Jeff Johnson

Cedar Rapids Xavier graduate Mitch Keller was named Sunday to the National League team playing in July 11th’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Seattle. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher is the first C.R. native to be an all-star and is Iowa’s first all-star since 2014.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels employ nine people for four important, yet unnoticed jobs for each home game at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Those who are official scorers, scoreboard operators, pitch-clock operators and stringers say they what they do for their love of baseball.

The National Hockey League Draft was conducted Tuesday night and Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn. The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders had three players from this past season’s team drafted, with another pair who the club took in the recent United States Hockey League Draft also taken.

Iowa Heartlanders Coach and General Manager Derek Damon is conducting youth hockey camps this week at Coralville’s Coral Ridge Mall. He believes growing the sport with youngsters is integral in growing the ECHL franchise overall.

Orlando Rodriguez of the Cedar Rapids Kernels is a 27-year-old from Cuba who emigrated with his parents and brother over a decade ago. He has pitched well in two seasons with the Kernels and beat Beloit on Sunday, his Midwest League-leading seventh win this season. After the game, he found out he had been released.

A look at how former Eastern Iowa high school and University of Iowa baseball players are doing in affiliated professional baseball.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels finished with a 40-26 record in the first half of Midwest League baseball play, winning the Western Division championship and securing a 10th straight MWL postseason berth. If the many youngsters on this team, especially, in the lineup, continue to progress, the second half might just be ever better.

Tanner Schobel of the Cedar Rapids Kernels played shortstop at Virginia Tech. A second-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins last year, he has played second and third base in C.R. That defensive versatility and a solid bat makes him a definite candidate to one day play a utility role in the major leagues.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels drew over 5,000 fans for their game Saturday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium and have drawn more fans through 30 games than they ever have at the ballpark, which was built in 2002.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels have been a minor league affiliate of the Minnesota Twins for 10 seasons. A 3-1 win Friday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium over the South Bend Cubs clinched the Midwest League’s Western Division first-half championship and a 10th-straight playoff berth for the local baseball club.

Cedar Rapids Kernels hitters are using a computer-based pitching machine this season that mimics the exact metrics of opposing pitchers: everything from velocity, to spin rate and movement, to location.

Utility player Ernie Yake doesn’t play regularly for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He got into Thursday night’s game against South Bend as a pinch runner in extra innings. When the game continued a couple innings more, he got a chance to bat, smoking a two-out, walk-off single to give Cedar Rapids a 6-5, 12-inning victory.

Cedar Rapids Kernels pitcher Cory Lewis throws five pitches, one a knuckleball. The unique pitch has helped him excel in his first season of professional baseball, including a 7-2 win Wednesday afternoon over the South Bend Cubs.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels were away from home for two full weeks, playing 12 games at Lansing and Dayton. They did well on the road trip, coming back home to end the first half of Midwest League play with an eye on qualifying for the playoffs ... again.

A look at how former Eastern Iowa high school and University of Iowa baseball players are doing in affiliated professional baseball.