Sweeney: Atlantic provinces unite as one for Road to Okotoks and Morneau Cup
Jake Trask (New Minas, NS)
Atlantic Academies Unite to Form Frontier Baseball Club
By Ryan Sweeney
A team comprised of the best players in Atlantic Canada is completing its final preparations for the Road to Okotoks, attending the Ontario qualifier beginning May 28.
The program was founded by Premier Sports Academy in Newfoundland, One Last Rep Training in Nova Scotia, Atlantic Baseball Academy in PEI, and Maritime Rapids Academy in New Brunswick.
It’s no secret that Atlantic Canada has produced talented players, with the best regularly being recruited by top academies across the country each year. Cole and Chase Tucker, (St. John’s, NFLD) along with AJ Rogers (Dartmouth, NS) who headed to the Okotoks Dawgs Academy and Jaxon George (Belnan, NS) a Vauxhall Academy Jets. With the Frontier bringing the best in Atlantic Canada together, that talent is finally wearing one jersey.
“Having a team of athletes you don’t work with every day is a challenge for any coach,” said Frontier and One Last Rep’s Cory Boutilier. “But when we got the group together, we were able to see how quickly they gelled and bought into the vision we, as a coaching staff, had for the program. It’s something we feel we can continue to build on.”
Competitive reps for your team before a major event is a concern for all coaches, but the way Boutilier sees it, it’s another opportunity for Atlantic Canadians to prove their value, saying: “While they may not have the same amount of time together as other programs, every one of these athletes is talented and has something to prove. When they come together to play later this month, I think it’s going to be pretty seamless, and they’re going to compete.”
The depth and talent are both real. The roster includes a dozen arms running fastballs in the mid-to-upper 80s, with at least four around the 90 mph mark. But it’s not limited to the mound; more than half the team runs a sub-seven 60-yard dash, and most players produce exit velocities in the 90–100 mph range.
Statistical analysis aside, this team has real experience and players who have succeeded in big moments. No less than 17 players on the roster competed at the 2025 Canada Games, including five from PEI, who narrowly missed a medal after defeating powerhouse British Columbia in the playoff game following the round robin.
Jake Trask (New Minas, NS) can run his fastball up to 91 mph and is currently representing PBR at the Best of the West in British Columbia. Alex McGrath (St. John’s, NFLD) delivered arguably one of the greatest individual days at the Canada Games, making a catch in right field and firing a 275-foot throw out a runner at home in a bases-loaded situation, and later that night hitting a three-run home run off an 86 mph fastball from Minot State’s Thomas Mitchell (Halifax, NS) in front of 4,000–5,000 hometown fans.
Evan Mabey (Stratford, PEI)
Then there are players like Evan Mabey (Stratford, PEI) who was selected to attend the prestigious Blue Jays Futures Showcase at the Rogers Centre in 2025, and Carter Cooling (Quispamsis, NB) a consistent threat at the plate during national events each year.
It’s a diverse roster, with players in every high school grade, along with a few who have reclassified, and no less than nine already committed to playing university or college ball next season.
Todd Price (Saint John, NB) with Rapids Academy out of New Brunswick is no stranger to watching Atlantic Canadians compete on the national stage, having coached the 17U provincial team on multiple occasions.
“This tournament levels the playing field for Atlantic Canadian athletes,” he said. “Collaboration among the four provinces allows us to unite our strengths and showcase our remarkable talent.”
Those factors, along with others, Todd feels, put the Frontier team in a good position heading into the qualifiers.
“What sets Atlantic Canadians apart is not only their skill and passion for the game, but also their resilience, work ethic, and commitment to excellence,” said Price. “Our athletes have shown time and again that they can compete with the best, and now they have the chance to do so as one region.”
The staff and players view the qualifier as the next step in the evolution of baseball in Atlantic Canada. With travel less than a month away, they head to Ontario with one goal: to punch their ticket on the Road to Okotoks for a chance to compete for the Morneau Cup.
Carter Cooling (Quispamsis, NB)
The group will travel to Ontario a few days early to prepare for the qualifier, getting pre-tournament work in at Royal Field, the Great Lakes Canadians facility, along with scheduled exhibition games against 22U junior teams from the area.
After the Road to Okotoks qualifier, the team will remain in Ontario to compete at the Perfect Game Canadian National Championship, maximizing travel and exposure opportunities for Atlantic players.
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