The Leprechaun Report
A 4-2 Homestand Reveals the Identity of the 2026 Leprechauns
Six games into the season, the identity of the Royal Oak Leprechauns is becoming increasingly clear.
Coming into the summer, it felt like this team would be built around pitching, defense, fundamental baseball, and a heightened fan experience. Through the first homestand, that’s exactly what we’ve seen. The Leprechauns opened the season with two tough 1-0 losses, but responded by winning four consecutive games to finish their first homestand of the year at 4-2 and head out on the road carrying momentum.
More importantly, they’ve begun to show how they want to win.
The pitching staff has consistently thrown strikes. The defense has made plays behind them. And after a brief adjustment period to wood bats, the offense is beginning to find its rhythm as well.
It’s still early, but the first week offered plenty of encouraging signs.
The Pitching Staff Is Setting the Tone
The biggest story of the opening homestand may be the emergence of Drew Tolfree as the staff’s early leader.
The Ohio Northern standout arrived in Royal Oak after a dominant college season, and he has carried that success directly into Northwoods League play. Through his first two starts, Tolfree has thrown nine innings without allowing an earned run while striking out 10 hitters and walking just two.
What stands out most isn’t necessarily the stat line, though. It’s the confidence and efficiency with which he’s pitching. Tolfree has consistently gotten ahead in counts, attacked hitters with his fastball, and looked comfortable controlling the pace of the game. Through two outings, he’s looked every bit like a pitcher capable of anchoring a Northwoods League rotation.
Building behind Tolfree has been another impressive young arm in Blake Ilitch.
The Brother Rice graduate and Ole Miss freshman delivered one of the most impressive outings of the young season during Royal Oak’s third consecutive victory, throwing five no-hit innings while showing increasing confidence throughout the start. As the game progressed, Ilitch appeared to trust his fastball more and more, allowing him to dictate at-bats rather than react to them. Whether the velocity ticked up or the conviction behind the pitch simply grew stronger, the fastball seemed to play better with every inning.
Those two starts have helped establish a strong foundation for the rotation, but the bullpen deserves just as much credit for Royal Oak’s early success.
Nick Stempnik has quickly emerged as one of the more reliable arms in the relief corps. Through 2⅓ innings, he has recorded five strikeouts without issuing a walk, showing the type of swing-and-miss stuff every team needs in high-leverage situations. Griffin Howell has quietly put together two scoreless appearances and continues to look like a pitcher who can be trusted in the back end of games.
Then there’s Kellen English.
At 6-foot-10, English is impossible to miss when he steps on the mound, and his performance has matched the presence. He appeared three times during the homestand, striking out four hitters, allowing no earned runs, and recording his first save of the season. With his downhill angle and power fastball, English already looks like one of the most intriguing late-inning weapons on the roster.
Andrew Everson added another quality bullpen performance during Sunday’s 8-2 victory, recording the save after relieving Tolfree and helping secure the Leprechauns’ fourth consecutive win.
Through six games, the pitching staff has looked exactly like the strength many expected it would be.
The Bats Have Arrived
While the pitching staff established the foundation, the biggest development of the homestand may be the offense.
The adjustment to wood bats appears to be ending.
Several hitters have emerged as early catalysts, helping fuel the four-game winning streak and turning what looked like a slow start into one of the more productive offenses in the Northwoods League.
Nolan Alvord has been one of the hottest hitters on the roster, batting .500 through his first four games while driving in five runs and drawing five walks. Even in a small sample size, his ability to consistently reach base has provided an immediate spark.
Patrick Ilitch has continued his strong start, hitting .400 with three doubles while demonstrating the versatility that makes him such a valuable piece of the roster.
Near the top of the lineup, Lucas Mead has helped establish the offensive identity of the club. Through six games, Mead is batting .364 with five RBIs and has consistently found ways to create pressure on opposing defenses.
Oliver Service has provided extra-base impact throughout the lineup, batting .313 with three RBIs while collecting multiple doubles and a triple during the homestand.
Meanwhile, shortstop Tristan Crane continues to provide stability both defensively and offensively, helping set the table while remaining one of the team’s most consistent everyday players.
And then there’s Luke Kosko.
Earlier in the homestand, Kosko delivered the biggest moment of the young season when he ripped a walk-off double to cap a dramatic comeback victory and secure the second win of Royal Oak’s four-game winning streak. He followed that performance by launching the Leprechauns’ first home run of the season and now sits near the team lead with seven RBIs.
The bats may have started slowly, but they are clearly beginning to arrive.
The Catching Position Is a Summer Chess Match
One of the more fascinating aspects of summer baseball is watching how coaches balance development, opportunity, and winning.
Unlike college baseball, where rosters remain relatively stable throughout the spring, Northwoods League teams are constantly working to maximize playing time, manage workloads, and help players continue developing different aspects of their game.
That dynamic is especially evident behind the plate.
Andrew DiLodovico has been a major contributor early in the season, helping manage the pitching staff while controlling the running game. Through the opening homestand, he has already thrown out four would-be basestealers, providing a defensive presence that often goes unnoticed in a box score but has a major impact on winning games.
At the same time, the Leprechauns have the luxury of versatility.
Patrick Ilitch has split time between catcher and left field while continuing to produce offensively, giving DJ LeMahieu and his staff valuable flexibility as they manage innings and workloads throughout the summer. His ability to move between positions while remaining productive at the plate is exactly the type of versatility that can help players attract attention from programs around the country, particularly as he navigates the transfer portal process.
There’s also every reason to believe the position group has another level it can reach offensively.
Returning catcher Aidan Shuck, who set the franchise record for the longest hitting streak in Leprechauns history last summer, is still settling into the season. Anyone who watched him last year understands how quickly he can become one of the most productive hitters in the lineup.
That’s part of what makes summer baseball so interesting. The roster you’re watching in early June rarely looks the same by mid-July. Players settle in, confidence grows, and roles evolve as the season unfolds.
Four Wins, One Clear Identity
The first homestand didn’t reveal a perfect team.
There will be challenges ahead, and every Northwoods League season comes with inevitable ups and downs. But through six games, the Leprechauns have already established a foundation that should be encouraging for both players and fans.
They throw strikes. They play defense. They control the running game.
And now they’re beginning to swing the bats with confidence.
Four straight wins don’t guarantee anything in June, but they do suggest that the identity DJ LeMahieu and his staff hoped to build is already beginning to take shape.
One More Thing
If you’re looking for game-by-game coverage throughout the summer, make sure to visit the Leprechauns social media (during games) and website after each game. Ava Webb, Casey Burke, Cameron Shafer, Noah Chavez and the Royal Oak media, marketing, and communications team have done an outstanding job covering the club throughout the opening homestand, providing detailed recaps and updates for fans who want to follow every game of the season.
The Leprechaun Report will continue to focus on player development, team identity, and the bigger-picture stories surrounding the roster, while Noah’s work remains a great resource for keeping up with the daily action all summer long.