Cedar Rapids Kernels Baseball

Kernels feast on Snappers, 9-0

The Minnesota Twins have strict new dietary rules for the players in their organization this year. Fried foods, greasy burgers and pizza are out.

Healthy food is in.

That's all right with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, who are halfway home to earning a big feast at the Ox Yoke Inn in Amana. There's plenty on the Ox Yoke menu to make even the hungriest minor leaguer leave with a smile.

The red-shot Kernels crushed Beloit, 9-0, Monday night for their fifth straight victory to begin the season before 1,081 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

If the Kernels win 10 straight, the ballclub will treat the players to a special treat in Amana. The Kernels chowed down at the Ox Yoke Inn before the season began and are salivating about a return visit.

"That was a great place," said second baseman Pat Kelly, who belted a three-run homer in the third inning Monday night. "They had it all. It was awesome."

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Tillery helps Kernels start 4-0

Zack Tillery got off to a terrific start as a hitter when he was a freshman at Florida Gulf Coast University a few years ago, but he's making his money as a pitcher now.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels are glad he is.

Tillery gave the Kernels a strong performance out of the bullpen Sunday as Cedar Rapids topped Beloit, 8-3, before 1,732 fans in the home opener at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Tillery, 22, allowed only one hit in 3 2/3 innings as the Kernels won their fourth straight game to begin the season. He struck out four batters and did not allow a run with his club clinging to a 5-3 lead at the time.

Tillery hit .314 with six home runs and 39 RBIs as a freshman at Florida Gulf Coast. He was also a pitcher in college, but for a time it looked like his future might be at third base.

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Kernels finish sweep of Kane County

GENEVA, Ill. - The Cedar Rapids Kernels made it a little exciting in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday afternoon, but they wriggled out of trouble and topped Kane County 5-3 to sweep the opening three-game series before 2,643 fans at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark.

The Kernels will put their 3-0 record on the line Sunday at 4:05 p.m. in the home opener against Beloit at Veterans Memorial Stadium for the start of a six-game homestand.

Cedar Rapids had a 5-1 lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth Saturday, but two straight infield errors helped Kane County score two unearned runs and brought the winning run to the plate for the Cougars with two runners on base.

Kernels relief pitcher Trevor Hildenberger took matters into his own hands at that point and collected a strikeout to end the game and end the suspense.

Stephen Gonsalves pitched six strong innings for the Kernels. He struck out nine batters and allowed only one run on five hits. Gonsalves did not walk anyone and did not face more than four batters in any inning.

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Kernels whip Cougars for 2-0 start

GENEVA, Ill. - The Cedar Rapids Kernels got a spotless performance from their relief pitchers Friday night and trimmed Kane County, 6-4, in a Midwest League game before 1,885 fans at the Fifth Third Bank Ballpark in Geneva, Ill.

The victory gave Cedar Rapids a 2-0 record to start the season.

Cedar Rapids starter John Curtiss surrendered a three-run home run in the first inning, but he settled down and left with a 6-4 lead after 5 2/3 innings.

Michael Theofanopoulos relieved Curtiss and tossed 2 1/3 innings of shutout ball, then C.K. Irby struck out the side in the ninth inning for the save.

The three Kernels pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts.

Nick Gordon went 3-for-5 with two RBIs for the Kernels. J.J. Fernandez also went 3-for-5. Zack Larson drove in two runs.

Cedar Rapids and Kane County will finish their three-game series Saturday at 1 p.m.

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Kernels win 5th straight opener, 7-2

GENEVA, Ill. - The Cedar Rapids Kernels know how to begin a season in style.

The Kernels won their fifth straight opener Thursday night with a 7-2 victory over Kane County in a rain-delayed Midwest League game before 4,657 fans at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark.

The start of the game was delayed 70 minutes by rain, but it was worth waiting as the Kernels got strong pitching and timely hitting. Starter Mat Batts allowed one run in 5 2/3 inning and left the mound with a 3-1 lead. He was touched for just two hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. Batts retired 14 straight batters at one point and had 1-2-3 innings in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings. He struck out the side in the fifth.

Jared Wilson pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and got a hold. Cam Booser tossed the final two innings for the save.

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Granite, Larson healthy and ready to go

Zack Granite and Zack Larson are both promising young outfielders with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, but they both got hurt while playing here last year and missed a good chunk of the season.

They are back for the 2015 season, healthy and raring to go.

Granite, 22, played in only 21 games last year. Larson, 21, appeared in 41 contests. They spent more time on the Disabled List than in the lineup during the 140-game campaign.

It was basically a lost year and missed opportunity, but they can't worry about that now.

"I feel great," Granite said Tuesday. "I hurt my shoulder early in the season, and then I came back and I tore my quad. It was a really down year for me last year, but I had a really good off-season.

"I'm 100 percent healthy, so I'm excited to start the year."

The Kernels open the season Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Kane County for a three-game series. The home opener is Sunday at 4:05 p.m. against Beloit at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

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3 amigos are running the Kernels

Jake Mauer, Tommy Watkins and Henry Bonilla were promising young ballplayers in the Minnesota Twins farm system in 2004 for New Britain in the Class Double-A Eastern League, all hopeful of reaching the Major Leagues at some point.

Only Watkins made it, playing in nine games for the Twins in 2007. Mauer hurt his arm and had to retire, never climbing above Double-A. Bonilla reached the Triple-A level with the Twins, but was unable to take the final step.

But 11 years ago, all things seemed possible.

"We were really good, too. Back then," Mauer said Tuesday, only half in jest with the passage of time.

But the truth is, they were good. Mauer hit .258 as a versatile infielder, a heady ballplayer with a great feel for the game. Watkins, mostly a third baseman, hit .267 with eight home runs and 47 RBIs. Bonilla, a pitcher, went 11-10 with a 4.54 ERA and made it to Triple-A that year.

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10 Kernels have been here before

The Cedar Rapids Kernels, in conjunction with the Minnesota Twins, announced their official 25-man roster Monday afternoon and there are a lot of familiar names on the list.

Ten of the 25 players spent time with the Kernels in 2014 and are back for another shot.

The roster features four of the Twins' Top 30 Prospects, according to Baseball America, including shortstop Nick Gordon.

In addition to Gordon, who is ranked as the Twins' No. 6 prospect, the roster includes left-handed pitcher Stephen Gonzalves (No. 14 prospect), right-handed pitcher Michael Cederoth (No. 23 prospect) and right-handed pitcher Felix Jorge (No. 28 prospect).

The Kernels' pitching staff features five hurlers who spent either all or part of the 2014 season in Cedar Rapids with Mat Batts, John Curtiss, Gonsalves, Jorge and Jared Wilson. It also features a strong core from Elizabethton, including Cederoth (third round 2014), lefthander Sam Clay (fourth round 2014) and righthander Randy LeBlanc (10th round 2014).

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Gordon has baseball in his blood

Cedar Rapids Kernels shortstop Nick Gordon was not born at a Major League ballpark, but he's certainly spent a good portion of his life in them.

His father is Tom "Flash" Gordon, who enjoyed a long career as a pitcher in the big leagues from 1988 through 2009. His older brother is Dee Gordon, an all-star second baseman with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year and now a member of the Miami Marlins.

Nick Gordon, 19, has baseball in his blood.

"My dad never pushed baseball on us, but being around it, we ended up loving the game so much," Gordon said Monday after arriving in Cedar Rapids. "It was always something me and my brother wanted to do.

"Baseball was a big thing in our family," he acknowledged. "Being around the park every day, you couldn't ask for anything better than that. We gradually fell in love with the game. It's always been a big part of us."

The Minnesota Twins selected Gordon in the first round of the 2014 draft with the No. 5 overall pick and gave him $3,851,000 to sign on the dotted line. He hit .294 in 57 games with Elizabethton in the Appalachian League last summer and was promoted to Cedar Rapids and the Midwest League for the 2015 campaign.

Dee Gordon played in the Midwest League in 2009 and has told his little brother a little about playing in the league. "He told me it was cold," laughed Gordon, whose family is from Florida.

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