CBC Spring Break Classic at East Mecklenburg Team Profiles Now Posted

Whoops! This thread was accidentally deleted. Here’s the rescued information. Sorry for any inconvenience.

ITS TIME for Spring Break Baseball! East Mecklenburg is again hosting one of the premier baseball tournaments in North Carolina and you’re INVITED. Last year was spectacular, and this year, with new title sponsor Carolinas Baseball Center, promises to be even better. The tournament field includes top flight talent and the followng highly ranked teams: Butler, East Meck, Hopewell, Hough, Independence, Marvin Ridge, North Meck, and Weddington. All of these teams expect to make deep runs in the NCHSAA tournament this season. Don't miss out!

When: April 18th thru April 20th, 2011
Where: East Mecklenburg High School (6800 Monroe Rd., Charlotte, NC)
Why: You won’t find better HS baseball anywhere this Spring Break!


Schedule for CBC Spring Break Classic at East Mecklenburg

Check out the attached flyer (someone - WCLion? - needs to re-upload the flyer, please) for the Game Schedule for the CBC Spring Break Classic! Every day promises big time match-ups between IMeck, SW4A, and Union County powerhouses. Who will follow Marvin Ridge's 2010 unbeaten run to claim this year's bragging rights? If you like watching interleague play, you're gonna love seeing teams from the IMeck and SW4A going at it. Throw in two of Union County's finest and you've got an old fashioned backyard brawl.

If that's not enough for you, Coach Dave Jones Field is ranked as the finest high school field in North Carolina and the atmosphere simply can't be beat. And of course, the "KoppeDogs" and WendellBurgers" are mmmm-mmmm good. We have built it and you must come! You will not be disappointed!

 

CBC Cpring Break Classic at East Mecklenburg

Well let's get this thread started again. Here goes nothing. Let me recap in summary the thread to this point. A schedule was posted along with a tournament flyer. Coach Koppe's recap of last year's tournament was uploaded. I-Meck and SW4A fans went at it about which conference was best. VikingGrl and Julieshubby made a wager about wearing North Meck and/or East Meck gear depending on which team prevailed. Union County supporters sandbagged about their poor ol' 3A teams and got called out for failing the straight faced test. Especially since Marvin Ridge emerged as last year's lone unbeaten team. Conference records were posted along with much talk about the burgers and dogs at Coach Dave Jones Field. That's a down and dirty of the 20 something posts thus far.

So let's restart this party!

 

CBC Spring Break Classic at East Mecklenburg

 

CBC Spring Break Classic at East Mecklenburg

I believe that the remainder of the recap from last year's barn burner of a tournament will be reposted, so let me just post the lost summary straight from the Head Eagle, Coach Clint Koppe's mouth:

 

CBC Spring Break Classic Schedule Flyer

One last attachment got lost and its an important one. Here is the information flyer about the tournament, which includes the master schedule. For those of you who aren't TBR members and/or can't get the attachment to open, another of the soon to be re-posted messages also has the schedule.

View attachment TBRFlyer2011[1].pdf

And now back to the I-Meck vs SW4A vs UC battle royale.

 

Coach Dave Jones Field

We've talked about the top flight competition coming to the 2011 CBC Spring Break Classic at East Mecklenburg. We've posted the schedule of games for this year's tournament. We've reviewed the mayhem that was the 2010 event. We talked about the fabulous weather and the overflow crowds. We've even compared the I-Meck to the SW4A to the UC. But we haven't yet talked about one of the best parts of the CBC Spring Break Classic, Coach Dave Jones Field!

​

Ranked as the #4 high school field in all of North Carolina by Impact Baseball (#1 in Mecklenburg and the surrounding counties), Coach Dave Jones Field is the best place around to watch baseball on a sunny April afternoon. Thanks to the coaching staff, the Eagle players, and countless volunteers, the field is imaculate. The wooden outfield fence is one of a kind (you can almost smell the cedar from here). The grounds are comfortable and the atmosphere warm and inviting. Even the PressBox has been refurbished. Best of all, the food from East Meck's concession stand simply cannot be beaten (as you all already know from Braves many posts on TBR). Even with the loudmouth PA announcer, it's a great time for young and old.

 

Many people may have heard the East Meck field referred as "Ed Bryant's Field of Dreams", but don't know why. Let me introduce you to Ed Bryant: a very special man.

4/24/04

I am not a professional writer, so I will not do this post justice, but I would like to give it a try. On a beautiful night to play baseball something unique was happening at East Meck vs Providence game. Quite frankly, in hindsight, Coach Hignight and the Providence Panthers did not have a chance. On this night, the East Meck Eagles were playing with 10 players and no matter how many innings they played, Providence fate would have been the same.

Friday night, East Meck played their first game under their new lights. They dedicated the lights to a very important person to their baseball program....Ed Bryant. Ed was just like every other father that has a son playing baseball. Dedicated, committed, passionate for the game and for his son. The relationship the two have is what every father dreams of having with their child. They are extremely close...Ed felt the excitement, joy and disappointment that every father goes through when supporting and guiding their son through their life. He devoted his life to his family and the few spare hours he had was spent helping his son to improve his baseball skills and to help the East Meck baseball program and their field. On a tragic day this past year, the Bryant's, their family, their friends and East Meck lost Ed....a terrific man...a terrific husband...and a terrific father. He is missed and loved by everyone who has ever met him.

The dedication Friday night to honor Ed Bryant could not have been scripted better if Ed wrote it himself. Beautiful weather...playing one of the best teams in the State....packed crowd...Ben Buchanan vs Joey Cutler. It doesn't get any better than this. It was a pitcher's duel all night....each team scratching and clawing for a run.

Providence took a 1-0 lead and it appeared as if this may be enough. Cutler was on tonight and he was not giving up hits. Up came Taylor Bryant.... Yes, the son .....just like Roy Hobbs in "The Natural", Taylor hit a long homerun that seemed to be lifted by the skies......East Meck was stunned...almost in shock ...then exploded into unabashed screaming at what just happened. At that moment, the Eagles, Ben Buchanan and their fans knew that no matter how many innings it would take...they were going to win and Ben was going to pitch them all.... East had 10 players on their side in the field...and all 10 were smiling

 

Reply from Ed Bryant's wife (Kari)

Kari Bryant


well, I will be giving myself away but once again, I am so touched by this thread...I am Ed's wife, Tate's mom...and that night will always live in my heart and soul as one of the most special nights of my life. From the joy of finally getting those lights turned on, to the huge crowd, to the game itself it was just overwhelming. As ball gets ready to start again, I find myself excited to get back on 'ed's field' (sorry Chet!) and get that baseball connection back with Ed. ladybugs, large birds, etc...Pam Buchanan understands!! Thanks Braves for so eloquently expressing the emotional night last year and thanks to everyone who has said a prayer for us and been there to give us big hugs...its you all that have gotten us through the past year and a half. Ed will live on in the minds and hearts of all who knew him ... and when you see Tate out there this spring you will see a lot of Ed in him...

 

The following year, there was a Miracle on Monroe Part 2

Those of you that have read TBR's "Miracle on Monroe" remember Tate and his Dad, Ed Bryant. A dad that spent tireless hours in helping his son play baseball and helping to develop East Meck's baseball field into one of the finest. Ever since that "Miracle" game, I have followed Tate's baseball successes through last spring, summer and fall. Although Tate is not blessed with his Mom's(Kari) footspeed, he has his Dad's strength in arms and legs. This kid is a player!!! He can pitch, field, catch and flat out hit....but coming into this season, he did not look the same. He did not seem to have the joy for baseball that I had witnessed in the past. After watching East Meck play in the Shelby Easter tournament, I felt that Tate had lost his interest in baseball. I thought to myself at the time, ~if he had....it was certainly understandable~ It is difficult enough being a teenager, but to couple that with the tragedy of losing your father...well, the fact that Tate was still playing is a testament to his Dad's influence.

Last night, I went to Ed Bryant's field to watch the South Meck/ East Meck game....and it was eerie. It was the first game played under the lights this year. I don't know if it was just me or if others attending felt the same way. But once they turned the lights on, I could feel it. I could feel that dadgum Ed Bryant on the field wishing he would come back another night....but I knew why he was there and he kept ignoring my pleas to come back for the Providence game instead.

Tate has been struggling this year in baseball...and my guess, in other things as well and Ed was going to straighten him out. Tate had a total of 3 hits this year... 3 hits??? Heck, he could get 3 hits in one game batting opposite handed. I was up in the press box listening to the EM supporters telling me how much Tate has been struggling, while I was thinking "yeah, yeah,yeah... just wait". His first plate appearance, the first pitch....whack...a rope to left field. The guys in the booth were yelling, "that's the hardest hit ball he has hit all year". I was thinking " yeah, yeah, yeah...just wait". It was a close game when Tate came up again. I looked up at the lights and begged for Ed to have mercy. South Meck has been struggling and they needed the win. First pitch....whack...a towering HR.

As I was silently cursing Ed, I watched Tate rounding the bases and hoped he understood the message that was being sent. His father taught him how to love the game. How it's supposed to be played. How it's just a game and to have fun. I know Ed reminded his son that he has a gift...don't waste it.

Ed doesn't go to all the games anymore, but he knows when his son needs him. For those that have never met Ed...come on out to Monroe Rd. for a night game. When the lights come on...he's there. You will feel him!

 

Kari Bryant's response to this thread:

Those Lights!!
OK Braves, you are not supposed to do this to me first thing in the morning!! Yes, Ed was there last night - but more importantly, Taylor came back to the game of baseball last night. It has been hard for me to watch him this year because the 'fire' had gone out - I kept thinking it was his age or that he had been doing this for 14 years or any little excuse I could find...but deep in my heart and soul I knew that Tate missed his mentor, his Dad, his best friend...the one who would come home after being on a trip for 4 days, put down his suitcase and immediately head to the street with two gloves - one for him and one for Tate ... anyone who knows Tate knows what an awesome young man he has become off the field. It has just made me sad that it seemed he had lost his love for the game. Watching him round those bases last night and watching him come home pumped up til midnite like the 'old days' made my heart beam ... I realized that he hadnt lost his love, he just needed to see those magical lights shine again ... once again, it was a perfect night for baseball and Ed was there. (Tate thinks that Pammie had a pretty big part in all this too!!) and Braves, could you imagine if Tate had my grace and footspeed ?? He would be unstoppable !!!