Guelph Royals Baseball Club

Royals trade Shrive to Twins

The Royals have traded OF- Elliott Shrive to the Mississauga Twins for future considerations.
Shrive hit .151 last season in 26 games for the Royals.

Kelly Diamond welcomed as Director of Sales and Marketing

The Guelph Royals and Managing Partner Jim Rooney would like to announce the appointment of their new Director of Sales and Marketing, Kelly Diamond. A Guelph native, Kelly grew up watching the sport of baseball and the Royals. She is a recent graduate of Brock University’s Bachelor of Sport Management Honour’s program

“Kelly is a very talented and engaging young professional” said Rooney. I am confident that Kelly will connect with the fans and the business community to welcome back older fans and initiate new fans and businesses to Royals baseball.

Her previous experience includes working at events such as the Memorial Cup, Royal Bank Cup, Grey Cup, the Guelph Storm Summer Camp, and the 2009 Indianapolis Tennis Championships. As well as with organizations such as the Niagara Ice Dogs and in the athletic departments at both Brock University and Ball State University.

“This will be a great learning experience for me with the Royals baseball program. It will be a pleasure to work alongside many valued members of the Guelph sporting community. I am excited to start making Royals Baseball once again a household name.”

If you are interested in purchasing tickets or engaging in marketing opportunities with the Royals this season, please contact Kelly. royals-sales@live.com

Press Release - PDF

The IBL and Royals welcome a new ownership group

The IBL approved the sale of the Royals to a group to be led by former IBL commissioner Jim Rooney. Rooney served as commissioner from 2001 to 2009 and prior to that he served as team president for the Guelph Storm of the OHL.

Rooney will assume the role of the team president and managing partner, while Kevin Hinton will return as manager of the Royals. Bruce Bent sold his controlling interest but will remain on the board as a partner.

Pogue Named League MVP

Catcher Jamie Pogue accepting the MVP Trophy from IBL Commissioner Jim Rooney - Photo courtesy of The IBL

Royals Catcher Jamie Pogue was named the winner of the John Bell Memorial Trophy which is presented annually to the IBL's most valuable player.

Pogue hit .400 with an on-base percentage of .534, with 10 home runs and 41 RBI. He also led the league with 31 walks.

Pogue was just two votes shy of being a unanimous selection.

He amassed 38 of a possible 40 votes, including seven of the eight possible first place votes, in voting conducted among the league's teams. Teams could not vote for their own players, and the scoring was five points for first and three for second.

Ryan Spataro of the Barrie Baycats was second in the voting with 12 points, while Mat Taube of the Kitchener Panthers was third with 11 votes

Royals in command following 8-1 victory

At Oshawa, the Royals took a 3-1 lead in their series over the Dodgers, cranking out 14 hits in a convincing 8-1 victory Wednesday night.

Kevin Hinton had three hits and drove in three runs for the Royals, who can wrap up the series with a win in Game 4 at home on Saturday.

Jamie Pogue added three hits for the Royals and also closed the ninth inning on the mound in relief of starter Dan Zehr who pitched eight innings. Zehr allowed one run on 10 hits, striking out four and walking one, to get the win as the Royals broke open the game with three runs in the fourth inning.

Geoff McCallum also had three hits and drove in a run for the winners.

Royals-Dodgers Playoffs Schedule (Royals Lead Series 3-1)

Saturday August 1st - Guelph Won 11-5
Sunday August 2nd - Guelph @ Oshawa - Won 7-4
Monday August 3rd - Oshawa @ Guelph - Lost 11-7
Wednesday August 5th - Guelph @ Oshawa - Won 8-1
Saturday August 8th - Oshawa @ Guelph - 3:00pm
Sunday August 9th - Guelph @ Oshawa - 7:00pm***
Monday August 10th - Oshawa @ Guelph - 7:30pm***
***If Necessary

Ten Run First Inning Powers Royals Past Dodgers

The Royals scored ten times in the first inning to blast past the Oshawa Dodgers 11-5 Saturday afternoon at Hastings Stadium. The victory gives the Royals a 1-0 series lead over the Dodgers in their best of seven series

The Dodgers got on the board in the top of the first inning off starter Brett Lawson before the Royals sent fifthteen batters to the plate in the bottom of the 1st to take a 10-1 lead. Dodgers starter Adam Garner failed to record an out in the start allowing seven runs of which five were earned.

Jeremy Ware had a triple and a single plus drove in three.

Game two of the series goes Sunday afternoon at Oshawa's Kinesman Stadium 2pm.

Royals Edge Baycats in Extra Innings 8-7

Sean Reilly's third single of the night drove home Andrew Karkoulas with the winning run as the Royals moved to within 3 games of the Barrie Baycats for first place in the IBL.

The Royals built up a 7-1 lead early only to have the Baycats claw their way back into the game and eventually tie it in the 7th inning. Barrie had three homers in the game.

Credit Brett Lawson for holding the Baycats sluggers at bay for the last four innings of the ball game. Lawson walked three and struckout six in for the win.

Jamie Pogue also homered for the Royals.

Royals announce make up date

The Royals will host the Mississauga Twins on Tuesday July 21st at 7:30 pm to make up a game that was previously rained out.

Royals host the Dodgers this afternoon in Family Day

The Royals will play host to the Oshawa Dodgers this afternoon in their annual Family Day at Hastings Stadium. Fans will have the opportunity to win prizes drawn from their admission ticket stubs.

Game time is slated for 3 pm

Royals edged by Brantford

The Brantford Red Sox moved into sole possession of second place in the Intercounty Baseball League with a 10-6 win over the Guelph Royals Friday night.

Brett Lawson was the losing pitcher for the Royals. He went six innings, allowing 10 runs – six earned – on eight hits, striking out seven and walking two.

Matt Mann and Jeremy Ware both had two hits for Guelph.

Three Royals named to represent the IBL at the All Star Game

Outfielder Jeremy Ware, Catcher Jamie Pogue and Pitcher Dan Zehr have been named to the IBL team for Saturday's annual All Star game taking place in Brantford.

The Brantford Red Sox will play host to the 2009 New Era IBL All-Star Game on Saturday, as the defending Intercounty champions will take on a team of league all-stars at Arnold Anderson Stadium in Brantford.

Brantford earned the right to host this year's game by virtue of winning the playoff title last year, and this year's Sox will face the IBL All-Stars starting at 2 p.m. at the Red Sox home park.

Tonight's Game is Cancelled

This evening's Royals home game versus the Mississauga Twins has been cancelled due to rain.

The City of Guelph has closed all city maintained sports fields for today. No make date has been announced.

Royals use seven run fifth to down the Panthers

Sunday night in Kitchener the Royals scored seven times to defeat the Panthers 12-8

Sean Reilly, Frankie Hare, Geoff McCallum and Jeremy Ware each drove in 3 runs apiece.

Newcomer Justin Phillips got the win pitching five solid innings allowing five run runs on eleven hits and struckout six on the night.

Royals - Thunderbirds re-scheduled for Tuesday night

The Royals will play the Hamilton Thunderbirds at Hastings Stadium Tuesday night. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm. This is a rescheduled game from Saturday afternoon which was postponed due to rain.

Ware named IBL Player of the Week

Guelph Royals' veteran outfielder Jeremy Ware turned in a huge week at the plate to earn Rawlings IBL Player of the Week honours for the week ending June 14.

Ware is one of the leaders on a power-packed Royals lineup and in four games last week guided the Royals to a 3-1 record. He went 9-for-17 for a batting average of .529, with two doubles, one home run, two sac flies and eight RBIs while maintaining second place in the IBL batting race behind leader Jess Bechard of the London Majors. Ware is batting .500, 31 points behind Bechard.

Royals win two of three on the weekend

The Barrie Baycats used their homefield advantage once again to edge past the Royals 6-5 Sunday night. For the second time this season the Baycats have beaten the Royals in the bottom of the ninth inning

Matt Logan’s two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning scored Todd Betts from second base, who had walked and moved to second on a wild pitch.

Reliever Craig Fairfull took the loss for the Royals, allowing two runs on two hits over 2 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking four.

The Royals had tied the game in the top of the ninth inning on a pinch hit two-run triple by Mike Walker. Geoff McCallum had two hits and Sean Reilly drove in two runs for Guelph.

Saturday afternoon the Royals out slugged the Oshawa Dodgers 17-15.

Frankie Hare hit for the cycle as the Royals edged the Oshawa Dodgers 17-15 in a game both pitching staffs will soon want to forget as both teams combined for forty hits on the afternoon.

Hare singled in the 1st , doubled in the 2nd , tripled in the 3rd and finished off the cycle with a solo homer in the bottom of the 8th. Hare drove in four on the afternoon.

Jamie Pogue had two homers , drove in 4 runs and got the save pitching a scoreless ninth inning. Sean Reilly added a homer as well

Duane Fagel got the win in relief of Royals starter Andrew Karkoulas. Fagel pitched 2 and a third allowing 4 hits and hit a batter.

Friday evening the Royals defeated the Mississauga Twins 9-5 no details are available.

Dodgers dump the Royals

Ryan Fleming hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning to lift the Oshawa Dodgers past the Guelph Royals 9-7 on Monday.

Craig Fairfull took the loss allowing four runs on four hits over three innings, striking out one and walking three in relief of starter Craig Hawkins, who gave up five runs on seven hits over five innings.

Sean Reilly had three hits, including two doubles, a homer, and drove in three runs. Andrew Karkoulas and Jeremy Ware both added two hits.

Ware Powers Royals Past The Leafs

Jeremy Ware went 3 for 4 to lead the Royals past the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-5 Saturday afternoon at Hastings Stadium.

Ware had a single, double, and a solo homer plus drove in runs including the game winner .Frankie Hare also added a solo homer for the Royals.

Matt Wilson got the win pitching eight innings, allowing five runs on eight hits, struckout eight, while Dexter Souter in first appearance for the Royals nailed down the save.

Former Royal Jason Pilkington took the loss for Toronto going four and a third alllowing four runs of which one was earned, on four hits , four walks and struckout two.

Prior to the game the Royals presented DH/Manager Kevin Hinton with a bat and a watch to commemorate his 700th career hit on May 19th.

Royals Announce Make Up Date

The Royals will travel to Oshawa on Monday June 1st to play their game originally scheduled for May 2nd which was cancelled due to power issues at Kinsmen Stadium. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

Royals Mann Up

Matt Mann drove in eight runs as the Royals climbed back into the win column Tuesday night with an 18-7 pasting of the Hamilton Thunderbirds

Mann had two doubles, a sac fly and a two run homer in the bottom of the 8th.

Jamie Pogue went 4 for 4 with 3 doubles a single, two walks and drove in three. Pogue also pitched the ninth inning

Ryan Hart picked up the win going five innings allowing six runs on nine hits.

Royals go 1-2 on weekend road trip

The Royals went 1 for 3 on the weekend, defeating Hamilton Friday night before dropping games to both Barrie on Saturday and London Sunday.

Friday evening the Royals plated three runs in the top of the ninth inning to down the Thunderbirds 5-4.

Jeremy Ware had two hits, including a double, as the Royals made the most of their six hits and survived making three errors.

Jamie Pogue and Sean Reilly both doubled for the Royals.

Mark McDonald got the win in relief, pitching two shutout innings and allowing two hits with one strikeout and three walks. Craig Fairfull struck out the side in the ninth to pick up the save.

Saturday afternoon the Baycats turned the tables on the Royals by using some last inning heroics of their own to first tie and then win the ballgame 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth. The Baycats had just four hits in the game, but got strong pitching performances from Paul Spoljaric, who went seven innings, and reliever Adam Hawes, who finished up.

Jeremy Ware had two hits and drove in both Guelph runs, while Andrew Karkoulas scored a pair of runs and stole two bases.

Starter Matt Wilson allowed just one run on three hits over seven innings with five strikeouts and two walks, and reliever Craig Fairfull allowed the ninth inning runs on two hits in 2/3 innings to take the loss.

Sunday in London Jeremy Ware had two hits, while Frankie Hare drove in a pair of runs as London edged the Royals 8-5. Losing pitcher Brett Lawson went 4 1/3 innings, allowing six runs on six hits.

The Royals will look to bounce back Tuesday night when they play host to the still winless Hamilon Thunderbirds. Game time is set for 7:30 pm

Hinton Reaches Major Milestone

A well hit rbi single to right center over the head of Leafs' secondbaseman Gamin Teague in the bottom of the seventh inning put Royals player/manager Kevin Hinton into the record books Tuesday night.

With the single Hinton now joins long time London Majors Arden Eddie (764 hits) as only the second player in the history of the over ninety year old IBL to reach the 700 hit plateau.

The Royals organization congratulates Kevin on this remarkable accomplishment

Royals climb back to the .500 Mark

Adam Reynolds took a no hit bid into the fifth inning only to have it broken up by the Leafs shortstop Jon Fernandez as the Royals came out on top 5-2

Reynolds worked six innings allowing a run on three hits, walked three and struckout 3. Craig Fairfull and Andrew Karkoulas mopped up in relief

Jamie Pogue's three run blast in the bottom of the first inning paced the Royals. Pogue since his return to the Royals has been tearing the cover off the ball going 9 for 13 since opening day including two home runs and eleven runs batted in.

The Royals will hit the road this weekend for a trio of games in Hamilton, Barrie and London.

Royals fall 12-9 to the Panthers in Hart's return

The Kitchener Panthers spoiled the return of Ryan Hart with 12-9 victory Sunday afternoon at Kitchener

Hart pitched six innings allowing eight runs on ten hits and struckout five but wasn't around for the decision.

The teams combined to make eight errors, but the five by the Royals proved more costly as the Panthers pounded out 14 hits.

The Panthers broke open the game with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Jeremy Ware made a spectacular catch in the fourth inning, leaping over the centre field fence to rob Mike Winter of a grand slam for the third out of the inning.

Mickey Cassidy was the loser for the Royals, tagged for four runs on four hits over two innings. He struck out three and walked one. Matt Mann had a big game for the Royals with three hits and five RBI, while Jamie Pogue had two hits, scored twice and drove in another two.

Royals cause a Majors Pain

Jamie Pogue and Jeremy Ware each had three doubles to pace the Royals to a 18-5 victory over the London Majors Saturday afternoon.

Pogue also drove in four runs while Kevin Hinton added a pair of hits for the Royals, giving him 699 in his great career.

Kevin Whyte went five innings and picked up the win, allowing five earned runs. Adam Echlin was the loser, charged with seven earned runs over three innings.

Royals Drop Opener 8-5 to Barrie

The Barrie Baycats spoiler the Royals season opener Tuesday night by stringing together a pair of four run inning to defeat the home squad 8-5.

Adam Reynolds took the lost going pitching four and a third innings allowing all eight runs. Jamie Pogue had two hits and drove in two while the newest Royal Geoff McCallumhad a single and drove in two.

The Royals return to action Saturday afternoon when they host the London Majors . Game time is scheduled for 3:00 pm.

Hare named league MVP

Royals outfielder Frankie Hare, needs to make some room on the mantle at
home, as he was named the IBL's MVP. The full league release is below;

Rawlings IBL Player of the Year Award/John Bell Memorial Trophy - Frank
Hare, Guelph Royals (OF).

Hare, a 26-year-old outfielder, led the Guelph Royals to a second-place
finish with a .436 batting average on 61 hits, 12 doubles, eight home runs,
42 runs scored, 39 RBI"s and 20 stolen bases which placed him among the
league leaders in each of those categories.

Hare played in 34 of Guelph"s 36 games and finished second in the batting
race to MVP runner-up Josh McCurdy of the Brantford Red Sox who won the
batting crown by six points with a .442 average. Hare was also second in
RBI"s, stolen bases and runs scored. His 12 doubles tied him for third in
that category and he was tied for fifth in home runs.

His 2008 season was a near repeat of 2006 when he finished second in the
League with a .382 batting average and led the League in hits and doubles
while placing second in stolen bases and third in RBI"s. He finished third
in the MVP voting that season.

Hare picked up 35 points in the voting, including seven first-place votes
while McCurdy was runner-up with 17 points. He is the first Guelph Royal to
win the MVP award since Erik Laseke's three-peat from 1993-1995.