Metro Sports Report

Ryan Sweeney signs with Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins have announced that they have signed outfielder and Cedar Rapids native Ryan Sweeney to a minor league contract with an invitation to the Twins’ Major League spring training camp.

Sweeney, who will turn 31 years old in February, was originally selected by the Chicago White Sox in the second round of the 2003 amateur draft. He was released by the Chicago Cubs at the end of spring training last year and was not picked up by another Major eague organization during the 2015 season.

His last appearance for the Cubs came on Aug. 26, 2014.

The Twins released a list of 22 players that were being invited to their Major League spring training on minor league contracts. Sweeney was one of four outfielders to get an invitation.

Torii Hunter, the Twins’ right fielder in 2015, announced his retirement following the season and Minnesota traded center fielder Aaron Hicks to the New York Yankees in November, potentially creating openings in their outfield for 2016. In addition, the club’s primary reserve outfielder, Shane Robinson, recently signed a free agent contract with the Cleveland Indians.

McGing gets hat trick, but Riders fall

MUSKEGON, Mich. – Hugh McGing scored a hat trick, but it wasn’t enough as the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders lost to Muskegon 5-4 in overtime Friday in front of 1,672 fans at L.C. Walker Arena.

McGing scored once in the first period and twice more in the second period. Zac Robbins also scored to give the RoughRiders a 4-3 lead entering the third period.

Muskegon’s Mitch Eliot scored in the third period to send the match into overtime, and Collin Adams scored at 1:02 in overtime to give Muskegon the win.

Goalie Ben Blacker had 39 saves for Cedar Rapids, while Joey Daccord had 30 for Muskegon.

The RoughRiders are 15-7-2 and tied with Dubuque for first place in the Eastern Conference with 24 points each.

RoughRiders 1 3 0 0 – 4
Muskegon 2 1 1 1 – 5
RR – McGing (Cole)
M – Drevitch
M – Hamilton (Palecco, Adams)
RR – McGing (Bierley)
RR – Robbins (Irvine)
RR – McGing (Snodgrass, Hayhurst)
M – Eliot (DeMontis, Daschke)
M – Adams (Hamilton, Kallen)

Kirkwood edged in premier JUCO battle

They played a basketball game for grown men at Kirkwood Community College Wednesday night between two of the premier junior college teams in Iowa.

Based on what transpired at Johnson Hall, don't be surprised if both clubs end up playing in national tournaments this year.

The Reivers from Iowa Western nipped the Kirkwood Eagles, 76-74, in a highly entertaining contest that came down to the final shot of the game when Kirkwood guard Hunter Rhodes barely missed a 3-pointer from 35 feet.

Iowa Western is ranked No. 10 in the nation at the Division I level of junior college basketball and Kirkwood is ranked No. 2 in Division II, with the biggest difference in the divisions having to do with the amount of scholarship money available at each school.

When it came to the actual players on the floor, there was barely a dime's worth of difference.

Kirkwood Coach Bryan Petersen was mostly happy with the way his team played, but they don't award consolation prizes in college basketball.

"I thought we played pretty hard, definitely in spurts," said Petersen, "but as I keep telling the guys, you either get it done or you don't and we didn't get it done tonight."

Williams, Wills lift Wash by Cougars

New Cedar Rapids Washington coach Justin Decker thought Laveechie Williams would miss the first few weeks of the basketball season after Williams broke his nose in early November before practice began.

Decker may have underestimated the 6-foot-5 senior a little bit.

Williams slapped a mask on his face for the season opener and has been a major force with the Warriors, averaging a double-double with 13.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

The Masked Marvel did it again Tuesday night.

Williams scored 15 points and snared 11 rebounds with fierce work off the backboards to help Washington hold off the Kennedy Cougars, 55-51, in a Mississippi Valley Conference game at the Washington gym.

Williams is making an early bid for all-conference honors despite having limited vision due to the mask. "My vision is so bad," he said. "When I look to my left or right, I can't even see."

He sees everything in front of him, however, and was a big reason the Warriors squared their records at 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the MVC.