Jeff Johnson

Infielder-outfielder Brandon Winokur of the Cedar Rapids Kernels is just 20 years old, young for the high-Class A Midwest League. But you can see his talent, and he’s having his best month of the season here in June.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels lost Wednesday afternoon to South Bend, 4-1, at Veterans Memorial Stadium. They didn’t have many opportunities to steal bases, which has been a big weapon this season for them. They already have more swiped bags in 70 games than last season’s Kernels had in 132. And they are swiping them at an 88-percent clip.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy won last year’s Class 4A state baseball championship, graduating a ton of talent from that team. That made this year’s Cougars a work in progress. But after an 11-5 win Monday night over second-ranked Cedar Rapids Prairie, Kennedy has won six games in a row and 10 of 11.

Here is your fourth look at how Eastern Iowans and former University of Iowa baseball players are doing in the early going of the 2025 Major League Baseball and minor league seasons.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels clinched the first-half championship of the Midwest League Western Division with a Thursday double-header sweep at Beloit. They began the second half of the 132-game regular season Friday night secure in knowing they will be part of the MWL playoffs for the 11th time in 12 years as a Minnesota Twins affiliate.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels won a Thursday night double-header at Beloit, 2-0 and 5-4, to secure the Midwest League Western Division first-half championship and corresponding playoff berth at the end of the season. This is the 11th time in 12 seasons as a Minnesota Twins affiliate that the Kernels are postseason qualifiers.

Cedar Rapids Xavier’s softball team is ranked No. 1 in Class 4A and 25-0 after a double-header sweep of Class 5A No. 7 Cedar Rapids Prairie on Thursday night, 10-0 and 1-0, at Xavier.

The Iowa Heartlanders announced Tuesday that Chuck Weber has been hired as the ECHL franchise’s new head coach. Weber, 52, has been a head coach and assistant coach in the ECHL, the American Hockey League, England and Division I college hockey. He won two Kelly Cup championships in the ECHL with the Cincinnati Cyclones.

Brian Meyer is in his first season as manager of the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Meyer’s wife, Ashley, and 6-year-old son Walker joined him from their home in Florida for the rest of the summer earlier this week. That made Father’s Day at the ballpark Sunday pretty special.

Catcher-first baseman Jaime Ferrer of the Cedar Rapids Kernels was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was just three years old. He always looked up to athletes who played their respective sports despite having the disease and now wants to be a role model of his own.

Chase Chaney of the Cedar Rapids Kernels threw a seven-inning complete-game shutout in Game 1 of Thursday afternoon’s double-header against Peoria. He is pitching of the hometown of his best baseball buddy Connor Van Scoyoc, the Cedar Rapids Jefferson grad now in Triple-A. The two were teammates and roommates for multiple years as member of the Los Angeles Angels organization.

It has not been a smooth go so far this Midwest League baseball season for Cedar Rapids Kernels starting pitcher Ty Langenberg. The former University of Iowa hurler and Urbandale native had an 0-3 record and 7.79 ERA in nine starts. But he was terrific Wednesday afternoon, throwing six shutout innings to get the victory as his team blanked Peoria, 6-0.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels went into their home game Tuesday night against Peoria a half-game behind Quad Cities for first place in the Midwest League’s Western Division.A 7-6, 10-inning win coupled with a QC loss jumped C.R. into first place by a half-game. The Kernels have nine first-half games remaining.

Here is your third look at how Eastern Iowans and former University of Iowa baseball players are doing in the early going of the 2025 Major League Baseball and minor league seasons.

Cedar Rapids Jefferson graduate Connor Van Scoyoc is pitching in Triple-A for the first time in his professional baseball career. He also has a new role as a reliever.