Metro Sports Report

Kirkwood teams rank 1-2 in nation

One of their basketball teams is ranked No. 1 in the country and their other team is ranked No. 2.

It's been a terrific year for the Kirkwood Eagles so far this season.

The Kirkwood men's basketball team moved into the No. 1 spot in the NJCAA Division II rankings this week with a 20-2 record. They were second in the poll last week.

The Kirkwood women's team jumped two spots into the No. 2 position in the poll with a 19-5 overall mark.

Prominent national rankings are nothing new at Kirkwood, of course. The Kirkwood men won the national title in 2016 and Coach Bryan Petersen has fashioned a 146-36 record in six years as head coach.

Prospect Meadows has special Donor Wall

Tens of thousands of people will be coming to Prospect Meadows each  year and one of the first things they'll see is the eye-catching  Rotary Donor Wall at the new sports complex.

You can become a part of history at Prospect Meadows by having your  name on that wall. At the same time, you'll be making a valuable  contribution to the project.

For $500, you can have your name on one of the 600 baseballs on the  Rotary Donor Wall. And for $2,000, you can have your name on one of  the stars in the iconic structure.

The stainless steel Donor Wall is shaped like a map of Iowa with the  patriotic colors of red, white and blue in the likeness of an American  flag. The fundraising effort is being held in partnership with the  Metro Area Rotary Clubs.

You can put your family on the wall, you can put your business or  company on the wall, or you can dedicate one of the baseballs or stars  to something else you treasure.

You can request a red, white or blue ball. And all participants will  get a three-line inscription, with 12 characters on the first line, 13  characters on the second line and 12 characters on the third line.

MSR adds Prospect Meadows to website

The spanking new Prospect Meadows baseball and softball complex is set to open this May with eight regulation diamonds and the Miracle Field to serve the public.

In an exciting new development, the Metro Sports Report website will be there to cover Prospect Meadows every step of the way with stories and pictures at MetroSportsReport.com.

In fact, the coverage begins right now.

"We are delighted to be covering Prospect Meadows this year," said Jim Ecker, the Metro Sports Report president. "This incredible new facility will make an enormous impact on our community, and as baseball and softball fans ourselves we want to keep everyone informed about all the events and exciting new developments."

The official Opening Day Ceremonies have been set for Thursday, May 23 at Prospect Meadows, which is located on 128 acres at the juncture of Highway 13 and County Home Road, just north of Marion.

Phase I will include eight regulation diamonds and the Miracle Field for children with special needs. Phase II, scheduled for completion in a few years, will include eight smaller fields for youth baseball and softball.

Mustangs slowed down by Baker

No juice. No joy.

That was the story for the Mount Mercy men's basketball team at the Hennessey Recreation Center Saturday afternoon.

The Mustangs were held to their lowest point total of the season and lost to Baker University, 75-62, in a Heart of America Conference game.

The setback dropped Mount Mercy to 12-11 overall and 7-10 in the conference, leaving the Mustangs in a three-way tie for seventh place in the tight league standings with Baker and Central Methodist.

The Mustangs are only one game out of sixth place in the Heart of America standings, but they're also only one game out of 12th place in the 13-team conference.

Mount Mercy came into the home game with two straight victories over MidAmerica Nazarene and Graceland, but they shot only 38.7 percent from the field and never got rolling. Baker had a 9-and-12 record when the ballgame began, yet was clearly the better team Saturday.

"I thought it was a huge disappointment," said Coach Aaron Jennings. "I thought coming off a couple of tough wins, you'd like to think you've got some momentum.