Its another big USSSA Super NIT weekend in the Southeast this weekend, with teams descending on Lexington, South Carolina to try and earn their spot in the USSSA Demarini Elite World Series later this summer. Dozens of ranked teams from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, as well as some of the top teams from Georgia and Tennessee will be in action this weekend and it should be another exciting weekend. Here we preview the weekend's Majors division games, and give our predictions for potential tournament champions.
8u
11 teams from South Carolina and 1 team from North Carolina will compete in the 8u Open division this weekend in Lexington, South Carolina. 5 of our top 6 in South Carolina as well as the #13 team in North Carolina will be compete this weekend. Lugnuts Blue will be the lone representative from North Carolina in the 8u age group, and they'll take on SCBA Sandlot and SC #3 South Carolina Chaos in pool play. The Chaos will face Gameday Shockwave in their other pool play game on Saturday. SC #1 Local Boys are set to take on SC #5 Blythewood Bombers and #2 Coastal Bombers in pool play. Blythewood will take on the Carolina Braves and the Coastal Bombers will face Gameday Shockwave in their other pool play games. SC #6 Yellow Jackets will face the Carolina Braves and the Young Guns in their pool play games on Saturday.
This weekend should help sort things in the 8u age group in South Carolina, an age group that we don't feel we have a great handle on currently. The Local Boys, who are from Lexington, South Carolina, look to be the favorite heading into this event, and they'll bring in an overall record of 29-4 including a 10-1 spring record into this Super NIT. The Blythewood Bombers, who gave the Local Boys one of their 4 overall losses, could also look to contend this weekend. The Coastal Bombers, who are 10-3 this spring, should also make some noise this weekend, but they'll be facing some of the best competition they have seen this weekend. In the end, we like the Local Boys to get the title in the 8u division this weekend.
Predicted Champion: Local Boys (SC)
9u
3 of the top 5 teams in South Carolina will participate in the 8-team 9u Majors division this weekend in Lexington. #2 Talon Blue, who is 15-0 this spring, will take on SC #4 G-town Pirates and SC #5 Greenville Titans in their two pool play games this weekend. The Pirates and the Titans will both face Team Halo (GA) in their other pool play games. Dingers Athletics - Locke (GA), who went 3-1 at the Beast of the East, will take on NC Coastal Region #5 Leland Lugnuts and the Upstate Young Guns (SC) in their pool play games. The Lugnuts will also face the MCBA Mariners (GA) in pool play.
It's hard to go against Talon Blue in this one. They are 15-0 this spring, with wins over two ranked teams, but haven't faced the consistent competition level they should see this weekend. We'll get a good feel for Talon Blue's potential with their pool play games, as they face some great competition right off the bat.
Predicted Champion: Talon Blue (SC)
10u
6 teams from South Carolina, 6 from Georgia, and 1 from Virginia make up the 10u Majors division this weekend in Lexington. Leading the way will be 4 of the top 10 teams in South Carolina as well as the top team in Virginia, and a handful of great teams from Georgia. Virginia #1 Stars Baseball - Colangelo will take on an excellent East Cobb Astros team in game 1 of pool play, and follow that up with a game against Team Atlantic (GA) in their other pool play game. SC #2 Grey Sox is set to take on SC #5 Gameday Shockwave and Showcase Baseball - Parker (GA) in their pool play games. The Shockwave got no breaks in their pool play schedule and will face SC #SCBA Pirates - Red in their other pool play. The Pirates are set to take on Showcase Baseball Parker in their other pool play game.
The Stars should be one of the favorites this weekend, but are relatively untested thus far this spring, posting a 5-0 record this spring, on the heels of a 16-3 record this past fall. We'd expect to see the East Cobb Astros compete for the title this weekend as well. The SCBA Pirates - Red will put their 27-2 overall record (only 1 loss against 10u competition) on the line this weekend, and this should be some of the best collective competition they have faced. The Grey Sox, who are 9-2 this spring and 31-4-1 overall, should also be one of the top teams in Lexington this weekend.
Predicted Champion: Stars Baseball - Colangelo (VA)
11u
9 teams from North Carolina, including our top 6 teams and 8 of our top 13, 5 of the top 10 teams from South Carolina, as well as one of the top teams from Tennessee (Crusaders Baseball), and 2 teams from Georgia (Augusta Reds and Southern Nationals) will be in action in the 11u age group this weekend in Lexington. Our #1 team in NC, the SBA Futures, are coming off a tournament win at the Beast of the East Super NIT and look to be one of the favorites this weekend. They'll start their weekend against SC #6 Greenville Titans and the Augusta Reds in pool play. The Titans will face SC #1 Charleston Revolution - Whittle in their other pool play game on Saturday. The Revolution, who should also be one of the favorites this weekend, will take on the Southern Nationals (GA) in their other pool play game. NC #2 Canes Baseball NC - Foster will look to put it together this weekend and will go against the Carolina Havoc and NC #10 Canes Baseball NC - Naylor in their pool play games. Canes - Naylor will take on SC #2 East Coast Snipers - Clark/Hill. This will be the third match up this spring between the Snipers and Canes - Naylor, with the Snipers having taken the previous two contests. The Snipers will go against the Carolina Havoc in their other pool play game. NC #3 Dirtbags Black, who have been one of the better teams in NC this spring, will take on NC #5 Rawlings Prospects NC, in what should be a great game, as well as NC #13 Athlete's Advantage Yard Goats. The Prospects will face SC #8 Predators NE and the Yard Goats will face SC #4 PRO Select in their other pool play games. PRO Select will take on NC #4 Dirtbags East and Predators NE will face the Southern Nationals in their other pool play games. Dirtbags East will take on NC #6 Canes Baseball NC - Slaydon in their other pool play game on Saturday. Canes - Slaydon is scheduled to go against Crusaders Baseball (TN) in their other pool play game.
This is an absolutely loaded division, with most of the very best teams in both North and South Carolina in the field. SBA Futures certainly look like the favorite heading into this event, given their performance at the Beast of the East, however this really could be anyone's event. We definitely would not count out Canes - Foster or the Charleston Revolution this weekend, as they both appear close to putting it all together for a weekend. Dirtbags Black should be another team to watch out for this weekend, as they already boast a win over the SBA Futures this spring. In the end, however, it's hard to pick against the Futures this weekend.
Predicted Champion: SBA Futures
12u
The 12u majors division will be a highly competitive 9-team division this weekend. 3 of our top 6 teams in South Carolina as well as the #2, 4 and 7 teams in North Carolina will be in action in Lexington this weekend. NC #2 Canes Baseball NC - Simpson is just now ramping up their spring schedule, and they have been nothing short of outstanding thus far. They'll take on SC #3 Talon Baseball, in what should be an absolutely great game, and the Braves (SC) in pool play. Talon will face SC #6 Wolfpack Baseball, who boast an overall USSSA record of 20-3, in their other pool play game. The Wolfpack are set to take on NC #7 Rock Solid Red in their other pool play. Rock Solid will face the Braves in their other pool play game. NC #4 Dirtbags Legends will go against SC #1 St. Andrew's Rocks, in what should be one of the best games of the weekend, as well as CBC Baseball Club. The Rocks will take on one of the best teams in Tennessee, Dirtbags National Prospects, in their other pool play game. Dirtbags National Prospects will go against CBC in their other pool play game.
This is a tough division to call as their are several extremely competitive teams in action this weekend. Canes Baseball NC - Simpson are 7-0 this spring, and have given up a total of 5 runs (!) in those 7 games. But two of the teams who beat them in the fall, Dirtbags Legends and Talon Baseball, are in this field and should be a stiff test for the Canes this weekend. St. Andrew's Rocks have been perhaps the best team in SC this spring, and Dirtbags National Prospects are coming off a finals appearance at the Beast of the East. We're going to go with the Canes in this one however, as they'll look to make the decision over who's the #1 12u team in North Carolina extremely difficult.
Predicted Champion: Canes Baseball NC - Simpson
13u
11 teams, including 3 of the top 5 teams in North Carolina and 2 of the top 3 teams in South Carolina will be in action in the 13u Majors division in Lexington this weekend. NC #1 Canes Baseball Eastern NC has been dominate this spring, going 11-0 including a tournament win at the Beast of the East. They'll take on the S.C. Warhawks and the Renegades (SC) in their two pool play games on Saturday. NC #3 Dirtbags TBM has been really impressive this spring as well. They are scheduled to go against Southeast Baseball Academy and SC #3 Team 24 Gamecocks - Brown in pool play. The Gamecocks will face NSA Blue in their other pool play game on Saturday. NC #5 Carolina Rockies - Wilson will face Rawlings Stars Select (SC) and the Renegades in their pool play games. SC #1 Canes Baseball SCBA, who fell 10-5 against Canes Baseball Eastern NC at the Beast of the East, will take on the S.C. Warhawks and Rawlings Stars Select in their two pool play games on Saturday.
Canes Baseball Eastern NC are the prohibitive favorite this weekend, and have been the best team in the Southeast this spring, although its still quite early in the 13u season. They'll look for a 2nd USSSA Super NIT crown this weekend. Dirtbags TBM and the Carolina Rockies are both capable of beating the Canes, but it looks to be a tall order for either heading into the weekend. Canes Baseball SCBA should also make some noise this weekend, but it's not clear they'll have what it takes to unseat Canes Baseball Eastern NC this weekend.
Predicted Champion: Canes Baseball Eastern NC