Metro Sports Report

Japan-Metro Classic: Zach Daniels

CLINTON - Zach Daniels heard some of the snickers when he was younger.

Some people thought he wasn't big enough, strong enough or good enough to be a successful high school baseball player.

Boy, were they wrong.

Daniels just finished one of the most successful high school careers in Metro history as an accomplished hitter, pitcher, middle infielder and base-stealer for the Kennedy Cougars.

His crowning achievement came Saturday morning when he was named the Player of the Year for the entire state by the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association.

Daniels hit .438 during his career at Kennedy, topped by an eye-popping average of .519 this season. He recorded a 17-5 record on the mound with a career 1.85 ERA. He stole 59 bases in 63 attempts, made dazzling plays on defense and helped the Cougars make two straight trips to the Class 4A state tournament.

Anderson saves Kernels in Ohio

EASTLAKE, Ohio - Nick Anderson wiggled out of a jam in the bottom of the ninth inning Tuesday night to save the Cedar Rapids Kernels in a 5-4 victory over Lake County before 2,720 fans in Ohio.

The Captains had runners on first and third with nobody out in the ninth inning, needing one run to tie the game and two runs to claim a victory, but Anderson retired three straight batters and stranded both runners on base.

Anderson, who recently joined the Kernels, also pitched a scoreless eighth inning to collect his first save. Keaton Steele (4-3) allowed three earned runs in six innings and got the victory.

The Kernels raised their record to 67-47, climbing 20 games over the .500 mark for the first time this season.

LeBlanc handles any task - including gators

When you ask ballplayers about their outside interests, it’s not unusual for them to express an interest in hunting. In that regard, Kernels pitcher Randy LeBlanc fits in with the crowd.

It’s when you ask what he hunts that LeBlanc begins to vary from the norm.

He’ll tell you he spent most of his offseason fishing and duck hunting, with a little deer hunting thrown in. Although, “my dad does more deer hunting than I do,” he said.

After a pause, he added the kicker.

“I’ve been gator hunting a few times. A couple of years ago, my cousin got a tag and we got one that was 10 feet.“

As it turns out, LeBlanc can handle an alligator or any role on the Kernels pitching staff.

Schemmel resigns as Xavier baseball coach

Dave Schemmel, the only baseball coach in Xavier High School history, resigned Friday.

Schemmel, who was previously the head coach at Cedar Rapids Regis and Cedar Rapids LaSalle before Xavier opened in 1998, posted a 431-234 career record with the Saints, including a state title in 2006 and state runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2007.

“This has been something that’s been on my mind for a few years now,” Schemmel said in a release from Xavier. “Because I look forward to the challenges that each new year brings, it’s just been difficult trying to find the right time to make the announcement.

“I’m so thankful for the opportunity and privilege to coach at Xavier. I am grateful for the backing of the administration, the hard work of my assistant coaches and the tremendous support of the parents and families of the players I’ve worked with. We’ve been blessed with some very talented and hardworking athletes. Hopefully we’ve made them better baseball players and that they’ve enjoyed their baseball experience at Xavier. I will cherish the great memories that I have from each team.”