Linn-Mar Baseball

Xavier is host site for Metro tourney

Xavier is one of two host sites for the 48th annual Bob Vrbicek Metro Tournament, which kicks off the high school baseball season for the  Saints, the other six schools in the Cedar Rapids Metro and Mount Vernon.

Xavier Coach Bob Cataldo's team, which finished last season at  12-23-1, will host Marion at 7 p.m. on Monday, following the 5 p.m.  contest between Jefferson and Washington at Ken Charipar Field.

Prairie is the other host site. Coach Todd Rima's Hawks, the defending Class 4A state champions, face a tough opener against traditional power Kennedy at 7 p.m. following a 4:30 p.m. contest between Mount Vernon and Linn-Mar.

Semifinal and consolation round games are set for Tuesday. The championship and third-place games will be Wednesday at Veterans Memorial Stadium with the fifth and seventh-place games to be played at Xavier.

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L-M's Kerr commits to Kirkwood baseball

Linn-Mar senior Kirby Kerr has committed to play baseball at Kirkwood Community College.

Kerr made the news known Monday on his Twitter account declaring: "I am excited to announce that I am going to continue my academic and baseball career next year at Kirkwood Community College."

An honorable mention all-MVC selection last summer, the outfielder/pitcher, batted .344 with five doubles, three triples and 20 runs batted in. In the outfield, he commited just one error in 48 chances. On the mound, he led the Lions with a 5-0 record and a 2.24 earned run average, 22 strikeouts and nine walks in 25 innings.

Kerr was also a two-year starter for the Lion football team and is a member of the basketball team.

Hines helps Saints get 1st MVC victory

New Xavier baseball coach Bob Cataldo had never seen Jacob Hines pitch before this season, but he remembered Hines from middle school and decided to put him on the varsity this year as a sophomore.

Smart move.

Hines tossed a complete game Friday night as the Saints trimmed Linn-Mar, 4-2, in the second game of their doubleheader at the Linn-Mar field for their first Mississippi Valley Conference win of the season.

Hines allowed only three hits and kept the ball around the plate all night.

"I used to coach Regis eighth grade basketball and Jacob was one of the kids I coached in eighth grade," Cataldo said. "I knew what kind of competitor he is."

The Saints had dropped 11 straight conference games this season, including a 6-3 loss to Linn-Mar in the first game Friday, but they've showed a lot of improvement the last three weeks and finally got their reward.

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Wyant will play ball at Kirkwood

Linn-Mar senior Ryan Wyant plans to continue his baseball career at Kirkwood Community College.

Wyant hit .298 this past season with one homer and nine RBIs. He also went 2-2 as a pitcher with a 5.10 ERA in 35 innings.

Wyant hit .312 as a sophomore in 2014 with 17 RBIs. He was 3-3 as a pitcher with a 2.70 ERA.