USSSA Beast of the East Preview Fall 2019

45 ranked teams from North Carolina, 6 ranked teams from South Carolina, as well as teams from Gerogia, Ohio, and Florida will compete this weekend at one of the biggest events in North Carolina this fall season. The USSSA Fall Beast of the East (BoE) is always one of the best events of the fall season, and this weekend should be no different. Here we preview the weekend ahead in Charlotte.

8u

8 teams, including 5 of our top 10 teams in North Carolina as well as our #2 team in South Carolina will be in the BoE field in Charlotte this weekend. Our #2 team, GBC Prospects and our #6 team, CBA Copperheads Black, will both take on SC #2 Carolina Reds and #4 SBA Futures in their pool play games. Our #3 team in NC, Five Star Carolina is matched up against Dirtbags LKN and the South Charlotte Cardinals in their pool play games. Our #9 team in NC, the Asheville A's, are set to take on Dirtbags LKN and the South Charlotte Cardinals in their pool play games on Saturday. As we have mentioned previously, predicting games in the fall of the 8u season is difficult business as most of these teams are getting exposed to different levels of competition for the first time. The Reds already have wins over the SBA Futures and the Asheville A's this fall, but the GBC Prospects have played about as well as anyone with two wins over Five Star Carolina and a win over #1 West Raleigh Blue. We think those big wins give the Prospects the edge this weekend.

Predicted champion: GBC Prospects

 

9u

6 teams ranked in our top 20 in NC will be in the 9-team Majors field in the 9u age group. This includes #1 East Rowan who will face #11 GRIT and #16 Equip Sports Ministry in their pool play games. GRIT will face Union County Crush - Roadcap and Equip will take on the SBA Nationals in their other pool play games. #9 South Charlotte will take on #15 MARA Cobras and Tomberlin Academy in their pool play games. MARA will face #14 Dirtbags LKN in their other pool play game, and the Dirtbags will face Tomberlin in their other game. East Rowan appears to us to be the top team in this age group and we expect them to take home the BoE title this weekend. There may be some fatigue from playing last weekend at the Top Gun WWS, but we'd expect East Rowan to get the championship this weekend.

Predicted champion: East Rowan

 

10u

5 of our top 20 teams in North Carolina and our #10 team in South Carolina will compete in the 11-team 10u Majors division this weekend. In addition, 17-4 Habana Baseball (FL) and the 6-2 Next Level Prospects (GA) will make the trip up seeking a Super NIT title. #2 Dirtbags Black is set to take on the SBA Nationals and the LKN Lightning in their pool play games, while #3 Triple Crown Lookouts will go against #13 East Rowan and #8 NCABC Fungo - Piscorik in pool play. Both Fungo and East Rowan will go against #10 LBC Swarm in their other pool play games. The Lookouts have been one of the more dominant teams in North Carolina this fall, posting an 18-0 record thus far with only 1 game being decided by less than 4 runs. That being said, this will be their stiffest challenge to date, with Dirtbags Black, Habana Baseball and Next Level all with significant experience against some of the best teams in the Southeast. Until some one beats the Lookouts, we'll go with them as our favorite.

Predicted champion: Triple Crown Lookouts

 

 

11u
#1 SBA Futures will have their work cut out for them this weekend in the 11u age group with many top contenders in the field.

In what might be the best overall division at the BoE, 8 our top 10 teams in North Carolina as well as the top team in South Carolina will face off in this 11-team division. The #1 team in NC, the SBA Futures, will start their weekend with games against the Union County Crush and #8 Rock Solid Red, while 15-2 #2 Park Sharon Nationals - Pirro will be up against Park Sharon Nationals - Garcia and #4 West Raleigh Blue, who defeated them earlier this fall, in pool play. #3 SBA Nationals will be up against #5 Five Star Carolina - Jones and Team 24 Gamecocks - Ashley in two huge pool play games. Five Star - Jones will take on #6 Carolina Blue Trifecta in their other pool play game, while Carolina Blue will go against Team 24 - Ashley in their other pool play game. The SBA Futures have been the dominant team in this age group for several years, but this will be their biggest test to retain their supremacy in the state. Park Sharon Nationals - Pirro, the SBA Nationals, and Team 24 Gamecocks - Ashley all look to have a shot, but we'll go with our #1 team, the Futures, to win the title this weekend.

Predicted champion: SBA Futures

 

12u

18 teams, including 12 of our top 20 teams in North Carolina and 3 of our top 10 teams in South Carolina. The top ranked teams avoided some of the landmines in this division but will both have some work to do beginning Friday night, with #1 Rawlings Prospects NC and #2 Canes Baseball NC - Foster both going against #8 CBA Copperheads Red and Ohio Valley Baseball Club. #4 SBA Futures will go against SC #7 Team 24 Gamecocks - Bailey and #19 Equip Sports Ministry, while #5 NCDB Rivercats, #11 CBA Copperheads Black, and #20 Rock Solid Red will each face oof against one another in pool play. #6 Mission Vipers Gold will go against Team 24 - Ashley and Equip in their pool play games, while #7 Dirtbags East, #14 NCDB Rivercats 12u, and SC #2 Charleston Revolution - Whittle will face off against one another in their pool play games. #9 MPC will be up against the SBA Nationals and the MARA Cobras in their two pool play games. The Prospects are 18-2 this fall with wins over the #2, #4 (x2), #5, #6, #7 (x2), #11, and #20 teams in our NC top 20. That's as impressive as it gets and they are the favorite heading into this one. Canes - Foster will look to get revenge on the Prospects after the Prospects defeated them at the Jay Criscione Super NIT earlier this fall. We also expect the SBA Futures to make some noise this weekend, but it will be a tall order to win 4 games on Sunday in this loaded field.

Predicted champion: Rawlings Prospects NC

 

13u
Will #2 Canes Baseball NC - Simpson take home their second big title of the fall season?

16 teams, all from North Carolina, will compete in the 13u Majors division in Charlotte this weekend. This includes 9 of our top 20 teams and 5 of the top 10. #2 Canes Baseball NC - Simpson is coming off a win at the Top Gun WWS this past weekend. They'll take on #17 Team Elite American and SBA Patriots Black in pool play. #3 Canes Baseball Eastern NC in set to take on the Carolina Astros and #13 Five Star Carolina - Neyra in pool play, while #4 Five Star Carolina Champions and #6 Mission Vipers Gold will both face SBA Patriots Black and #11 Carolina Rockies Gold in pool play. #8 Dirtbags Legends will start pool play Friday with CBA Copperheads Black before facing #12 LKN Hurricanes on Saturday in pool play. The Hurricanes will also take on TPA Nationals - Zuber in pool play. This is another division where a handful of teams will have a shot at the title. Both Canes - Simpson and Canes Eastern NC could leave Charlotte as champions on Sunday, and we think the title last week at the Top Gun WWS will only help Canes - Simpson this week. Also, don't be surprised to see Mission Vipers Gold bounce back with a good weekend after a disappointing showing at the Perfect Game Super 25 Qualifier a few weeks ago.

Predicted champion: Canes Baseball NC - Simpson