Jeff Johnson

The Cedar Rapids Kernels begin the 2025 Midwest League baseball season Friday night at Wisconsin, the first of a three-game series. This is a talented ball club on paper, with 10 guys ranked among the top 30 prospects in the parent Minnesota Twins farm system.

Brandon Winokur of the Cedar Rapids Kernels is ranked among the top prospects in the Minnesota Twins organization. The 20-year-old Californian can play shortstop and center field, despite being 6-foot-6. It’s because of inherited athleticism. His mom was a track hurdler, his father a decathlete, and he has a brother who plays college volleyball.

The Iowa Heartlanders clinched a spot in the ECHL playoffs Sunday. Derek Damon has put together a successful team in his fourth season in the Corridor, his third as head coach and general manager. It has been hard work, for certain, but well worth it for the Maine native, whose ultimate goal is being a NHL general manager some day.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels flew into town Monday to begin preparations for the 2025 Midwest League baseball season. The club announced its 30-man opening-night active roster, and it is stacked with six infielders who are ranked in the top 25 of prospects in the Minnesota Twins farm system.

The Iowa Heartlanders dropped a 3-2 overtime decision Sunday afternoon to Wichita at Xtream Arena. But that one standings point and a Bloomington loss allowed the club to qualify for the ECHL playoffs for the first time in the four-year history of the franchise.

Boys’ basketball: Linn-Mar made it to the state tournament for the first time since 2012 this season. The Lions dropped an overtime heartbreaker in the Class 4A semifinals to West Des Moines Valley. Linn-Mar’s Chris Robertson is The Gazette’s Coach of the Year, senior center Davis Kern (the Metro’s all-time leading scorer) its Player of the Year.

It has a whirlwind month for Mason Kraft. The 18-year-old forward won Minnesota’s prestigious Mr. Hockey award and helped Moorhead High School to its first state championship. Now he’s in town for the rest of this season and all of next as a member of the Cedar Rapids RoughRIders.

University of Iowa redshirt sophomore catcher-DH Reese Moore has been one of the Big Ten Conference’s leading hitters so far this college baseball season. The improvement at the plate has come by being more selective ... and hitting the ball ther other way.

The Iowa Heartlanders have eight games remaining in the ECHL regular season, including seven at home. The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders have seven games left in the USHL regular season. Both clubs look are looking good for qualifying for the playoffs in their respective leagues.

The state’s all-time leading career prep scorer at Wapsie Valley and a former college standout at Northern Iowa, Brooks McKowen is stepping down as head men’s basketball coach at Upper Iowa to take the head coaching job at Missouri Western.

The Kirkwood Community College men’s basketball team beat Parkland Community College on Saturday night to win the NJCAA Division II national championship. Four Iowans were in the starting lineup, including three from Eastern Iowa.

That’s two games in a row that the University of Iowa baseball team has scored a dozen runs against Ohio State. The Hawkeyes got five runs in the first inning Saturday and went on to a 12-5 victory.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced Tuesday that it is moving the boys’ state basketball tournament from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines to Iowa State University’s Hilton Coliseum in Ames, beginning in 2027. Many coaches like the idea of being in a true basketball facility.

Beginning in 2027, the Iowa boys’ state basketball tournament will be held at Iowa State University’s Hilton Coliseum, the Iowa High School Athletic Association and ISU announced Tuesday.

The Iowa Professional Sports Writers Association has released its 2024-25 all-state boys’ basketball teams. Six players from the Gazette area have been named first teamers.