The Boys in Blue faced off Saturday in a rematch of the 2007 Championships against the Dayton Astros to once again play for the league's coveted MVABL League Champions Trophy.  The Astros finished the season 3 games ahead of the Royals and also were able to take 2 out of 3 from the Boys in Blue during the regular season, but on a beautiful day for baseball, and first time in the playoffs, the Royals had their entire roster in attendance.  In Game 1, the Royals sent Jason Holmberg to the hill for the start.  The Astros countered with their ace, 5-0 Brian Girard, but as the Royals were blessed with their full squad the Astros missing a few of their strong arms, Royals hit-stealer Mike Leach was not in the in field for the Astros.  With Leach out and 7 errors the Royals were able to sneak a few key hits through the infield and plated 11 runs in the first 3 innings.  The Astros came out with a bang as leadoff hitter PJ Dobbins belted a solo shot into the woods over the Right-Center field fence.  The Astros added their 2nd run in the bottom of the 3rd with a sac fly from the bat of Evan Tennery.  The Royals and Astros traded runs in the 5th.  With the score sitting at 12-3 in the top of the 6th, the Royals bats were silenced by the sneaky-curve from Astros reliever PJ Dobbings.  Things would get a bit shakey for the Boys in Blue as the Astros began to mount a comeback.  A few mis-played balls and next thing you knew the Astros had cut the Royals lead in half plating 3 runs as Garrett, Dustin, and Dan all crossed the plate.  But the Astros weren't done scoring and plated another in the bottom of the 7th.  With the score 12-7 entering the 8th, the Royals were finally able to string together a few hits off Dobbins and Brian Duffy and Tim Peffley scored with the help of a Jesus Velasquez III sac fly and Brett Reasoner single.  Down 7 in the bottom of the 8th the Astos bats stayed hot as they got to the Royals starter.  After a pair of back-to-back singles off the bats of Tennery and Jason Joyce, Tony Duncan belted a double to the gap to plate them both.  With 2 outs in the inning the Royals went to their bullpen for relief bringing another Royals rookie, Brett Reasoner, in to close things out.  After a walk, Reasoner got the much needed groundball allowing Duffy and Tim Biedenharn to record the easy force out in the middle of the infield.  In the top of the 9th the Royals bats continued to be baffled by Dobbins on the hill and went down in order.  Down 14-9 the Astros hoped to do what they had done in their previous 2 series and pull one out in the end, but Reasoner stayed strong and after recording 2 quick outs only allowed a walk and a single before getting Tennery to fly-out to center to close out game 1 with Royals on top 14-9.

With one game down, the Royals looked to clinch their 2nd Championship in team history and be the first to repeat since the Woodpeckers won 4 straight.  The Royals made a gametime decision to rearrange the pitching rotation for game 2 and sent rookie Brett Reasoner to the hill to repeat his performance from back on August 3rd.  The Astros countered with their 8-2 left hander, Bryan Leach.  The Royals got to Leach early in the game as they were able to plate 6 runs over the 2nd through 4th innings with RBI hits from Holmberg, Biedenharn, Shawn Rudegeair, Velasquez III, and Duffy.  The Astros finally got to Reasoner in the 7th inning.  After recording 2 quick outs, a single, and a pair of walks Mike Flanagan belted a double to the gap that cleared the bases before the Royals could end the inning.  And in the top of the 8th the Astros plated another run off another double, but this time off the bat of Tennery to cut the lead to 2.  In the bottom of the 8th the Royals were able to get runners on 1st and 2nd after a pair of walks before the Astros went to their bullpen and brought M. Flanagan to the hill.  Flanagan got a much needed groundball that was misplayed and the Astros were unable to turn the double play and only recorded an out at first.  With runners now at 2nd and 3rd veteran Eric Jameson stepped up to the plate.  Facing a 1-1 count, Jameson belted a single just out of reach for the Astros leaping shortstop that was able to score Reasoner and Franklin to give the Boys in Blue a little breating room heading into the 9th.  Up 8-4 the Royals sent veteran Scott Falkowski to the hill to put a cap on a great season.  Falkowski needed just 5 pitches to record the save and secure the teams 2nd team Championship.

On the day the Royals got solid pitching and defense they needed to keep the Astros in check. And at the plate every Royal reached base at least once.  All in total it was a recipe for success.  The Boys in Blue lost 1/2 of their 14 player roster from their 2007 championship team to retirement, but were able to regroup & rebuild in the offseason with the help of their friends to not lose a step in 2008.  Over the course of the season the team stayed focus and determined to make it back to the championship, and after falling to 5th place reeled off 6 straight wins to close out the regular season in 2nd place.  Then with a 6-1 record in the playoffs the team reached its goal of a MVABL Championship against a very tough Astros squad.

Congratulations to all the MVABL teams on another summer of fun and competitive baseball.

It took 3 games in the semi-finals, but the Boys in Blue pulled together to win game 3 11-6 and advance to the MVABL Championships.  The game will be a rematch of the 2007 Championship as the Dayton Astros also advanced after sweeping the Springfield Indians on Saturday.  The Championship is a best of 3 series, playing 2 9-inning games on Saturday @ 1 & 4 PM and an as-needed game Sunday.  At press time the location is TBD, but stay tuned as the site will be updated as soon as Royals Management gets the details.

The Boys in Blue met their nemesis' from Kettering, the Outlaws.  The Outlaws have had the Royals number in the past, however these games would not be one of those times.   Game 1 saw the Boys in Blue jump out to an early 3-0 lead through 4, but in the top of the 5th the Outlaws would get on the board in a big way.  After a leadoff walk and an E6 the Outlaws had 1st & 3rd with their power hitter, Josh Jaynes, coming to the plate.  Holmberg, who started on the hill for the Royals, had tamed Jaynes' bat, but this time he would get the best of Holmberg and deposit the ball over the left field fence to tie the game at 3.  But the Royals would bounce back in the bottom of the 5th and pickup a pair of runs to regain the lead for their starter with RBI's off the bats of Velasquez III and Holmberg.  And in the bottom of the 6th the Royals would cash in again off an Outlaw miscue to plate 1 more insurance run.  In the top of the 7th, Holmberg faced 4 batters to close out game 1.  Jason Holmberg finished the complete game recording 4 K's and only allowing 2 ER's.

 Game 2 the Royals were the visitors and their sleepy bats awoke early.  The Boys in Blue were able to plate 9 runs over the first 2 innings to secure a comfy lead for their starter, Scott Falkowski.  The Outlaws were not going down without a fight and also plated 4 runs capitalizing on some Royals errors.  Falko would hold the Outlaws in check over the next 3 innings.  He finished with 5 IP, 1 K, 1 BB, and only 1 ER once the dust settled.  The Royals continued to beat on the Outlaws pitching scoring a pair of runs in the 4th and 6th.  Rookie Brendan Regan wrapped up the game 2 victory closing down the Outlaw offense in the bottom of the 7th.

The Boys in Blue advance to the Semi-Finals for the 3rd straight year where they will face off against the Dayton Rangers at 1 PM and 4 PM this Saturday (if the rain holds off).  The Royals faced off against the Rangers in the 2007 semi-finals as well enroute to their first league championship.  The Boys in Blue will send Rookie Jason Holmberg to the hill for game 1, and veteran Kevin Reynolds will take the hill in the night cap.  Be sure to come out and support both teams in this very important series.

The Royals picked up their 5th win in a row Tuesday night as they topped the Dayton Panthers 7-2.  Along with the victory, the Boys in Blue secured the Number 2 seed for the 2008 Playoffs.  With the middle portion of the MVABL playoff positions still up for grabs the Boys in Blue will have to wait for the final weekend of games to see who they will meet in the first round of the playoffs.  The Playoffs will begin on Saturday September 6th where they will play Double-Header (both 7 innings), with an as-needed game 3 on Sunday.  The Boys in Blue wrap-up their 2008 Regular season this Saturday as they meet up with the Springfield Indians at 1 PM at Rotary Park.  Be sure to come out and cheer on  your Royals as they close out the regular season.

The Royals picked up a pair of wins this weekend as they squared off against the Dayton Rangers who were in ahead of them in the playoff standings by the same 2 games.  Saturdays matchup was a fierce one as the Rangers sent their 9-1 ace, Jacob Robinson, to the hill as the Boys in Blue countered with their Wittenburg alum, Jason Holmberg.  Holmberg has been happered by a sore elbow and shoulder, but always manages to muster the strength to come through when needed the most.  Holmberg picked up the victory with a complete game as the Boys in Blue bested the Rangers by 2, winning 8-6 in game one.

 On Sunday the Boys in Blue headed to the ballpark for game 2 against the Dayton Rangers who now held a slim half game lead.  The Royals sent veteran Kyle Ubinger to the mound for a very rare start for the teams closer as the Rangers sent their catcher Shane Fallen to the hill.  As in game one, the Royals were patient at the plate and as the innings progress the continued to tack on run after run as they built a safe lead.  After 5 innings of work Ubi turned the ball over to Falkowski to close it out.  After a shakey couple of innings Falko went 1-2-3 in the last inning of work as the game was shortly halted due to time constraints with the Royals up.  Game 2 scores and stats to be added shortly.

Up next for the Boys in Blue, they have 2 more tough games to wrap up the 2008 Regular Season against the Dayton Panthers and the Springfield Indians.  Both games are very important to the squad as the look to hold onto their number 2 seed heading into the playoffs.  Be sure to come out Tuesday at 7 & again on Saturday at 1 to cheer on your Boys in Blue.

Sunday marked the return of a pair of Royals to the ball field. After a two and a half hiatus flamethrower Kyle Ubinger made his return to the squad. Kyle was solid at the plate after starting the day off with a K he buckled down to record a pair of walks, a few foul tips, and finished up with a triple. Ubi also recorded 2 shutout innings to work the kinks out before he takes the mound next Sunday for his first start of the 2008 season. However, he showed what a valuable asset he is to the squad playing 3 different positions around the infield on the day, and he even received a welcome back gift from Royals Rookie outfielder Brendan Regan as his throw from the outfield took a "Rotary Hop" and let it's mark on the side of Ubi's noggin!!

On the day the Boys in Blue also welcomed back OF/P Kevin Reynolds and his family to the ballpark after their tragic loss. Reynolds took the mound for the start in game 2, but after a rocky first inning allowing 4 runs, he settled down and only gave up 2 more runs in his final 5 innings of work. Reynolds threw 6 solid innings to record the win in his first game back.

Game stats and recap will follow.

The Kettering Royals played Tuesday night against the Dayton Panthers.  The Boys in Blue had been in a bit of a slump, losing 3 straight and being out-scored 18-51.  However, the team got a much needed victory to restore morale to the Royals dugout.  Several Royals had multiple hits, but veteran first baseman Shawn Rudegeair was perfect on the night going 5-5 plating 4 RBIs and recording 4 runs of his own.  It was an overall team effort though as the defense looked sharp and all batters were patient at the plate waiting for that one they liked.  Be sure to check out the game summary for a full recap.

Up next for the Boys in Blue are the Dayton Aviators.  The Royals grounded the Aviators in their first matchup with a 17-4 victory.  Rookie Jason Holmberg and veteran Scott Falkowski are on tap to take the mound this Sunday for the Boys in Blue as they look to pickup a pair after being swept in their first DH.  The games will be at Rotary Park, with game one starting at 10am.  Be sure to come out and root on your Royals.

Royals retiree Chad Campbell and his wife Lori welcomed their latest bundle of joy to the world Monday.  Kaden Allen arrived @ 9:25 AM weighing 7 lbs 5 oz and measured 21 inches long.  Everyone is doing well, and at press time they should be on their way home from the hospital.  If you would like to leave a message for Chad and Lori you can find the baby's webpage on Kettering Hospitals Baby Gallery, Baby Kaden .

From all the Royals Family Congratulations on your new addition!!

Other exciting news this past weekend, besides the Boys in Blue victory over the Aviators, but more importantly Kevin & Amy welcomed their little bundle of joy into the world.  Baby Kendall was born last Saturday, June 7th, coming into the world weighing 5 lbs 5 Oz and measuring 18 inches long!!  From the Skipper and all the Royals Players and fans we wanted to wish Kevin and Amy congratulations on their newest addition!

As the league heads into the Father's Day bye week the Boys in Blue keep the ball rolling picking up their 5th win in a row Sunday with a 17-4 win over the Dayton Aviators.  They Royals are currently 6-1 heading into the break.  All teams are off this upcoming weekend to celebrate Father's Day.  Next up for the Boys in Blue are the always tough Beavercreek Sox.  Games agains the Sox are always a great chance to test a team against some of the local college's current players.  It should be a great game as rookie Jason Holmberg looks to make the start on the hill for the Boys in Blue.  Gametime is 6 PM on June 22 out at Rotary Park, be sure to show up early to catch a glimpse of the Royals warm-up.  Autographs and photo sessions will try to be accomodated with your favority player.

 Be sure to checkout game recaps for the last 2 games against the Kettering Outlaws and Dayton Aviators by clicking each of the games under the schedules tab.  Stats have also been updated with the latest data heading into the is break.

 See you at the field.

Hot off the press, the Royals have secured a field for game 2 of the Kettering Cup matchup against their cross-town rivals, the Kettering Outlaws.  Fitting enough the game will be played at Kettering Fields in Dayton down by the river.  For those unfamiliar to the location please click the field name or the location tab for a detailed description.

 The Boys in Blue are hoping game two fairs better than game one.  The Royals lost their first matchup of the year against the Outlaws in a heartbreaking 11-9 slugfest.  The Boys in Blue mounted a slight comeback, but ran out of innings in the end.  Another Royals Rookie, Jesus Velasquez III, will be making the start on the hill for the squad.  Be sure to arrive early as the good, AKA out of foul ball territory, parking spots go early and fast!!  See you at the field as the Boys in Blue matchup against the Kettering Outlaws.

The Royals took the field Sunday night with their names in lights as they kicked off the first game of their 3 games this season with the Dayton Rangers.  Rookie Jason Holmberg took the hill for the second time this season looking for redemption from his loss in his first outing against the Kettering Outlaws.  The Royals offense posted 8 runs en route to Holmberg's first victory of the season.  Be sure to check the game for the full recap.

 The Roylas are off this weekend celebrating those that have lost their lives in the line of duty protecting this country.  The Boys in Blue would like to extend their thanks and gratitude to those that are currently serving to protect our country.

 Up next for the team, the Royals will face off against against their cross town rivals as the take on the Kettering Outlaws.  The Outlaws bested the Boys in Blue by 2 in their first matchup just 2 weeks ago.  Rookie Jesus Velasquez III will be making his second start of the season for the Royals on the hill looking to round-up the Outlaws as they battle in the 2nd game for the Kettering Cup.  Game time is slated for 10 AM, but the location is currently TBD so stay tuned for more details as they evolve.

The Boys in Blue are gearing up for a pair of games this upcoming weekend.  After their last scheduled outing was washed out by a monsoon, the team hopes to take the field this weekend before another break.  The weather doesn't look the greatest but hopefully the AIA turf will ensure they'll get to play.

Up first this Saturday is a make-up game for their originally scheduled opening day opponent, the Centerville Dragons.  Taking the hill for the Royals will be veteran Left-Hander Scott Falkowski.  After getting a brief warm-up in the teams last game to motivate Kevin Reynolds to buckle down and finish up what he started, Scott will be looking to provide another quality start of the hill for the team.

 On Sunday night, the team takes the field against the Dayton Rangers, who are swinging some pretty hot bats to start the 2008 season.  The Boys in Blue will send rookie Jason Holmberg to the hill who is looking to rebound after his first outing against the Outlaws.  The Royals-Rangers matchups have always historically proven to be tough games that are either high-scoring or close going down to the final innings.  How will the teams first matchup of the season with the Rangers go?  Be sure to show up early to get a seat on the hill to catch all the action.

Well Mother Nature may have cancelled our game, but maybe she was working with the Baseball Gods as Royals Rookie Jesus Velasquez III and his girlfriend Emily welcomed their little one to the world on Saturday.  Due to a unexpected business trip, Royals Opening Day start Jason Holmberg was a scratch and Jesus was penciled in as the Royals starter, but little Savannah was born on Saturday afternoon nixing these plans!!  :)  She came in weighing a healthy 7 pounds 8 ounces.  Mom is doing great and hopes to be heading home soon.  Maybe one day this season it will warm up enough that little Savannah can join the Royals Baby Brigade at the Ball park.  This is just the first of a handful of new Royals to be joining the family.  Royals management may need to double-check the length of the sub list if they all come at the same time!!

 Congratulations to Jesus and Emily!

The Royals took the field last Sunday on a gorgeous day against the Centerville Dragons in their final tuneup session before the start of the 2008 season.  As fate would have it for both teams, the scrimmage would be a prequel to Opening Day as they will play again this coming season.  The Royals offsense started off the day as the Dragons took the field. The Royals were able to plate 3 in their top half of the first.  But the Dragons rebounded off Royals rookie and projected Opening Day starter Jason Holmberg plating 2 on some well placed hits.  From their though the Boys in Blue settled down at the plate and were able to plate a few more runs over the remaining innings of the scrimmage, and off the Hill Kevin Reynolds and closer Kyle Ubinger shutdown the Dragons offense.

It was a beautiful day for both teams to get some work in before they both take the field this coming Sunday.  The Royals will face off against the Centerville Dragons this Sunday at 7:00 PM on the beautiful sport-turf at AIA.  The weather forecast is not in the favor of the Baseball Gods so be sure to dress warm.  The 2008 squad will hold an autograph session from 6:00 to 6:05 for all Royals fans in attendance so be sure to show up early to catch a picture with your favorite player!!

The Royals took the field Sunday for their first preseason contest of the year to knock the winter rust off.  The Boys in Blue faced off against the Dayton Rangers at the friendly confines of Athletes In Action, which was the best facility to host the teams on that cold and wet day.  As the team took the field the veterans got a chance to see some of the new faces that will make up the Royals roster this year.  The game went as expected under the conditions, hits were scattered here and there, 4 different pitchers got some work in off the mound against live hitting, and others got their shot to field some balls for the first time since the fall.  For their first workout, it was excatly what the Skipper was looking for.  I think the highlight on the day, after Ubi's hitting display, was that Royals Veteran showed some stank off the mound and sawed off not 1, but 2 pieces of lumber during the same at bat for one Ranger. Media quoted him afterwards stating, "It wasn't about whether win or lose today, but just that we got the train moving towards April 13th".

 Up next for the Boys in Blue is a team new to the MVABL this season, the Centerville Dragon.  The preseason game will be a fun tune-up for both teams as they will both meet again a week later on Opening Day when they start keeping stats for real... :)

As the offseason progresses the Royals 2008 Roster nears completion.  The Royals Roster was hit hard as several players announced their retirement as they walked off the field for the final time with the League Championship under their belt.  Announcing their retirement in the offseason were several long time Royals veterans which include Chad Campbell, Nathan Schwab, Matt Haver, and most notably Jason Griffith.  Also announcing his retirement was Royals Rookie Chris Heitker who would be enjoying the benefits of College graduation this summer, a Full-Time JOB!!

With so many holes to fill Royals Management began to get the word out to find some replacements to help keep the Royals on track.  Rejoining the team after his hiatus, Pikeville College Hall of Famer Ron Runyon is looking to lace them up again for another season of fun in the sun.  But that was just one spot, what about the others?? With the Royals Director of Scouting, Nathan Schwab, retired, Shawn Rudegeair stepped up to help fill the Royals vacancies.  New Royals inking deals for the 2008 Season include Jesus Velasquez III, Mark Baker, Tim Peffley, and Jason Holmbergcurrent.  Also current Musketeer Brenden Regan and current UD Flyer Tim Biedenharn have also inked deals to join the squad in 2008.

The Final one roster spot is not quite 100% yet, but almost there, the 2008 Royals squad is looking pick up right where the 2007 team left off.  Royals Management and Director of Scouting have signed some quality Rookies that look to be great contributors to the team in 2008.  As the preseason is winding down, the Royals 2008 squad will have their first pre-season test as they face-off against the Dayton Rangers on Sunday March 30th at Athletes in Action in their first scrimmage of the 2008 season.  For all those that have been around, I’m sure this will go down to the teams last bat to decide the winner!!  The following Sunday, April 6th, the Royals will wrap up the offseason with a final tune-up scrimmage against the new Centerville Dragons before the MVABL opening day on Sunday April 13th.