There will be two big events ongoing in North Carolina, and both will take place in the Charlotte area. The Perfect Game Coastal Super Regional NIT and the USSSA Queen City Select Super NIT will have teams from all over flocking Charlotte this weekend. The schedules are out, and some last-minute shuffling has made for some intriguing potential matchups this weekend. Here we preview both events and give a rundown of where the top teams will be playing this upcoming weekend.
8u
There will not be an 8u division at the Perfect Game Coastal event this weekend, however 10 8u teams are currently signed up for the USSSA Queen City Select Super NIT. This will be the best 8u field of the early spring 2021 season with #1 SBA Futures, #2 MARA Fury, #3 Area Stars Orange, as well as perhaps the best team in South Carolina, Complete Game Elite, all in the field. The highlight of pool play with be the MARA Fury taking on the Area Stars.
Predicted champion: SBA Futures
9u
There will not be a 9u division at the Perfect Game Coastal event this weekend, however 15 9u teams are currently signed up for the USSSA Queen City Select Super NIT. The USSSA field is highlighted by 9 ranked teams in NC including #1 Mission Baseball Mavericks, #2 SBA Futures, #3 Asheville A's, #4 Area Stars Orange, #6 SBA Rowan, #9 GBC Prospects, #11 5 Star Carolina Elite, #14 Carolina Clippers, and #16 Union County Crush - Ridings. Several of South Carolina's best teams including Dirtbags Carolina (formerly the Carolina Reds), Complete Game Elite, and Jr Mavz Select will also be in action this weekend. Some of the marquee pool play games on Saturday include a matchup of the Asheville A's and Dirtbags Carolina, the Asheville A's and SBA Rowan, Mission Mavericks and 5 Star Carolina Elite, as well as Area Stars Orange and the Carolina Clippers.
Predicted champion: Dirtbags Carolina
10u
The 10u field at the Perfect Game Coastal event features 14 teams, 8 of whom are ranked in North Carolina, including #1 SBA Futures, #2 Carolina Cardinals, #7 MARA Cobras, #8 Mission Baseball - Smith, #12 Dirtbags Coastal, #13 5 Star Carolina - Ricks, #14 5 Star Carolina - Secrist. Our national #3 Line Drive Black (GA) and #7 RBI RedStitch (TN), as well as South Carolina's #2 team, Dirtbags Prime, will also be in this field this weekend. Teams will be divided into 4 pools, with 5 Star - Mullins, the Carolina Cardinals, and Dirtbags Coastal in pool A, Mission - Smith, Canes - Pirro, and Line Drive Black in pool B, Line Drive - Calahan, Dirtbags Prime, the SBA Futures, and 5 Star - Ricks in pool C, and 5 Star - Secrist, Team 24 Gamecocks Black - Ardis, MARA Cobras, and RBI RedStitch in pool D. 10 of the 14 teams will make it into the gold bracket, however teams will look to stay in the top 6 seeds, as teams seeded 7-10 will need to win 4 games in bracket play to take home the title.
Predicted champion: Line Drive Black
The field at the USSSA Queen City Select Super NIT features 11 teams, including 5 teams ranked in North Carolina. The field is headlined by NC #3 SBA Nationals, #5 SBA Rowan Prospects, #6 Carolina Revolution, #11 Park Sharon Nationals, and #21 Dry Pond Black. In addition, one of Tennessee's best teams, Crusaders Baseball, will be in the field this weekend. Some of the most anticipated games in pool play include games between SBA Rowan Prospects and Park Sharon Nationals, as well as games between the Crusaders, Dry Pond Black, and the Carolina Revolution.
Predicted champion: SBA Nationals
11u
20 teams will face off in the Perfect Game Coastal event this weekend in Charlotte. 8 of our top 10 teams in North Carolina will be represented, including #1 Dirtbags Black, #2 SBA Futures, #4 Rawlings Prospects NC National, #6 Canes Baseball NC - Pirro, #7 5 Star Carolina - Neyra, #8 NCDB Rivercats Sandlot, #9 Carolina Rockies - Sullivan, and #10 5 Star Carolina Shockers. In addition, #16 5 Star Heat - Gardiner and #24 Outlaws Baseball will also be in the field. Nationally, our #4 team, the Next Level Prospects (GA), and #7 Motor City Hit Dogs - Hammond (MI) will also be in Charlotte this weekend. South Carolina #1 Team 24 Black, #3 Carolina Rays Select, and #4 SC Warhawks - Moody will also be in the PG field this weekend. Only the top 14 seeds after pool play will make the gold bracket this weekend. Pools are divided into 6 pools with pool A consisting of Team 24 Black, Carolina Rays Select, Next Level Prospects, Canes - Pirro, and the SBA Futures. Pool B is also loaded with Dirtbags Black, NCDB Sandlot, and Beaver Valley Red (PA) who is annually one of the best teams in Pennsylvania. Pool C is made up with Outlaws Baseball, 5 Star Carolina Shockers, and Dingers Athletics Elite (GA), while pool D will have Carolina Rockies - Sullivan, the Birmingham Stars (AL; who are currently ranked 25th in Perfect Game's national rankings), and Team 24 Gamecocks - Higginbotham (SC). Pool E consists of SC Warhawks, 5 Star Carolina - Neyra, and 643 DP Cougars (GA), while pool F will see the Motor City Hit Dogs, Rawlings Prospects, and 5 Star Heat- Gardiner go at it.
Predicated champion: SBA Futures
10 teams will be in the USSSA Super NIT field this weekend in Charlotte. The field is headlined by NC #3 SBA Nationals in addition to #15 SBA Americans, #17 Southern Athletics, and South Carolina #2 G-town Pirates Black. Some of the top games to watch out for on Saturday include the G-town Pirates against Crusaders Baseball (TN), and the Pirates taking on Southern Athletics in the nightcap on Saturday.
Predicated champion: SBA Nationals
12u
The 12u division at the Perfect Game Coastal event will be perhaps the most loaded age group of the weekend. 17 teams are slated to be in the field, including 10 ranked teams from North Carolina, our national #1 TX/FL Canes Elite and #14 Line Drive Black (GA), and one of the best teams in South Carolina in Canes SC - Reames. Representing North Carolina will be #1 SBA Futures, #2 Canes Baseball NC - Pirro, #3 Coastal Cyclones Black, #4 Canes Baseball NC - Wiggins, #5 Dirtbags East, #6 USA Prime Rock Solid Red, #8 5 Star Carolina Elite, #16 Park Sharon Nationals - Garcia, #20 LKN Hurricanes, and #23 5 Star Carolina - Queler. Teams are divided into 5 pools. Pool A will be the LKN Hurricanes, Canes SC - Reames, and the SBA Futures. Pool B will be TailorMade Sports Mizuno, Park Sharon Nationals - Garcia, and TX/FL Canes Elite. Pool C will be Canes - Pirro, GBG Carolina Navy, and USA Prime Virginia - Knight. Pool D will consist of Line Drive Black, USA Prime Rock Solid Red, MVP Athletics, and 5 Star Carolina - Queler. Pool E will be perhaps the most unique pool of the entire event, as our #3, 4, 5, and 8 teams in North Carolina - Coastal Cyclones Black, Canes - Wiggins, Dirtbags East, and 5 Star Carolina Elite will all battle it out in this pool. 12 teams will make the gold bracket, and seed is going to be vitally important to predicting who will be the champion this weekend.
Predicted champion: TX/FL Canes Elite
The USSSA Super NIT in Charlotte boasts a fairly competitive field in it's own right as well. North Carolina #7 SBA Nationals, #9 Union County Crush - Walker, #12 Carolina HighSpeed, #13 SBA Americans, #15 Carolina Blue Trifecta, #18 Summerfield Stars, #21 Athletes Lab, and #24 SBA Senators all in action. In addition, South Carolina #1 Team 24 Gamecocks - Ashley and #3 Grey Sox will also be in this competitive field. Some of the key games to look our for on Saturday include Union County Crush taking on HighSpeed, the SBA Nationals and Carolina Blue Trifecta going at it, as well as the Nationals and HighSpeed matching up late in the day.
Predicated champion: Team 24 Black
13u
The 13u division at the Perfect Game Coastal event will be the biggest age group of the weekend with 24 teams battling it out. 10 ranked teams from North Carolina will compete in this field, including #1 TPA Nationals Black, #2 SBA Futures, #3 Canes Baseball NC - Eason, #4 Carolina Rockies - Culler, #7 Mission Baseball Gold, #11 5 Star Carolina - Nelson, #15 Luckies Platinum, #16 LKN Hurricanes, #19 5 Star Carolina Heat, and #23 Dry Pond Blue Sox. Teams are divided into 8 pools for games on Friday and Saturday. In pool A, VA Squires Navy, Team 24 Black, and Dry Pond will go head-to-head. Pool B will have Canes - Eason, Mission Baseball Navy, and 5 Star Heat - Duckworth, while pool C will consist of SEB Prime (SC), Mission Baseball Gold, and WCW Elite - Gary. Pool D will see the NRV Tigers, TPA Nationals Black, and Sandhills Stingrays, while pool E has Elite South 2026, TPA Nationals Grey, and the SBA Futures in it. Pool F has Luckies Platinum, 5 Star Heat - Harrington, and Crusaders. Pool G will see the LKN Hurricanes, Dirtbags Virginia Elite, and Rockies - Culler compete against one another, while pool H has 5 Star Carolina - Nelson, Dirtbags Platinum NC, and the NCDB Rivercats. Only 12 teams will make the gold bracket, with the top 4 seeds each receiving a bye into the quarterfinals. Seeding will obviously be extremely important this weekend in Charlotte for teams looking to take home the title.
Predicted champion: Canes Baseball NC - Eason
6 teams will compete in the 13u age group at the USSSA Super NIT this weekend in Charlotte. This will be a golden opportunity for #21 Area Stars - Derick to send a message to the rest of the 13u age group as they are the lone ranked team in this field. They will, however, face some stiff competition, with high quality teams such as Regulators Baseball Club, the Carolina Spinners, and Red Clay Athletics taking their shot at knocking off the Area Stars.
Predicted champion: Area Stars - Derick