The Royal Oak Leprechauns will become members of the Northwoods League for the upcoming 2024 season. The ball club will call #TheLuckyCorner - Memorial Park in the Detroit metro area their home. This increases the number of teams in the Northwoods League to 26.
The move to the Northwoods League comes on the heels of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, the club's former home, dropping from a 13-team to a 7-team league. Five clubs announced they would be on hiatus or not playing next season. The Leprechauns will now be in the Great Lakes Division, along with three other Michigan-based teams in Traverse City, Kalamazoo, and Battle Creek.
Mark Sackett, Owner and General Manager of the Royal Oak Leprechauns, is excited about the challenge of the new league and the competition and benefits of joining the Northwoods League.
“For the past three seasons in Royal Oak, the Leprechaun organization has grown, and our fan base continues to expand. By joining and competing in the Northwoods League, we’ll have more games for our fans, more opportunities to partner with businesses and nonprofits, and create new rivalries with well-established Michigan and surrounding Midwest state teams.”
DJ LeMahieu is taking a more active role as president of the organization. The current New York Yankee and partner with the Leprechauns know the higher level of competition will bring an elite tier of players to Royal Oak.
“My vision with this team is to continue to provide a unique opportunity for players and coaches to improve their baseball skills and keep moving up. Partnering with the Northwoods League will provide that and give fans a great night out at the ballpark with our players and partners.”
The organization will focus on the fan experience with improvements to the ballpark that include new bleacher seating, a press box, suites, and other fan amenities. The Leprechauns have made more than $500,000 in improvements since moving to Royal Oak from Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan, in 2018.
Stadium Journey visited #TheLuckyCorner - Memorial Park in July of 2022 and was impressed with the game-day atmosphere and environment at the small ballpark about 20 minutes northwest of downtown Detroit. The stadium earned a 3.43 out of 5 on the FANFARE Scale. You can read more about it in the following link.
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Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter and his YouTube channel.