Jeff Johnson

Jonas Lovin and Argenis Arguello are the pitching coaches this season for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Lovin gave in-depth reports on a Kernels starting rotation that has a lot of promise as the 2024 Midwest League season begins Friday.

Iowa baseball coach Rick Heller said Thursday that his team will be without Andy Nelson and Sam Petersen for its Big Ten Conference series this weekend against Michigan. Those are the top two in the Hawkeyes batting order. They are dealing with injuries.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels won the Midwest League championship last season, the city’s first since 1994. An 82-50 regular-season record was the best in all of the minor leagues. The 2024 season begins Friday at Beloit, with this team featuring an experienced starting pitching rotation.

Iowa junior guard Payton Sandfort has declared for the 2024 NBA Draft, the school announced Tuesday. He has until May 29 to remove his name from draft consideration.

At this point last month, Mark Carlson was believed to be on the verge of setting the United States Hockey League record for most career coaching victories. But the league then discovered they had miscalculated Carlson’s win total. Having already reached out to RoughRiders alumni and others in the hockey world for comment on playing for Carlson, The Gazette has decided to not wait until next season when Carlson does indeed break the USHL wins record. Here is what NHL players like Ross Colton had to say.

The Iowa Hawkeyes host Minnesota for three Big Ten Conference games this weekend at Banks Field. Sophomore southpaw Cade Obermueller gets the pitching start Saturday in hopes of continuing good beginning to the college baseball season

This spring training was different for Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller. Gone are the questions about whether the Cedar Rapids resident is a legit major league starting pitcher.

The Iowa Heartlanders beat Wichita on three consecutive days last week. The ECHL club gave up just four goals in those games. The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders dropped three games last week.

Meet The Gazette’s 2023-24 all-area high school boys’ basketball team. Decorah’s Jonathan Carlson is the Coach of the Year. Linn-Mar’s Davis Kern is the Player of the Year.

Upper Iowa University grad student Jake Hilmer is his school’s all-time leading scorer and assists man. He is eyeing a possible pro basketball career when his career ends at UIU, which plays in a NCAA Division II regional game Saturday

Cedar Rapids Washington announced the hiring of Eric Addy as its new varsity head football coach Wednesday. Addy comes to town from Des Moines North.

Cedar Rapids Washington announced the hiring of Eric Addy as its new varsity head football coach Wednesday, pending school board approval. Addy comes to town from Des Moines North.

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders have picked up standings points in their last six USHL games to climb into a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Part of the surge can be credited to the goaltending tandem of Rudy Guimond and James Norton. Guimond, a Detroit Red Wings draft pick, has been here all season. Norton joined the club in January after beginning the season in the NAHL and excelling in a short emergency stint with Dubuque of the USHL.

The Iowa Print Sports Writers Association has announced its all-state boys’ basketball teams. First-teamers include two players from North Linn and one each from Linn-Mar, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Williamsburg, Decorah, West Branch, Monticello and Maquoketa Valley.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s dreams of an undefeated championship season ended Friday night, as West Des Moines Valley won its second straight Class 4A boys’ basketball title with a 63-59 win.