The honors continue to roll in for the Royal Oak Leprechauns following a historic championship season.
The Northwoods League announced its 2026 Postseason Awards, with Royal Oak well represented among the league’s best. Luke Kosko was named Northwoods League Player of the Year, Christian Faust earned Coach of the Year honors, and four Leprechauns were named Postseason All-Stars.
Royal Oak’s four selections were the most of any team in the Northwoods League.
Kosko Caps Standout Summer with MVP Honors
Kosko put together one of the best offensive seasons in the league, hitting .349 with 17 home runs, 19 doubles and 72 RBI.
The University of Cincinnati outfielder was a force in the Royal Oak lineup throughout the summer. After earning Mid-Season All-Star honors earlier in the year, Kosko added a Postseason All-Star selection and the league’s top individual player award to his résumé.
Kosko also delivered on the biggest stage, driving in two runs in Royal Oak’s 3-1 victory over the St. Cloud Rox in the Northwoods League Championship Game.
Four Leprechauns Earn Postseason All-Star Honors
The individual recognition extended throughout a Royal Oak roster that helped deliver the first championship in franchise history.
Oliver Service, from Marshall University, earned a spot on the Postseason All-Star Team alongside Mason Barth, third baseman from Notre Dame.
Kosko represented the Leprechauns in the outfield, while Spencer Boynton of Valparaiso University was selected as one of the Great Lakes Division’s five postseason All-Star pitchers.
With Service, Barth, Kosko and Boynton selected, the Leprechauns finished with four Postseason All-Stars, the most of any team in the league.
Faust Named Coach of the Year
Royal Oak was recognized in the dugout as well.
Christian Faust was named the 2026 Northwoods League Coach of the Year after helping guide the Leprechauns through the most successful season in franchise history.
Royal Oak captured the Great Lakes East second-half title to earn its first postseason berth before going a perfect 4-0 in the playoffs. The run culminated with a 3-1 win over St. Cloud to capture the first Northwoods League Championship in franchise history.
For Faust, the championship was his third as part of a Northwoods League organization after previously winning two titles as a player with the Traverse City Pit Spitters.
The postseason honors provide a fitting finish to a season of firsts in Royal Oak.
And now, four Postseason All-Stars, the league’s Player of the Year and Coach of the Year to cap a summer that will be remembered for years to come in Royal Oak.
