SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Some of the Atlantic region’s top 18-under baseball prospects recently returned from a memorable showcase experience in the United States.
The Atlantic Baseball Academy Blue Wave wrapped up a three-game series with Team Connecticut at the University of Maine in Orono.
The showcase event, attended by scouts and coaches from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) baseball, 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 Atlantic Canada.
"The goal is to educate players on their opportunities not only within Canada but also at the NCAA level in the United States,” said MacNevin. “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.”
The team of 20 players completed full tours of not only the University of Maine (NCAA Division 1) but also Husson University (NCAA Division 3) in Bangor.
“It was awesome to be able to learn about Husson University and the University of Maine, along with the process of recruitment for the highest levels of collegiate baseball, said Tyler Taylor, a Grade 11 student from Stratford. Taylor, who played first base and also pitched during the showcase, added the experience won’t soon be forgotten.
On-field abilities
The central portion of the showcase focused on the on-field abilities of the Blue Wave players. The 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.
The group from Atlantic Canada defeated Team Connecticut two games to one. Blue Wave won the first two games 6-2, and 2-0 and Connecticut picked up a 5-4 win in the third game.
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, P.E.I., appeared in 60 games over four seasons at Canisius College (NCAA Division 1) from 2015 to 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.”
MacNevin offers a simple recap of this first taste of international showcase programming: “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.”