Harvie moves on with help from team

LETHBRIDGE, ALTA.: Playing baseball year-round was something that was enticing for Sean Harvie.
The Gormanville product left home a couple years back after being scouted by an official with the Prairie Baseball Academy (PBA) in Lethbridge, Alta., during the Canada Cup in Kindersley, SK., when he represented Team Nova Scotia.
He got the chance to play the sport he loves, while getting an education at the same time at PBA. He is currently studying exercise science at Lethbridge Community College.
The pitcher said he gets his motivation to play from the chance to play at a high-level.
“It gives me an opportunity to further my baseball career, and get my education while doing so,” he said.
He has enjoyed his time at PBA.
“There is never an easy practice, and little time off but it provides the opportunity to play baseball year round, something that’s impossible in Nova Scotia,” he said. “After finishing my two years at PBA I hope to receive a scholarship to play baseball in the U.S., while earning my kinesiology degree.”
PBA has been in the news recently, but for the wrong reason. Two star players at the school, Mitch MacLean of Cornwall and Tanner Craswell of Charlottetown, along with Tabitha Stepple were killed by gunman Derek Jensen, who then shot Shayna Conway before turning the gun on himself in mid-December as MacLean and Craswell—known to his friends and PBA teammates as Cras—headed to Calgary for a flight home to PEI.
Harvie recalled receiving the news of Maclean’s and Craswell’s untimely deaths.
“The tragedy hit the program hard,” said Harvie. “The team is so close that when something of this magnitude happens everyone mourns. Grief councillors were provided at Lethbridge College to help cope with the loss.
“It’s something like this that really pulls the team closer together, and helps you appreciate the time you share with your teammates even more.”
The six-foot-two, 190-pound Harvie attended with his teammates the funeral service for his two teammates. It was a very emotional service, he said.
“There wasn’t a dry eye in the entire building, but it helped shed light on how important Mitch and Cras were to the program, and how they managed to impact everyone they met in a positive way,” the 18-year-old said.
He said in the fall the team played several exhibition games against tough competition, including one game where he was clocked at 87 miles per hour by the pitching radar gun.
Harvie said the team is preparing for the upcoming season with on field training.
“We’re practicing harder than ever in the indoor facility,” he said. “We have started throwing live bullpens to hitters, and running drills to help work out the kinks before the spring season starts.”
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com