Metro Sports Report

Tim Evans new baseball coach at Kirkwood

Tim Evans has been selected as the new baseball coach at Kirkwood Community College, the Metro Sports Report confirmed Sunday night.

Evans succeeds John Lewis, who retired as Kirkwood's head coach this summer after 32 years and 1,095 victories.

Evans played for Lewis at Kirkwood and served as one of Lewis' assistant coaches from 1992-96.

Evans was an assistant coach at Iowa State for one season and was there when the Cyclones dropped their program. He also coached for two years at the University of Iowa.

Evans graduated from Cedar Rapids Prairie High School. He played at Kirkwood for two years, then went to Southern Arkansas before playing in the minor leagues.

Evans was one of the original owners of the Diamond Dreams baseball academy in Iowa City. He is the owner/founder of the ABG Baseball & Softball Academy and also serves as a scout for the Cleveland Indians.

Evans could not be reached for comment Sunday night.

Wagner makes smooth move to Marion

Mitch Wagner missed a trip to the state baseball tournament with Kennedy High School this week, but he's found another ride to Principal Park in Des Moines.

He's going as the starting third baseman for the Marion Indians.

Wagner transferred from Kennedy to Marion this past year as a junior, seeking new opportunities in sports and the classroom. He's delighted with the results.

"Academically, it's a smaller school and smaller class sizes. I thought that would be a good situation for me," he said. "And sports-wise, just an opportunity to play as a junior."

Wagner was ineligible for sports for the first 90 days of the 2010-11 school year as a transfer student, causing him to miss part of the basketball season, but he found a role as a reserve guard and helped the Indians make the state basketball tournament.

He's been the starting third baseman for the baseball team all season and is hitting a solid .375 as the Indians prepare for the opening round of the Class 3A tournament in Des Moines on Tuesday. Marion (26-16) will play Storm Lake (26-8) at noon.

Wagner ranks in the top 2 or 3 for the Indians in batting average, home runs (4), RBIs (39), hits (54), doubles (8), triples (5), walks (23) and stolen bases (10 for 10).

"He's been a pleasant little surprise," Marion Coach Steve Fish remarked. "We're happy to have him."

Wagner stands 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds, but he's shown good power for a relatively small player. "Everybody always says that," he said with a grin. "I try to have quick hands. My philosophy is just to hit the ball hard."

Garman grabs MVP honor in Shrine Bowl

AMES - Jer Garman showed Saturday night that he's big enough to play with the big boys on a big stage.

The Linn-Mar High School tailback was named the Offensive MVP for the North team and led all rushers in the 39th Annual Shrine Bowl at Jack Trice Stadium.

The South won an exciting game, 17-14, before approximately 5,000 fans.

Garman is a strong football player who prides himself on staying in great shape, but he's only 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds. He rushed for 1,601 yards and 26 touchdowns for Linn-Mar last fall, but his size scared all of the big schools away.

He'll report for football practice at the University of North Dakota on Aug. 1, but he proved Saturday night that he can play football with all of the elite players in Iowa.

"Yeah, I definitely did," he said after rushing for a game-high 60 yards on 15 carries. "I know that some stuff didn't happen my way, but it all happens for a reason. I'm happy to be a North Dakota Fighting Sioux and I'm going to make the most of it."

Christensen Metro Player of the Year

Kennedy senior Austin Christensen, who set numerous school hitting and pitching records for the Cougars this season, was named the Metro Athlete of the Year in voting by the seven Metro baseball coaches.

Christensen also was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Iowa and was named the Mississippi Division Player of the Year in the Mississippi Valley Conference. He was 8-0 on the mound and slugged 19 home runs, helping Kennedy to a 31-8 record and berth in the Class 4A state tournament, where the Cougars are the defending champions.

Kennedy had three players on the first team and Jefferson had one. The other five schools had two representatives apiece.

Joining Christensen on the first team from Kennedy are second baseman Terrell Sykes and third baseman Devon Jacobus.

Marion qualified for the Class 3A tournament. The Indians on the first team are second baseman Kasey Semler and shortstop Zach Nielsen.