By Reegan MacAulay

For eight straight seasons, the Holland College Hurricanes set a standard for success in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball Association (ACBA). They won the regular season title every single season plus four ACBA championships and five national medals. Every year, the Hurricanes had a bullseye on their back as teams across the Maritimes struggled to get on their level.

In 2023, the ACBA had one of its most competitive seasons in years, seeing the level of competition raise to new heights.  The future of Atlantic Canadian collegiate baseball looks bright.

It all goes back to 2013 when Andrew MacNevin moved to P.E.I. and was approached by Holland College Athletics Director, Albert Roche. The college was considering adding a baseball program. MacNevin saw a lot of value in the idea.

“It struck an immediate interest. I knew we had enough talent locally and we were going to have a competitive program. It would give local kids an opportunity to continue playing in their own backyard, which to me was important. I knew it was going to allow probably a dozen players locally an opportunity to not just play on the field but bring them back into the classroom. That would give them a little bit of encouragement to pursue their academics. That to me was worth every minute,” MacNevin said.

MacNevin was hired as the head coach and the program was born. It drew a ton of support from the college which surprised MacNevin.

“What I did not expect, was how supportive Holland College would be towards their Athletics programs. I had spent two years coaching at a college in New York and was pleased to realize the support provided by Holland College was above and beyond. The level of professionalism provided towards student-athletes and staff, is something to be very proud of and creates a top-notch culture and experience for everyone involved,” MacNevin said.

From there, he went on to achieve an overall record of 113-21 and coached his squads to immeasurable success for almost a decade. From scratch to a top collegiate baseball destination within Canada.

But, of course, all good things must come to an end. That almost happened heading into the 2023 season as MacNevin considered moving on for family reasons. However, his three boys were the reason why he stayed for another year. They even cried when he officially retired at season’s end.

“The success we’ve had, it becomes a part of you and your family. When I started this, we didn’t have any children. Now we have three young boys, so life has gotten busy. But I was fortunate to have the support from my family. It got to the point where my kids really became involved in the program. That was part of the reason why I came back,” MacNevin said.

Heading into 2023, the Hurricanes were coming off yet another season with a regular season championship. They had all the momentum in the world going into the 2022 ACBA Championships, hosted in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, and they were ready to conquer the University of New Brunswick (UNB) Reds in the finals. The program’s first title since 2018 was bound.

In the most heartbreaking and controversial way to lose a title, Mother Nature forced the finals to be canceled and UNB was awarded the championship as they had won more games in the round robin.

“It was heartbreaking to finish runner-up. It all came down to one weekend and we felt the process was correct, but we ended up coming up short. We lost our best pitcher (Ben McDougall) on the mound in the semifinals. We knew coming back that we wanted to be stronger than ever and we gave it all we had,” MacNevin said.

The team entered 2023 with the usual competitive expectations. The returnee group was filled with ACBA All-Stars, including the league’s top pitcher Ethan Smith, the league’s top defensive player Duncan Picketts, and talented hitters Matthew Peacock and Sam Worth.

Smith said the team’s goal was nothing less than first place.

“We all had the same expectations as 2022. Everyone on the team knew we should have the highest expectations possible, no less,” Smith said.

Picketts was ready to do everything he could to make his second season as a Hurricane a better one whilst carrying a new leadership role.

“Getting prepared, I just made sure I tried to get better going to the field and stronger and faster in the gym. There were no real expectations knowing that the team and I were always prepared to go play our best ball. If we did, I’d like our chances.

“For (helping) the rookies, getting to know the guys and getting them comfortable with the team so they were able to play their best. Leading by example and being a good teammate to help them find their role where they help the team the most,” Picketts said.

Nova Scotia’s Avery Smith, who made history in 2022 as the program’s first female player, was back. Recruits included versatile infielder, Brett Hickle from Alberta, local starting pitcher, Evan MacDougall, local Canada Games shortstop, Chris MacDougall, and dynamic outfielder, Josh Flynn, from Moncton, N.B.

MacNevin said the team was getting back on track after the pandemic slowed the recruiting process down.

“In 2022, we were starting to build up again. We were excited to get back in the groove. We felt like, on paper, we still had the best team in the league and our roster was stronger,” MacNevin said.

Unfortunately, at the same time, the entire league had also gotten stronger and had finally caught up to the success of the Hurricanes programs. Nearly every team finished with a 0.500 or higher winning percentage and Holland had to settle for the fourth seed with a 9-7 record. In the playoffs, they lost a tight semifinals match to the UNB Reds.

Smith said it was an extremely difficult result to handle.

“It was a close game and a battle the whole way. Both teams knew it was the biggest game of the tournament. We had the momentum going into that game as I recall our final matchup against the Reds during the regular season, we beat them both games. The baseball gods weren’t on our side and a good UNB team took that game,” Smith said.

Picketts said the team ran out of steam in what was a back-and-forth thriller.

“Overall, it was a disapponting season not getting the result we wanted. I think we had a team that was definitely in the mix for the Atlantic title. We had some hiccups in the regular season but we did a good job rebounding and learning from our losses,” Picketts said.

It didn't help that the team entered the season with multiple injuries. On paper, it was an uncharacteristic season for the Hurricanes, but behind the scenes was a roller coaster.

“Some tough games where we didn’t get the end result.  It was disappointing, but still, I feel like the league has gotten so much better. You can’t just show up and expect to win.

“Certain guys who had performed in big situations, some of the returning guys, we just never quite got out of them what we had hoped. But maybe that’s my fault as a coach, I didn’t get enough of them. The process was correct, but the execution wasn’t always there. I wear that on my shoulders, that’s to me, 100%, so the responsibility falls on me for putting guys in certain situations.

“I never once questioned their work ethic. It comes back to just not having enough depth coming off the bench or pitchers in relief,” MacNevin said.

Smith said the 2023 season was more of a learning curve for him compared to 2022.

“We had to fight from behind in many games. We did not have the start we wanted at all, and for the first time in Holland College history, we had to fight and battle to get into the playoffs. I believe that helped us grow as a team and prepared us for important games down the road,” Smith said.

Despite the negatives, there were still many positives to look back on. MacNevin commended the team for its chemistry on and off the field.

“I loved this year more than ever. I loved the team chemistry that our guys had. We’d be away on the weekend, we’d come home, they’d all be hanging out, they’d all show up to the field early. What we had was blue-collar players, local kids from our own backyard that would compete hard. It was a pleasure to show up to the field every day with them knowing that they were going to give their best no matter what,” MacNevin said.

Smith enjoyed playing in what was an elite group between 2022 and 2023.

“I felt we had a great mix of a veteran presence, maturity, energy, and intensity. Everyone treated the team like it was a job and played their hearts out. The veterans always took the rookies under their wing and helped educate them about the game and the league to prepare them for success, and they will pass that down to the next group coming up,” Smith said.

Picketts credited Smith as someone he had great chemistry with.

“Me and Ethan Smith were great battery mates and got a lot of outs together over the last couple of years. I enjoy catching Ethan and I think we have some good chemistry,” Picketts said.

Smith was named the 2023 ACBA Most Valuable Player and Pitcher of the Year. Picketts was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Worth was named a 2023 ACBA All-Star Shortstop and Matthew Peacock was named a 2023 ACBA All-Star Outfielder. Some of those names plus many rookies were commended by MacNevin.

“Ethan Smith was the MVP of the league. Led the league in pitching and was the top centerfielder. But it’s not the on-field stuff that impressed me. His demeanour and consistency were so well-liked and respected. Sam Worth, Duncan Picketts, Dylan Worth, those are all guys that were All-Stars in either 2022 or 2023. To me, I wanted to keep working with them.

“Chris (MacDougall) was a great kid. Great athlete. He started a lot of games and logged a lot of valuable innings for us. Brett Hickle and Evan MacDougall locked some valuable innings on the mound as well,” MacNevin said.

Now, after nine seasons, a new chapter begins for the Hurricanes’ baseball program with MacNevin moving on. He had many great words to say for the program’s future and why people should choose Holland College as their academic destination.

“When I’m talking to the players and their parents, I always tell them, you’re not coming to college for just the athletic experience and the academic experience. You’re coming here for the whole life experience. I’m so confident that the whole college will provide a great life experience for any recruit.

“I hope there’s some continuity in our coaching staff. I think the program will get somebody who will be qualified not just on the field but off the field as well. You want someone who's well-rounded and a good person. But it’s not just one person. You have five or six other staff members. That’s what brings cohesiveness and that’s what’s made so many great memories and life connections.

“And I think the rest will fall into place. I think (Holland) could still really be a formidable force in the conference and will continue to have success because they’re going to have that positive environment. I’m excited to see who they name to be the next head coach,” MacNevin said.

Smith said it was a pleasure playing for MacNevin, and Picketts also had many great things to say about him.

“Andrew is one of my favourite coaches I’ve ever had. His knowledge of the game is some of the best on the island. I think the keys to the success he had at Holland had a lot to do with his preparation and attention to the small parts of the game that can make a big difference. He also let the players play their game and knew when to give a kick or a pat on the back,” Picketts said.

Picketts is unsure if he’ll be back next season, but he sees a bright future for the baseball program, mostly thanks to MacNevin’s contributions.

“We’ll see when the time gets closer. The Holland program has a great culture that’s been set by Andrew. The team is consistently one of the better in the league and the fans should expect the ‘Canes to keep playing great ball,” Picketts said.

Fans are encouraged to stay tuned as the 2024 ACBA schedule will be announced soon.

Connect with the baseball Hurricanes at www.x.com/hcanesbaseball and www.instagram.com/hollandcanesbaseball.

For more information on the Holland Hurricanes, please visit www.hollandhurricanes.com, www.facebook.com/hollandhurricanes, www.x.com/hc_hurricanes and www.instagram.com/hollandhurricanes.

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