Jeff Johnson

The Cedar Rapids Kernels went toe to toe with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in a short three-game weekend series at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Wisconsin, the team with the best record in the Midwest League, won two of three games, including Sunday, 5-3.

Mason Bechen is North Linn’s best baseball player. The junior couldn’t pitch, couldn’t throw most of this season because of an arm injury. But he has returned to the mound in the postseason and has helped the Lynx (who start three eighth-graders, two freshmen and a sophomore) to the Class 1A state tournament.

Here’s your latest update on how professional baseball players in the affiliated minor leagues and major leagues are doing. Stats are through Friday.

Cedar Rapids Kernels left-handed pitcher Gabriel Yanez has four wins, seven saves and a very low earned run average despite throwing a fastball that hits 90 miles per hour most times.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s top-ranked baseball team gave up a run in the top of the first inning but countered with four in the bottom half and went on to beat North Scott, 5-1, Wednesday night in a Class 4A substate final. The Cougars have qualified for the state tournament for the first time since 2015.

Wilton held off multiple late-inning rallies to beat Cascade, 4-3, in a Class 2A substate baseball final.

Solon’s seventh-ranked baseball team swept a late regular-season doubleheader from Clear Creek Amana a couple of weeks ago. But the Clippers gained revenge Tuesday night with a 6-2 victory in a Class 3A substate semifinal.

Iowa City High grad Cade Obermueller was taken Tuesday by the Texas Rangers in the 19th round of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft. He was a unique draft-eligible sophomore from the University of Iowa. Five Hawkeyes players went this year in the 20-round draft.

Iowa City West grad and 2021 Gazette Male Athlete of the Year Marcus Morgan was taken Monday afternoon by the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth round of the Major League Baseball Draft. The junior pitcher was one of three Iowa Hawkeyes drafted Monday and one of four selected overall thus far in the 20-round draft.

Brody Brecht was expected to a be a first-round pick in Sunday night’s Major League Baseball Draft. But the former Hawkeye dropped to the Competitive Balance-A Round, where the Colorado Rockies plucked him 38th overall.

Derek Weisskopf of Williamsburg is The Gazette’s 2024 Male Athlete of the Year. Team oriented is a virtually unanimous description of the soon-to-be Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker.

The Alburnett High School baseball team has hit one home run in 36 games this season. These Pirates score by getting guys on base, getting them over and getting them in, including by squeeze bunting, which they did Tuesday night in a 4-3 Class 2A district semifinal win over Jesup.

Here are some tidbits on the Cedar Rapids Kernels, who have gotten off to a 10-4 second-half start in the Midwest League and went into Saturday a season-high 16 games over .500 overall. Outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez went on the injured list in early May with a back injury but recently returned and has been swinging it well.

The University of Iowa has hired Sean Kenny as its baseball program’s new pitching coach. He has 28 seasons of college coaching experience.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels beat Beloit, 7-3, Sunday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium. That improved their home record for 29-11 this Midwest League season, a .725 win percentage that is the best in all of full-season minor league baseball.