Metro Sports Report

Garver hurt as Kernels drop opener

The Midwest League playoffs have just started, but the Cedar Rapids Kernels are already in deep trouble in their best-of-3 series after the Burlington Bees after losing 2-0 at Veterans Memorial Stadium Wednesday night.

Chih-Wei Hu, their best pitcher, tossed five scoreless innings Wednesday but it wasn't good enough.

The Kernels bullpen, nearly flawless the past two months, gave up two runs and took a rare loss.

Mitch Garver, their MVP and Midwest League all-star, took two nasty foul tips off his mask and could be done for the playoffs with concussion-like symptoms for the second time this summer.

The Kernels will have to defeat the Bees in Burlington Thursday night and Friday night to reach the second round of the playoffs. Right now it does not look good.

Saints, Cougars search for 1st win

There are two intriguing high school football games on tap Thursday night in Week 2 of the regular season.

The Xavier Saints will face Davenport Assumption at Brady Street Stadium in Davenport, looking to rebound from a 24-2 loss at Dowling Catholic last week.

The Kennedy Cougars will host the Washington Warriors at Kingston Stadium, hoping to bounce back from a tough 12-9 loss at Iowa City West last week.

The Saints stayed No.1 in Class 3A in the Des Moines Register poll this week despite the loss to Dowling, which is ranked No.1 in Class 4A.

The Washington Warriors remained No.3 in the Class 4A rankings following their 43-26 verdict over Jefferson in the season opener last week.

NO.1 XAVIER (0-1) at NO.5 DAVENPORT ASSUMPTION (0-1)

Thursday, 7:15 p.m.
Brady Street Stadium, Davenport
KMRY-1450 AM (tape delayed after Kernels game)

The rebuilt Saints played well on defense in their 24-2 loss to Dowling on a stormy night in West Des Moines last Friday, holding the high-powered Maroons to just 231 yards and three touchdowns.

Mauer could return to Kernels in 2015

Jake Mauer is a loyal member of the Minnesota Twins organization and will happily return to Cedar Rapids as manager of the Kernels again next season if that's what the Twins want.

"There's a chance," he said. "Without a doubt."

He'd also like to reach the Major Leagues as a coach or manager of the Twins some day, ideally while his brother Joe is still playing for Minnesota.

Mauer, 35, has no control over the situation, other than to handle each assignment to the best of his ability and remain patient. The Minnesota organization thinks highly of him, but so far he's spent nine years in the low minors as a coach and manager.

He's considered an excellent teacher and has done a terrific job with the Kernels the past two years with a 161-117 overall record and two straight trips to the Midwest League playoffs.

Rima casts eye on Prairie baseball job

Kirkwood Community College baseball coach Todd Rima confirmed Monday that he's interested in becoming the new head baseball coach at Cedar Rapids Prairie.

If hired by Prairie, Rima would continue to serve as the head coach at Kirkwood and hold both jobs.

"I would consider it. Yes," Rima remarked when asked if he's interested in the post at Prairie.

Matt Thede resigned as Prairie's baseball coach after the 2014 season to become the athletic director and assistant principal at Mount Vernon High School.

Rocky Bennett, the athletic director at Prairie, confirmed he has spoken to Rima informally about the job, but quickly added that he's spoken to several other potential candidates as well. Bennett said he'd move forward on the selection process in September.

Joe Yegge, the softball coach at Kirkwood, is also the head softball coach at Prairie, so there is precedent for someone doing both jobs. Rima said he has talked to Yegge about the demands of holding both assignments.