Jeff Johnson

Pitcher Paulshawn Pasqualotto struggled in his first professional baseball season in 2024. But armed with a new pitcher and a better fastball, the reliever is off to a great start this season with Cedar Rapids Kernels.

Get to know Gazette sports writer Jeff Johnson

Doug Nelson was hired by the Cedar Rapids Baseball Club in 2003 to help run the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The longtime CEO has announced his retirement, after he helps tutor his replacement, whose hiring appears to be imminent.

Cedar Rapids Kernels infielder Billy Amick is the son of a former NASCAR driver. A second-round draft pick last year by the Minnesota Twins from College World Series champion Tennessee, he has hit the baseball a ton in his first four games this Midwest League season.

Taylor Carpenter is the lead athletic trainer this season for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, Morgan Leichtenberger the assistant trainer. They are the first female on-field personnel in the century plus history of Cedar Rapids professional baseball.

This week of Corridor Cross Checks takes a look at the final week of the regular season for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Iowa Heartlanders. Both are playoff bound. It’s highly likely Iowa will play Fort Wayne in the first round of the upcoming ECHL playoffs. Cedar Rapids’ first-round opponent in the USHL playoffs could be one of four teams.

One of the most successful boys’ basketball coaches in Iowa high school history, Steve Bergman announced Friday he has resigned as head coach at Iowa City West after 35 years. Bergman won six Class 4A state championships at the school and is 10th all time in career victories.

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.