Blue Wave carries more than just baseball opportunities on USA trip
ORONO, ME – Some of the Atlantic region’s top 18U baseball prospects recently returned from
a memorable showcase experience south of the United States–Canada border.
The Atlantic Baseball Academy Blue Wave wrapped up a three-game series with Team
Connecticut on Mahaney Diamond at the University of Maine - Orono. The showcase event,
attended by scouts and coaches from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) baseball
programs in the region, was a first-time experience for players and coaches from the region.
Andrew MacNevin, lead program developer and instructor with Atlantic Baseball Academy,
believes that sending an Atlantic Canadian team to an event like the one in Maine can only help
with baseball development in the region. “The goal is to educate players on their opportunities
not only within Canada, but also at the NCAA level in the United States. We have some talented
players in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, so the more exposure we can
gain for them can only be positive,” continued MacNevin.
The team of 20 players completed full tours of not only University of Maine (NCAA Division I),
but also Husson University (NCAA Division III) in Bangor. Tyler Taylor - a grade 11 student from
Stratford, PEI – played first base and also pitched during the showcase. Taylor noted the
experience won’t soon be forgotten, adding “It was awesome to be able to learn about Husson
University and University of Maine, along with the process of recruitment for the highest levels
of collegiate baseball.”
The central portion of the showcase weekend focused on the on-field abilities of the Blue Wave
players. University of Maine’s coaching staff conducted workouts, as well as on-field instruction
for the group, in addition to an open house through the University’s extensive baseball
clubhouse and training spaces.
In competition play, the group from Atlantic Canada defeated Team Connecticut two games to
one, with Blue Wave wins of 6-2, and 2-0 before Connecticut picked up a 5-4 win in game three.
JP Stevenson, now a member of the Academy’s coaching staff, is no stranger to the work
required to step onto an NCAA playing field. The left-handed pitcher from New Glasgow, PEI
appeared in 60 games over four seasons at Canisius College (NCAA Division I) from 2015-2018
and hosts a long list of accolades, including being named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Pitcher of the Year in 2018.
Stevenson notes that trips of this nature are “invaluable to players considering earning an
education through baseball. We are extremely proud of this group for battling through three
tough games and showing their skills, but even more, exposure to collegiate programs can
provide the players with goals to work towards back home.”
Andrew MacNevin offers a simple recap of this first taste of international showcase
programming, noting that “Winning two out of three games was a tremendous
accomplishment, but more importantly our players were educated on what it takes to be
successful in many aspects of life – baseball, academics, personal growth – and they were
exposed to many high-level programs where they may eventually find themselves in the
future.”
Atlantic Baseball Academy Blue Wave Team Roster:
Tanner MacLean, Charlottetown, PE
Josh Myers, Miscouche, PE
Tyler Taylor, Stratford, PE
Sam Worth, Stratford, PE
Jack MacKenzie, Georgetown, PE
Ethan Smith, Stratford, PE
Connor Ellsworth, Tignish, PE
Ben MacDougall, Summerside, PE
Keagan Murrin, Sydney, NS
Dylan Worth, Charlottetown, PE
Duncan Picketts, Kensington, PE
Noah Dow, Charlottetown, PE
Jackson Sherren, Cornwall, PE
Garrett Culleton, Ellerslie, PE
Garret Hébert, Charlottetown, PE
Carter MacNeil, Charlottetown, PE
Brandon Langley, New Glasgow, PE
Cody MacCormack, Richmond, PE
Cody LeBlanc, New Glasgow, NS
Jayden Hatchard, Westville, NS
As the official baseball academy partner of Baseball Prince Edward Island, Atlantic Baseball
Academy has been working tirelessly to further opportunities for players on Prince Edward
Island, while also working with top talent in neighbouring provinces to develop relationships
and skills that will last a lifetime.