Royal Oak, MI

By: Anthony Ranaudo — Director of Marketing

The Royal Oak Leprechauns announced the hiring of former LSU National Champion and Major League pitcher Anthony Ranaudo as the organization’s new Director of Marketing. Ranaudo will work directly with team owner DJ LeMahieu and GM Danny Weiss to lead storytelling, brand development, athlete experience/player development, and strategic initiatives between the Leprechauns and the Stevens Complex, an elite training facility in Troy (also owned by LeMahieu).

Ranaudo’s arrival marks a significant moment in the franchise’s evolution as the club begins shaping player experience and an organizational identity unlike anything else in the Northwoods League or summer collegiate baseball.

A first-round draft pick who pitched for the Red Sox, Rangers, and White Sox, Ranaudo has spent the past several years building communities around performance training, athlete storytelling, small business, and pop culture.

A New Era

In joining the Leprechauns, Ranaudo becomes the connective tissue between the team and the broader vision for baseball development in Michigan—linking the organization’s culture with the resources, technology, and performance assets available at the Stevens Complex. His role will focus on elevating the player experience, amplifying the team’s identity through modern storytelling, and showcasing the unique resources that differentiate the Leprechauns from every other summer collegiate program in the country.

“This is an opportunity to build something special,” Ranaudo said. “DJ’s vision for the Leprechauns and the Stevens Complex creates a blueprint no one else in baseball has. We want players to feel like this is a destination—an experience they can’t get anywhere else. My role is to help bring that identity to life, tell the stories that matter, and make the metro Detroit area a place players, families, and fans want to be a part of.”

A full feature story exploring Ranaudo’s partnership with LeMahieu, his baseball background, and the long-term ideas behind growing the game in the area will be released soon through Business of Ball.

Content is King

The team also announced Abby Alonzo as its new Content and Media Strategist, where she will support content development, video production, storytelling, and digital strategy. Alonzo brings experience as a Communications Assistant for the New Orleans Saints, on-field media talent for the Baton Rouge Rougarou in the Texas Collegiate League, and a digital media reporter for Chat Sports, covering the Tennessee Titans and eight additional league markets for Amazon Alexa. She previously served as Head of Media & Marketing for Cards and Culture and created the Valley Vision brand working with LSU’s top athletes.

Alonzo currently works alongside the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, where she plays a key role in expanding coverage, storytelling, and league-wide media development through her podcast Out of Left Field. She also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Business of Ball and the Media Director for Stevens Complex. Her creative background and deep experience in athlete-focused storytelling will be instrumental in shaping the Leprechauns’ expanding media presence.

“We’re building something that puts players, families, and the community at the center of the experience,” said Ranaudo. “Abby brings a level of expertise, polish, and creativity that will help us tell the story of baseball in the area in a way that’s fresh, modern, and exciting.”

With the recent promotion of Danny Weiss to General Manager, the addition of Ranaudo and Alonzo solidifies a leadership group committed to redefining what a summer collegiate program can be—on the field, in the community, and across every touch point with players and fans.

For more information and education about the Royal Oak Leprechauns, follow the team across all social media platforms.