Jeff Johnson

Here’s a look at local, area and former University of Iowa players and how they are doing in affiliated minor league and major league baseball.

Second-ranked Iowa City High beat Bettendorf, 8-0, in a Class 4A substate baseball final Tuesday to advance to the state tournament at home in Iowa City.

The Mid-Prairie baseball team scored three times in the top of the first inning, overcame an immediate injury to its starting pitcher and beat West Marshall, 3-1, in a Class 2A substate final Tuesday night.

North Linn’s baseball team qualified for the state tournament for the sixth time in eight years via a 13-3, six-inning win over Lynnville-Sully in a Class 1A substate final Tuesday night.

The third-ranked Lisbon Lions softball team scored four unearned runs in the third inning, which were enough to win a Class 1A regional final Monday over Clarksville, 4-1. It’s the fifth state tournament berth in a row for the school.

Third baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand had an unreal start to the 2022 Midwest League season. After a bit of a lull, he his producing big offensive numbers again.

Austin Hilmer of North Linn is the 2022 Gazette Male Athlete of the Year.

Catcher Pat Winkel spent the first six weeks of the minor league baseball season on the injured list with a back problem. Since being activated, he has hits in 16 of his 21 games with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, including three multi-hit games in July.

Gazette Athletes of the Year Ryan Driscoll (1992) and Monica Huelman Zaruba (1996) passed away about a year apart. They left tons of great memories for fans.

The ECHL’s Iowa Heartlanders announced Tuesday that Derek Damon will take over duties as head coach and general manager of the second-year pro hockey franchise. He was an assistant coach last season for the Heartlanders.

Four members of the Cedar Rapids Kernels are on the injured list with COVID-19, another two on IL with concussion and hamstring injury. Those absences have contributed to slow start to Midwest League’s second half.

Tickets for the August 9 Midwest League baseball game between the Cedar Rapids Kernels and Quad Cities River Bandits at the Field of Dreams movie site near Dyersville go on sale to residents of Iowa and Illinois on Saturday morning. They are $85 for a box seat and $65 for a bleacher seat.

Former Western Dubuque prep and 2020 Gazette Male Athlete of the Year Calvin Harris was named to the all-tournament team as his Ole Miss Rebels won the College World Series earlier this week. Now he’s preparing to play in the prestigious Cape Cod League next week.

Head coach/general manager Gerry Fleming and assistant coach/assistant general manager Derek Damon have been hard at work building an Iowa Heartlanders roster for the 2022-23 season. With their inaugural season out of the way, they’re finding more receptiveness from potential players.

There are a low percentage of African-Americans playing the game of baseball professionally, and an even lower percentage playing Division I college ball. Cedar Rapids Kernels Black players hope those numbers will increase.