Leprechauns players sign autographs for kids during Strike Out Cancer Night on July 2.
By: Scott Bentley | Royal Oak Review | Published September 1, 2025
ROYAL OAK — The Royal Oak Leprechauns season has come to an end. 2025 gave fans a Leprechauns playoff push, memorable fan events all season, and MLB Draft-caliber talent on the field.
The Leprechauns, who play at Memorial Park, finished the year with a 35-37 record overall and went 18-18 in the second half, falling just short of what would have been the team’s first playoff appearance.
“There was a lot of excitement, especially towards the end when they were making a push to make the playoffs,” Leprechauns Director of Baseball Operations Bob Riker said. “Going down to the last few games was really exciting. … It didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to, but it was a good end.”
What makes the season more impressive is the success the team found despite the number of new faces in the organization. Riker is still getting the lay of the land in the front office and manager Chris Faust just finished his first season calling the shots for Royal Oak on the field.
“I have a lot of confidence in him. He’s a very mature kid for 25 (years old),” Riker said. “He did a great job. … I knew he would do a good job, and he’s only going to get better.”
Faust isn’t too much older than the players he’s managing, but as a college player who also played in the Northwoods League, he has knowledge and perspective that the players respected.
“First year of being in charge … a lot of learning happened from my perspective,” Faust said. “I know how it feels (to play in this league) ... and those last few weeks the players were leaving it all out there. It’s all the players.”
The Northwoods League prioritizes development for collegiate baseball players. It’d be easy for players to come into a team and really only care about their own development or performance. However, down the stretch, the Leprechauns were firing on all cylinders because the players bought into each other and truly wanted to win.
“The last few weeks of the season were the most fun weeks of the season,” Faust said. “We finished out winning our last 10 home games in a row and we had a big series against Kalamazoo where we took three out of four against them. … They wanted to win, and it made my life easier.”
Another important piece of the team’s 2025 success was attracting talent. A front office with a lot of experience, a manager that the players loved, a team that figured out how to win games, and fans who showed up all summer is a recipe for being able to bring in talented players in the future.
“The biggest piece is getting the right players,” Faust said. “We got to experience a ton of great players and we’re going to start putting together (next year’s) roster in the next couple of weeks. … They know what our goals are as an organization. (We’re) setting that expectation.”
That’s something that’s felt by the fan base. There’s a clear passion and direction radiating from the Leprechauns organization, and it makes fans want to go out and support the team even more. Now, the team looks to have a successful offseason and then make the playoffs for the first time ever in 2026.
“We definitely want to build off of how we finished. … We want to be a place you want to go play,” Riker said. “We’re going to play the game of baseball, and we’re going to play it the right way and help each other get better.”
For more information, visit northwoodsleague.com/royal-oak-leprechauns.