Metro Sports Report

Kiwanis pledges $300,000 for Miracle Field

The motto for all the Kiwanis Clubs on the international stage is  “Serving the children of the world right here at home.”

The local Kiwanis Clubs in Marion,  Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha have  embraced that motto right here in Linn County by pledging $300,000 for  naming rights to the new Miracle Field at Prospect Meadows.

The Miracle Field will give children and people of all ages with  disabilities the opportunity to play baseball on a field that’s being  built specifically for them, with a cushioned rubberized surface,  wheelchair-accessible dugouts and a completely flat surface to  eliminate barriers.

Byron Tabor, a member of two local Kiwanis Clubs, is serving as  president of the Kiwanis Miracle League at Prospect Meadows, and he’s  delighted that his organization will have its name permanently  attached to the Miracle Field, which will be the only one in our area.

Tabor has seen people playing on the Miracle Field in Des Moines, a  facility that has served as a model for the facility at Prospect  Meadows.

“It’s about helping the kids,” he said.  "Once you see it happen, the absolute pure joy those kids have is joyous to see."

The Miracle Field will be located just inside the entrance to Prospect  Meadows in a prime location.

11 Eagles earn regional honors

Eleven players from the Kirkwood men’s and women’s basketball teams  have received postseason honors on the all-regional teams announced  Monday.

Doug Wilson was named the Outstanding Player in NJCAA Division II  Region XI and led the first-team selections. Allante Pickens joined  Wilson on the first team.

Luke Appel was named second team all-region. Devonte Thedford and  Connor Kasperbauer were named Honorable Mention.

The Kirkwood men won the regional title Saturday and will play in the  national tournament next week in Danville, Ill.

Mount Mercy baseball sweeps Baker

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Mount Mercy baseball team swept a Heart of  America Conference doubleheader Monday from Baker University, 9-3 and  4-3 in 10 innings.

The twin-killing lifted the Mustangs to 6-10 overall and 3-5 in the  conference.

Chili Moseley, Kobi Candaroma and Corbin Day had two hits in the 9-3  victory in Game 1. Tito Berdecia and Day had two RBIs. Moseley and  Michael Perry scored twice.

Jake Faur pitched 6 1/3 strong innings for the Mustangs to collect the  victory in the opener. He allowed three runs on four hits.

Evan Jackson went 4-for-5 for Mount Mercy in the 4-3 victory in the  nightcap. Moseley, Nick Sueppel and Candaroma had three hits. Austin  Hilpipre scored two runs. The Mustangs had 17 hits in the ballgame,  but left 14 runners on base in the 10-inning affair.

KCC women fall in regional finals

MASON CITY - The Kirkwood women's basketball team is ranked No. 4 in the country, but the Eagles will not get a chance to compete for the national title this season.

Kirkwood lost to second-ranked NIACC, 77-70, in the championship game of the NJCAA Division II regional tournament Sunday in Mason City.

NIACC, enjoying the home-court advantage in the entire regional, advances to the national tournament March 19-23 in Harrison, Ark., with a 27-5 record and 15-game winning streak.

Coach Kim Muhl and the Kirkwood Eagles finished the season with a 27-7 record.

Kirkwood and NIACC tied for the conference title, but NIACC won the tiebreaker for the No.1 seed and home court. Kirkwood and NIACC played three times this season and the home team won each time, with NIACC prevailing twice in Mason City.