Metro Sports Report

Jake Mauer gets call from Twins

It's taken 15 years as a player, coach and manager in the minor leagues with the Minnesota Twins organization, but Jake Mauer has finally gotten the call to experience life in the big leagues.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels manager will join the Twins as a coach for the last few weeks of the American League season after the Kernels are done in the Midwest League playoffs.

Mauer, 36, has spent his entire pro baseball career with the Twins and reached the Double-A level before an arm injury ended his playing days after the 2005 campaign.

Mauer grew up a Twins fan in the Twin Cities and his brother, Joe, has enjoyed an all-star career with the club and is their starting first baseman. Now Jake Mauer will be joining his younger brother in the Major Leagues and getting a first-hand look at Target Field from the ground level.

Oakland feels at home with Kohawks

Nate Oakland never had his own office when he served as an assistant coach with the Coe women's basketball team during the 2010 and 2011 campaigns, but now he's got his own digs with his name on the door.

Oakland, 35, was named Coe's new head coach in May and arrived on the job in June. He succeeded Randi Henderson, his former boss here who left after last season to become an assistant coach at North Carolina-Charlotte.

Oakland commuted from Cedar Falls to Cedar Rapids during his two years as an assistant coach with the Kohawks and shared office space at Eby Fieldhouse. Now he's in the big chair and loving it.

"It's been good," he said Wednesday morning. "It helps knowing your way around and knowing everybody down here. And knowing the league helps a lot."

Hughes will not pitch for Kernels

Minnesota Twins pitcher Phil Hughes looked good in his bullpen session Friday and will start against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday after spending the last month on the disabled list with a back injury.

The Twins considered sending Hughes to the Kernels for a rehab assignment, but that will not happen.

Hughes, 29, has been on the 15-day Disabled List since Aug. 13 with a lower back strain.

Jorge helps Kernels take Game 1

There are few sure things in life except death and taxes, but you can add Felix Jorge to the list as well.

He pitches deep into every game he throws.

During the regular season, Jorge made 22 starts for the Cedar Rapids Kernels and lasted at least six innings 20 times and at least five innings in the other two outings.

That reliability earned him the start for Cedar Rapids in Game 1 of its playoff series with the Quad Cities River Bandits Wednesday night and Jorge once again went deep for the Kernels.

Jorge threw 7 1/3 innings and allowed just two runs on nine hits in a 5-2 victory before 1,552 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Jorge was in command all night, able to work out of a few minor threats in the early innings. He struck out seven batters and walked one.

“I was comfortable with the slider,” the 21-year old right-hander said. “Everything was working, I was in control.”

Kernels Manager Jake Mauer agreed.