futures to continue to be the class of the 9u age group and punch their ticket to the Demarini Elite World Series this weekend.

Predicted champion: SBA Futures

 

 

10u
Will 10u #1 SBA Futures add another Super NIT title to their trophy room this weekend?

Like the 8u and 9u age groups, this will be the best 10u field of the early spring season in North Carolina. Within North Carolina, 6 of North Carolina's top 7 and 8 of the top 12 10u teams (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, & 12) as well as the #1 and #5 teams in South Carolina and perhaps the best teams from Michigan and Tennessee. NC and national #1 SBA Futures will face off against NC #3 Park Sharon Nationals, in what should be a great game, as well as #11 LBC Thunder. The Nationals will take on #6 SBA Americans and the Thunder will face SC #5 Gameday Shockwave in their other pool play games. The Americans will also go head-to-head with Gameday Shockwave in pool play. #2 SBA Nationals will go against Mission Vipers - Reyer and CBA Copperheads - Sigler in their two pool play games. #5 Carolina Blue are scheduled to take on #12 Carolina Rockies Black and the Motor City Hit Dogs, who are ranked #2 in Perfect Game's National preseason top 100 10u teams. The Rockies will take on SC #1 Team 24 Gamecocks - Ashley in their other pool play game. Team 24 - Ashley are matched up against NC #7 Carolina Red Sox - Jones in their other pool play game on Saturday, while the Red Sox will face the Hit Dogs in their other pool play game.

Who else in the 10u age group would be the favorite besides the SBA Futures? These guys are fresh off a title at the Atlanta Spring Super NIT and are living up to the billing as the top team in country. The #2 team, the Motor City Hit Dogs, will be in town this weekend to challenge the Futures, but are only 3 weeks removed from a 7-3 win over the Hit Dogs. Should be noted, however, that the Futures were down 3-1 through 3 innings in that game, before they blew it open with 6 runs in the 4th. Nevertheless, we're sticking with the Futures until someone beats them.

Predicted champion: SBA Futures

11u

The 11u Majors division features 28 teams including 11 of our current top 20 teams in North Carolina, 4 of our top 10 teams in South Carolina, and the 41st ranked team in Perfect Game's preseason national top 100 11u teams. NC #1 Canes Baseball NC - Foster are scheduled to face the Carolina Reds (SC) and NC #6 Canes Baseball NC - Slaydon in pool play on Saturday. Canes - Slaydon will take on #3 Dirtbags Black in their other pool play game, while Dirtbags Black will match up against the Carolina Reds. #2 SBA Futures will take on RBI Marvel (TN) and Equip in their two pool play games. #4 Rawlings Prospects NC are set to take on the Motor City Hit Dogs (MI) and #8 Canes Baseball NC - Naylor in pool play. Canes - Naylor will face #12 Athlete's Advantage Yard Goats in their other pool play game, while the Yard Goats will face the Hit Dogs in their other pool play game. #5 Dirtbags East will put their 39-9 overall 11u record on the line this weekend as they take on the MARA Cobras and Mission Vipers Gold in pool play. #11 SBA Nationals will go up against SC #4 PRO Select and SC #1 Charleston Revolution - Whittle in their pool play games. The Revolution and PRO Select are both scheduled to go up against SC #9 Team 24 Gamecocks - Bailey in their other pool play games. NC #20 Area Stars Orange will have a chance to make a statement against some of the best competition they have gone against as they start with Mission Vipers Gold and the MARA Cobras in pool play.

This appears to us to be one of the more competitive divisions this weekend. We have Canes - Foster as our #1 team, however the gap between them and #2 SBA Futures is small, and teams such as #3 Dirtbags Black, who recently defeated the Futures, appear to be closing the gap. This one may come down to pitching depth on Sunday, and our money is on the Canes to be the team that wins out in this scenario. Don't be surprised to see the Charleston Revolution make a run on Sunday, as they appear to be getting better and better and can rightfully call themselves one of the best teams in the Southeast this year.

Predicted champion: Canes Baseball NC - Foster

 

 

12u

24 teams, including 12 of the top 20 teams in North Carolina (#2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, & 17) as well as the #6 team in Perfect Game's 12u National Preseason top 100, will take the field this weekend in Charlotte at the Beast of the East. #2 SBA Futures will take on SBA West - Gooders and #16 Carolina Astros. The Astros will also go up against #3 Dirtbags Legends in pool play. The Legends will take on SBA West - Gooders in their other pool play game on Saturday. #4 Mission Vipers Gold is set to face off against Team VA and #12 Rock Solid Red in pool play on Saturday. Rock Solid Red is scheduled to take on the Braves in their other pool play game. #5 Five Star Carolina - Neyra had one of the tougher pool play draws, going up against #6 Canes Baseball NC - Hood and #7 NCDB Rivercats in pool play. #11 Big Game 2025 received the same draw as Five Star - Neyra and will go against Canes - Hood and NCDB in pool play. #8 Kernersville Bulldogs will go against Dirtbags Camo (VA) and the 38-6 Dirtbags National Prospects (TN) in their two pool play games. #10 LBC Attack will also take on Dirtbags Camp and Dirtbags National Prospects in pool play. #17 Carolina Blue Sox will face Rawlings Stars NC Prospects 2025 and WNC Five Star in pool play.

No Canes Baseball NC - Simpson this weekend, but 8 of the remaining top 10 teams and 10 of the top 12 will be in Charlotte this weekend. Like the 11u division, the gap between the first 5-6 teams in this age group is not particularly large and it means this field is wide open this weekend. Dirtbags Legends made an impressive run to the finals this spring at the Atlanta Spring Super NIT, and we feel that gives them a bit of an advantage heading into this weekend. It also shows they've got the pitching to make a deep run on Sunday. For that reason, we'll go with the Legends in what should be a wide open division.

Predicted champion: Dirtbags Legends

13u

The 13u Majors division will feature 15 teams, including 8 of our top 10 and 9 of our top 20 North Carolina teams (#1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, & 14), as well as the #4 team in South Carolina, and the #2 team in Perfect Game's 13u National Top 100. Freshly minted #1 Canes Baseball Eastern NC will go against the NCDB Rivercats and #9 TPA Nationals - Christman in pool play. The TPA Nationals will go against #3 Dirtbags TBM in their other pool play game, while Dirtbags TBM will match up against NCDB in their other pool play game. #2 Dirtbags MVP will look to make their first big statement of the spring as they take on NC #6 Sanford Cobras and SC #4 Team 24 Gamecocks - Brown. The Cobras will go against #14 SBA Americans in pool play, while the SBA Americans will go against Team 24 - Brown in pool play. #5 Carolina Rockies - Wilson will take on the Carolina Stars and #8 Five Star Carolina - Smith in pool play. Five Star - Smith will take on #7 Team Elite American in their other pool play game, while Team Elite is scheduled to face off against the Carolina Stars in their other pool play game.

There are really two teams, #1 Canes Baseball Eastern NC and #2 Dirtbags MVP, which appear to have separated themselves in this age group. The Dirtbags haven't been at full strength yet this spring and recently got run by #3 Dirtbags TBM, who could also make a run at the title this weekend. The Canes, meanwhile, appear to be as dominate as ever in the early spring season. All that could mean Dirtbags MVP is in trouble heading into this weekend, however these guys have this event more than anyone else over the years and have to be considered one of the favorites heading into it. The Motor City Hit Dogs will be another team to watch out for as they posted a 51-4 record last year and are ranked as Perfect Game's #2 13u team in the nation. For us, we're going with the home team this weekend in Dirtbags MVP to take the 13u title.

Predicted Champion: Dirtbags MVP