NEWSPAPERS n o i t i d E l a i c e p S
JULY 30, 2025 candgnews.com
Oakland County papers
Aidan Cremarosa pitches in the 2024 season for the Royal Oak Leprechauns. Cremarosa was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the MLB Draft. Photos provided by Mark Stowers
TWO ROYAL OAK LEPRECHAUNS SELECTED IN MLB DRAFT BY SCOTT BENTLEY sbentley@candgnews.com
Pitcher Jake Shelagowski winds up for a pitch in the Northwoods League this season. Shelagowski was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals.
ROYAL OAK — On July 14, Aidan Cremarosa and Jake Shelagowski became the seventh and eighth players in Royal Oak Leprechauns history to be selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. In the 20-round event, the two standouts were selected in the eighth and 13th rounds respectively. “It’s an awesome feeling seeing all these guys get picked up and perform and then go play in pro ball,” Leprechauns manager Chris Faust said. “It’s cool being a small piece in all of these players’ successes.” Cremarosa played for the Leps in 2024 and recorded a 2.70 ERA in 23.1 innings pitched. During the school year, he pitched at Fresno State University and racked up several accolades including Mountain West Pitcher of the Year, Mountain West strikeout leader (112 in 2025), and was the team’s Saturday starter in his senior season. Cremarosa was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays with the 237th overall pick in the draft. Shelagowski is a 2025 Leprechaun and was selected with the 390th pick by the St. Louis Cardinals. Shelagowski’s talent was obvious, despite not having a long playing history as a redshirt sophomore at Saginaw Valley State University. He struck out 10 batters in just 5.1 innings pitched and topped See MLB on page 7A
Samantha LaLonde, a Farmington Hills native, shares a moment at the finish line with her dog Gibbs during the 2025 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The race started in Anchorage, Alaska. Photo provided by Jim LaLonde
Faithful dog leads ‘Rookie of the Year’ to finish line BY GENA JOHNSON gjohnson@candgnews.com
FARMINGTON HILLS — Samantha LaLonde, 29, a Farmington Hills native and graduate of Harrison High School, was named “Rookie of the Year” in the 2025 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race by finishing with the best time for the first-time mushers. A musher is the rider who controls the sled. Samantha completed the race in 12 days and 14 hours. Her parents Jim and Sally LaLonde, of Farmington Hills, were in Alaska from the start of the race through when she crossed the finish line in March. “I’ve been through all kinds of emotions, from being very proud to nauseous and all the feelings in between,” Sally said about her feelings watching her daughter race. Sally and Jim took solace in the fact their child was doing what she loves to do. “A lot of times, I prayed,” Sally said of how she handled anxiety. See LALONDE on page 10A