The Parksville Royals are gearing up for the coming season.
Entering its 25th year, the Royals named the coaching staff for the 2019 campaign.
Frank Kaluzniak begins his third year as head coach of the Premier Royals. He has eight years coaching experience in Nanaimo and Parksville following his college career as a pitcher for Vancouver Island University Mariners. As well, Kaluzniak has also been a coach with the Big League Experience Baseball Camp in the Okanagan.
Under Kaluzniak’s leadership, the Royals have had two playoff appearances including a silver medal in 2017. In addition, Kaluzniak’s focus and persistence to help his players transition to the next level has seen 12 of 14 graduates recruited by universities and colleges in the past two years.
There will be two new faces leading the Junior Royals and the Bantam Royals. Connor Russell takes the reins of the junior program after coaching with the Victoria Eagles in 2018. Russell, a pitcher, played his college ball at VIU and has also played for the Victoria Harbourcats of the West Coast League and the Victoria Mavericks. In high school Russell played for the Victoria Mariners and so brings a wealth of experience in the Premier Baseball League.
Bruce Biro is the new coach of the Bantam Royals. It is a homecoming for the Bowser native Biro who played youth baseball with Oceanside Minor Baseball and the Royals. Biro played his college ball at Douglas College where he went on to be an assistant coach. Biro has helped coach the Junior and Premier Royals in the past and is a former coach at the Big League Experience Baseball Camp. Biro is a tw0-time coach of BC Summer Games and Team BC in Arizona Fall Classic and has a Degree in Physical Education.
— NEWS Staff