CHARLOTTE (N.C.) — Few things in sports rival the hopes and dreams present on the opening day of a new baseball season. The ledger is as clean as the fabric of the uniform, and the belief is steadfast that all the preseason’s hard work and preparation will elevate results to a new level.

Time will tell how successful the 12U run will be for the Canes, but starting Saturday, August 26, results will begin to accumulate.

The Canes will take the field for the first game of the season in the USSSA Fall Brawl at 2:30 p.m. at Nevin Community Park in Charlotte. They will face the South Charlotte Revolution – Forman.

The Canes conclude the first day of pool play at 6:30 p.m. against a familiar opponent, the SBA North Stars (Mooresville, N.C.). The Stars concluded the 11U season ranked ninth in the state by Travel Baseball Rankings.

The Canes and Stars are the Major-level contingent in the tournament’s Pool A, joined by five AAA squads: Carolina Baseball Club (Charlotte), South Charlotte Revolution-Norris, South Park Chargers (Charlotte), T24 Black (York, S.C.), and South Charlotte Revolution-Forman.

Canes Carolina has a 12-man roster, including three newcomers to the squad. Miles Byrd, Connor Sylvan, and Cameron White will join nine returning players, including Knox Duncan, Isaiah Everett, Nash Hayes, Benji Malloy, Caden Moss, Sam O’Neill, Eli Schmolke, Kenneth White III, and Chase Willis. The Canes are coached by Darren Schmolke and Steve Chapter.

The team is coming off a 13-11 spring season that concluded with wins in four of the final five games and a pair of championship game appearances over the final three tournaments contested. The marquee victory was a 4-2 win over the SBA North Prospects (ranked No. 3 in NC by TBR) in the semifinals of the USSSA Easton Showdown NIT.