Kennedy Baseball

Hoyer wins 600th game with Kennedy

IOWA CITY - Cedar Rapids Kennedy baseball coach Bret Hoyer reached another milestone Friday night when the 10th-ranked Cougars swept No. 9 Iowa City West, 4-0 and 6-3, in a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader.

The victories raised Hoyer's record at Kennedy to 601-295 in 23 years at the helm. His overall record is 665-333 in 26 campaigns, including three years at Iowa City Regina before moving to Kennedy.

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4 Metro teams make baseball rankings

Cedar Rapids Prairie jumped into the prep baseball rankings Monday by the Iowa Baseball Coaches Association, putting four Metro teams in the Class 4A rankings for the first time this season.

The Jefferson J-Hawks are ranked No. 4, Linn-Mar is No. 7, Prairie is No. 8 and Kennedy has fallen to No. 10 after beginning the year in the No. 1 spot in the poll.

Three Central Iowa teams top the Class 4A charts with Johnston, Waukee and Southeast Polk ranked 1-2-3.

The Xavier Saints dropped out of the Class 3A rankings.

CLASS 4A

1. Johnston, 2. Waukee, 3. Southeast Polk, 4. Jefferson, 5. Dowling, 6. Sioux City East, 7. Linn-Mar, 8. Prairie, 9. Iowa City West, 10. Kennedy.

CLASS 3A

1. Davenport Assumption, 2. Pella, 3. West Delaware, 4. Sioux City Heelan, 5. Harlan, 6. Knoxville, 7. Gilbert, 8. Waverly-Shell Rock, 9. Fairfield, 10. Williamsburg.

Daniels stops Prairie with 2-hitter

Zach Daniels had already thrown 109 pitches when Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer visited the mound in the top of the seventh inning Tuesday in a tense game against Prairie.

Kennedy owned a 3-2 lead, but the Hawks had runners at first and second with only one out with the game hanging in the balance.

Most coaches would ask their pitcher how he felt after throwing 109 pitches, but Daniels was an elite all-state selection last year and will throw for the Iowa Hawkeyes when his prep career is over.

Hoyer never asked.

"It kind of surprised me," Daniels said with a grin.

Hoyer had confidence in Daniels and liked the way he was pitching. And as it turned out, all it took was one more pitch.

Daniels got Jared Street to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game, with Kennedy first baseman Tyler Jacobs making a nice pick of a one-hop throw to prevent the tying run from scoring.

That ended Kennedy's 3-2 victory in a Mississippi Valley Conference game at Kennedy.

Hoyer reminded his infielders what to do if they ball was hit to them in the top of the seventh, but confirmed he had few words for his star hurler.

"I reassured him that he still had real good stuff, real good life," Hoyer said. "Trust yourself and hit the mitt, and he did."

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Day lifts Prairie by No.4 Cougars

Corbin Day delivered a game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday night as the Prairie Hawks trimmed fourth-ranked Kennedy, 6-5, in a Mississippi Valley Conference game at Prairie.

The same two teams meet again Tuesday night at Kennedy.

Day went 3-for-3 in the ballgame, capped by his walk-off base hit.

Tyler Nunemaker had a big game for Prairie. He went 2-for-3 with a double, home run and three RBIs. Trey Beckman was 2-for-4.

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