|
Thank you for reading the Metro Sports Report....
|
Scroll down for the latest Metro Sports news, stats & standings!  |
 |
* Contact Metro Sports Report * Jim Ecker, President & Editor jim.ecker@metrosportsreport.com 319-390-4236 |
The Cedar Rapids Kernels have announced their Gate Giveaway dates for the 2015 season.
The first gate giveaway is Friday, April 17 as the first 500 fans through the gates receive a free Kernels scarf from the Best Western Longbranch.
Here are the remainder of the Giveaway dates:
April 24: Wells Fargo/Copyworks Kernels Team Photo Giveaway
May 1: Avengers Movie Theme Night T-Shirt Giveaway
The Cedar Rapids Kernels will host their annual "Meet the Kernels" night on Tuesday, April 7 starting at 5 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The event is free to the public, with food and beverage available for purchase.
The Kernels' Bimm Ridder Diamond Shop will be open showcasing new merchandise for the 2015 season. The Kernels' Ticket Office also will be open so fans can purchase tickets to all 70 home games, including Opening Day on Sunday, April 12 against Beloit at 4:05 p.m.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels will wear special jerseys at selected games during the 2015 Midwest League season at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
These jerseys will be sold during their particular game through a silent auction on the concourse.
The Special Jersey Nights are:
May 2 - ACS Blackout Jersey Night (benefits the American Cancer Society)
May 29 - Star Wars Night (benefits Greg's Mission)
June 12 - ALS 'Jurassic World' Jersey (benefits the ALS Society)
June 18 - Especially For You Pink Jersey (benefits the Especially for You Walk)
June 26 - Autism Action Christmas Jersey
July 4 - Armed Forces Night
July 17 - Iowa State Jersey
Aug. 8 - Hawaiian Jersey (Jimmy Buffett Night)
Aug. 20 - Hawkeye Sports Night
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Ask Minnesota Twins pitching prospect Stephen Gonsalves about his offseason and the first thing he may mention is his vacation to Australia with fellow Twins pitching prospects Lewis Thorpe and Sam Gibbons.
“It was Sam’s 21st birthday so we made a little vacation out of it,” Gonsalves said Friday while watching his Cedar Rapids Kernels teammates face a group of Tampa Bay Rays Class A prospects.
But hanging out with Aussies Thorpe and Gibbons "down-under" for a couple of weeks was just one small part of his winter.
The 20-year-old lefty starting pitcher played a crucial role in the playoff drive the Kernels put together during the second half of the 2014 season. He notched a 3.19 ERA while striking out 44 batters in just 36.2 innings in eight starts.
Some young pitchers might have felt satisfied with those numbers and focused their offseason workouts on simply adding some muscle or improving their conditioning, but not Gonsalves.
Coe College national champion Farai Sewera has been named the co-MVP in wrestling for the Iowa Conference this season.
Sewera, a junior from Roselle, Ill., finished the season with a 29-2 record after defeating Tyler Schneider of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 9-4, in the NCAA finals at 165 pounds.
Kenny Martin of Wartburg was named co-MVP with Sewera. The Iowa Conference MVP is awarded to any wrestler who wins an NCAA individual title.
Sewera, Jan Rosenberg, Ryan Harrington, Ryan Sheldon, Donnie Horner and junior Creighton Fox were named to the All-Iowa Conference Wrestling Team. Coe's six selections were the second-most by a member school. The team is composed of the top three Iowa Conference place-winners at the NCAA Division III Central Region Championships.
The Kohawks finished seventh at the NCAA Championships for the seventh top-10 finish in school history.
Imagine being able to tell your friends that you once lived with a Major League baseball player. You may just get to do that if you choose to host a member of the Kernels during the 2015 season.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels Host Family Program is currently looking for anyone interested in housing a member of the Kernels for the 2015 season. Hosting a minor league player can be a very rewarding experience for both parties, the Kernels say in a press release.
Often times these living arrangements generate lifetime friendships. In instances involving foreign players it is also a wonderful opportunity to learn about their culture as well as sharing yours with them.
This is a voluntary program and host families receive no monetary compensation from the Kernels. However, host families do receive several benefits including invitations to team picnics, cookouts and two tickets to each home Kernels game. Although it is not a requirement to become a host family, the ability for a family to provide a hosted player with available transportation is ideal.
Members of the Kernels arrive in Cedar Rapids in early April and most remain with the team through mid-September.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Kernels Host Family Program should contact Scott Wilson ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) at (319) 896-7612.
Greg Seyfer has been elected the new president of the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the club announced Wednesday.
Seyfer succeeds Gary Keoppel as president. Greg Churchill was elected Vice President.
"The Board of Directors thank Gary for serving as the club's president for the past five years", said Seyfer. "He has done a tremendous job in leading the implementation of the organization's strategic plan of supporting the community, building a solid financial foundation, and preserving and promoting the game of baseball."
"I've enjoyed my time as President of the Cedar Rapids Ball Club and look forward to continuing to contribute and support the organization," said Keoppel. "I am confident that Greg Seyfer will do a great job of leading the club."
In addition to the changes on the Board of Directors, the club also announced organizational changes in the front office. Doug Nelson has been named Chief Executive Officer of the Cedar Rapids Ball Club and will oversee the organization's three operating divisions: Cedar Rapids Kernels, Waterloo Bucks and Kernels Concessions.
Scott Wilson has been promoted to General Manager of the Cedar Rapids Kernels and Dan Corbin will continue to serve as the General Manager of the Waterloo Bucks.
Jake Mauer will return for his third year as the manager of the Cedar Rapids Kernels in 2015, the Kernels and the Minnesota Twins announced Friday.
Mauer has led the Kernels to two straight berths in the Midwest League playoffs.
Henry Bonilla will be the Kernels pitching coach for 2015 after serving as the pitching coach at Elizabethton in 2014. This is his fourth season as a coach at the professional level.
Tommy Watkins will be returning to Cedar Rapids for his third season with the Kernels as the hitting coach.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels are confident they've solved their flooding problems by installing a new drainage system at Veterans Memorial Stadium this fall.
The $120,000 project is nearing completion, although it fell behind schedule due to unseasonably cold temperatures in November.
The flooding problem has existed ever since the stadium opened in 2002. When the stadium was built, a 10-inch pipe was installed to drain the entire bowl section of seats and it was not big enough to handle all the water from a heavy storm.
Excess rain water would run down the tunnel behind home plate and into dressing areas.
"Whenever there's a heavy downpour, it exceeds the limit for what that little 10-inch pipe will carry, and that creates flooding into the umpires room and both the visiting and home locker rooms," Kernels General Manager Doug Nelson explained Monday.
New Minnesota Twins Manager Paul Molitor is scheduled to be the featured guest at the 19th annual Cedar Rapids Kernels Hot Stove Banquet, to be held Tuesday, Jan. 13 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in downtown Cedar Rapids.
The banquet will include a silent auction featuring sports memorabilia and local items, the appearance of the Minnesota Twins Winter Caravan as well as the induction of the Class of 2015 into the Cedar Rapids Baseball Hall of Fame. This year's Hall of Fame Class includes Nick Adenhart, Chili Davis, Lanny Peterson and Burt Wilson.
This is the third time the Minnesota Twins Winter Caravan has visited Cedar Rapids and will feature Twins All-Star closer Glen Perkins, Molitor, coach Gene Glynn and a roundtable discussion with Q&A sessions and autographs. Kris Atteberry from the Twins Radio Network will emcee the Twins Winter Caravan. Players and coaches appearing with the Twins Winter Caravan are subject to change.
Proceeds from this event help the Kernels Foundation accomplish its vision of ensuring that all youth in Eastern Iowa have the opportunity to experience the thrills and life-enhancing lessons that come from engaging in athletics and recreational activities.
Tickets for the banquet go on sale Monday and are $40 in advance and $45 at the door, with corporate tables seating 10 people available for $350. Tickets can be purchased at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium during regular business hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by phone at 363-3887. Banquet tickets may be purchased on-line at www.kernels.com starting Monday.
KCRG TV-9, KZIA and KGYM are media sponsors of the banquet.
Page 23 of 74
Copyright © 2024 Metro Sports Report. All Rights Reserved.
Site Created by 
|
