Jeff Johnson

Make it 1 for 1 for the Iowa Heartlanders, who won their first-ever ECHL playoff game Friday night, 5-3, at Fort Wayne. Gavin Hain had a goal and two assists for Iowa.

The Iowa Heartlanders qualified for the ECHL playoffs this season for the first time in the four-year history of the franchise. Their first-round opponent is the Fort Wayne Komets, a franchise that has won 10 championships in various leagues in its history. Game 1 is Friday night Indiana.

Muskegon scored four goals in the first period, and that’s all it needed to win the deciding Game 3 of a United States Hockey League playoff series against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders lost Game 1 of this United States Hockey League first-round series at Muskegon on a goal with just over a minute remaining Monday night. But they returned the favor Tuesday night in Game 2, as Heath Nelson scored with 59 seconds remaining for a come-from-behind 4-3 victory.

Vaclav Nestrasil scored a goal with 1:08 left as the Muskegon Lumberjacks beat the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 2-1, Monday night in Game 1 of their United States Hockey League first-round playoff series.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels beat Beloit, 10-7, Sunday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium to win the first full series of the Midwest League season four games to two. Cedar Rapids has a 6-3 overall record, even after having to place four players on the injured list this week.

It took until the regular-season finale for everyone Saturday night to determine who the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders would play in the first round of the United States Hockey League playoffs. It turned out to be the Muskegon Lumberjacks, with the teams meeting Monday, Tuesday and perhaps Wednesday nights in Michigan in a best-of-3 series.

He’s on pace for 66 victories this season. Pitcher Spencer Bengard of the Cedar Rapids Kernels has thrown in three games in the very early going and won all three. That included Saturday afternoon when the Kernels beat Beloit, 7-4, at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

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.