Prairie Hawks soaring under new coach Todd Rima

CEDAR RAPIDS - With new head coach Todd Rima, the Prairie Hawks have been able to soar to new heights.

No. 8 Prairie improved to 12-2 Monday night with a Mississippi Valley Conference baseball sweep of No. 9 Iowa City West. The Hawks won the first game, 2-1, and the second, 6-3.

'They've responded well to everything,” Rima said. 'We've really challenged them, and they've stepped up.”

Prairie has a veteran team this season made up of juniors and seniors.

The change in the coaching staff has proved to be an enhancement to their skills.

'It used to be more about slugging it out,” Trey Beckman said. 'Not it's about execution and having all hands on deck.”

Besides shaping their skills, Rima set out to improve the team's mind-set and chemistry.

He wanted the players to be able to rely on each other. 'One thing we worked on was belief in each other,” Rima said.

'It was fun to watch them with that mentality.”

Rima was coaching at Kirkwood Community College when the position opened up at Prairie.

'I was excited because I thought we had a group of guys that wanted to be successful,” Rima said.

With his move to Prairie, Rima now is coaching his son, junior Jalen. He remains the Kirkwood coach. too.

Coach Rima said that it is interesting how at practice Jalen is like any player, but is his son at home.

'I've played with him since I've been little,” Jalen said. 'It's tougher for me (having him as a coach), but it's good for the team.”

l Comments: katherine.bauer@thegazettecompany.com