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.
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.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels won the Western Division and finished with the Midwest League’s best record in the first half. They look to continue to win as second half gets underway.
Starting pitcher Brent Headrick improved his record to 7-2 with five strong innings as the Cedar Rapids Kernels beat West Michigan, 4-2, Wednesday afternoon. Headrick is tied for the Midwest League lead in wins.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels got a walk-off RBI single from newcomer Frank Nigro to beat Dayton, 4-3, Sunday afternoon. The club has the Midwest League’s best record and clinched the Western Division first-half championship Saturday.
A 9-5 win over Dayton on Saturday clinched the first-half championship for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in the Midwest League’s Western Division
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.
Cedar Rapids Kernels starting pitcher David Festa has seen the velocity on his fastball jump from a maximum of 93 miles per hour in college to as high as 99 this season. As such, he’s beginning to make a name for himself in the Minnesota Twins organization.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels beat Dayton, 3-0, Friday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium, reducing their magic number for clinching the first-half championship in the Midwest League’s Western Division to just 1.
Second baseman Yunior Severino went 4-for-4 with two home runs, including a 460-foot blast, to help lift the Cedar Rapids Kernels to a 7-2 win Wednesday afternoon over the Dayton Dragons at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
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