Cedar Rapids Kernels Baseball

Twins donate $10,000 to Prospect Meadows

The Twins Community Fund Board of Directors and Minnesota Twins Baseball Club have selected Prospect Meadows as a 2014 Twins Fields for Kids matching grant recipient.

Prospect Meadows will receive $10,000 for the “Load the Bases” public campaign to build a Miracle Field at Prospect Meadows, the proposed 17-field complex north of Marion.

“We appreciate every gift and grant that pushes us that much closer to our goal,” said Jack Roeder, president of Prospect Meadows. “It has been great having the Cedar Rapids Kernels affiliated with the Twins, and it is great to see the Twins Community Fund board invest in building ball fields for our area youth.”

The Miracle Field at Prospect Meadows will be used by players with disabilities.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels are a Minor League Baseball team owned by the Cedar Rapids Ball Club. The Kernels are a class A Midwest League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins Fields for Kids program awards matching grants to non-profit organizations providing youth softball and baseball programs in the upper Midwest and southwest Florida. These grants may be between $1,000 and $10,000, and they are available for renovation or construction projects for playing fields primarily used by youth.

Projects eligible for the grant include upgrades or construction of essential field features, such as sod, infields, dugouts and fencing.

For more information on Prospect Meadows Ball Fields, visit www.ProspectMeadows.com or contact Prospect Meadows at (319) 393-1684.

Walker hopes to give Kernels a lift

Ryan Walker got all excited Tuesday night when he received the message in Florida to pack his bags and head to Cedar Rapids as quickly as possible to help the injury-plagued Kernels, but nothing comes easy for the Kernels these days.

Walker was headed to the ballpark in Fort Myers, Fla., Tuesday night to pack his gear when he got stuck in the elevator at his hotel for more than an hour.

"We were going to the field to pick up my stuff," he related Wednesday night after the Kernels dropped their second straight doubleheader to Peoria. "Halfway down at Floor 2.5 the power went out, so I spent about an hour in there."

Hotel guests and personnel knew he was in there by himself, but there was nothing anyone could do for awhile. He had to wait and let the firefighters and the rescue crew do their job.

"People were yelling at me, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from," he said.

Walker tried to relax and listened to music on his cell phone until he finally got out of that elevator. He ended up collecting his gear Wednesday morning instead of Tuesday night.

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Avila, Walker replace injured Kernels

The Cedar Rapids Kernels and Minnesota Twins announced Wednesday that infielders Carlos Avila and Ryan Walker have joined the Kernels from Extended Spring Training.

They replace infielder Engelb Vielma and outfielder Jason Kanzler, who have been placed on the 7-day disabled list after getting hurt Tuesday night against Peoria.

Brad Steil, Director of Minor League Operations for the Twins, announced the moves.

The Twins selected Avila in the 32nd round of the 2013 draft from Cal State Dominguez Hills. He spent last season at Elizabethton where he hit .206 with a double and four RBIs in 24 games.

The Twins selected Walker in the 18th round of the 2013 draft from the University of Texas-Arlington. He split last season between Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids, batting a combined .265 with five doubles, a home run and 16 RBIs.

Vielma goes on the DL with a right hamstring strain and Kanzler goes on the DL with a concussion.

Avila and Walker are both active and available for Wednesday's doubleheader with the Peoria Chiefs at 5:05 p.m.

With today's transactions, the Kernels' roster is at the maximum of 25 active players,with seven players currently on the DL and one player on the Restricted List.

Wounded Kernels swept by Peoria

The Cedar Rapids Kernels were battered, bruised and beaten Tuesday night.

Twice.

Peoria swept the wounded Kernels, 4-3 and 6-4, in a Midwest League twinbill before 1,927 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The injury-prone Kernels lost two more players in the opener when shortstop Engelb Vielma pulled a hamstring muscle and center fielder Jason Kanzler suffered a possible concussion when he collided with second baseman Tanner Vavra on a pop fly.

Vielma and Kanzler both left the game and did not play in the nightcap,leaving Cedar Rapids skipper Jake Mauer with only one able-bodied sub on the bench.

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Kernels cut Powell; Wilson joins club

The Cedar Rapids Kernels and Minnesota Twins announced Tuesday that right-hander Jared Wilson will join the Kernels from Extended Spring Training and that right-hander Christian Powell has been given his unconditional release.

Brad Steil, Director of Minor League Operations for the Twins, announced the moves.

The Twins selected Wilson in the 19th round of the 2013 draft from UC Santa Barbara. He made 10 appearances with the GCL Twins last season (three starts) posting a 3-2 record and 5.23 ERA. In 20.2 IP, he allowed 19 hits and 13 runs (12 earned) with 10 walks and 22 strikeouts.

Powell had made 10 relief appearances for the Kernels this season with a 0-1 record and 7.56 ERA. In 16.2 IP he allowed 20 hits and 15 runs (14 earned) with 16 walks and 17 strikeouts.

Wilson will be active and available for Tuesday night's doubleheader against Peoria at 5:05 p.m.

Soggy Kernels plan 2 doubleheaders

The Cedar Rapids Kernels' scheduled doubleheader against Peoria Monday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium was rained out.

The Kernels plan to play back-to-back twinbills against Peoria on Tuesday and Wednesday at the stadium, starting at 5:05 p.m. both days.

Monday's doubleheader was created when a game at Peoria earlier this season was postponed due to weather.

Arteaga puts Kernels pitchers in 'zone'

Ivan Arteaga is in his first year serving as the Cedar Rapids Kernels' pitching coach, but he’s far from being a rookie when it comes to working with young pitchers in the Twins organization.

After bouncing around the minor leagues for much of the 1990's with the Expos, Rockies and Mets organizations, the Venezuela native began coaching young pitchers for the Twins organization in 2001 and he’s been helping to develop the organization’s young arms ever since.

Arteaga spent several years as the pitching coordinator for the Twins’ Venezuelan Academy and coached at both Rookie League levels before serving as the pitching coach for the Class High-A Fort Myers Miracle a year ago. This season, he and Gary Lucas (the 2013 Kernels pitching coach) traded assignments, bringing Arteaga to Cedar Rapids.

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Kernels juggle their roster again

The Cedar Rapids Kernels and Minnesota Twins announced Saturday that infielder Tanner Vavra and catcher Michael Quesada have been activated from the 7-day disabled list and that outfielder Zack Larson has been placed on the 7-day DL.

Brad Steil, Director of Minor League Operations for the Twins, announced the moves.

Vavra went on the DL May 2 with a right ankle sprain and Quesada went on the DL April 17 with a right wrist contusion.

Larson goes on the DL with a right hamstring strain. In 32 games for the Kernels, he is batting .292 with 11 doubles, a home run and 19 RBIs.

Kernels get 18 hits in 10-5 victory

APPLETON, Wis. - Mitch Garver went 4-for-5 Friday night and drove in three runs as the Cedar Rapids Kernels dumped Wisconsin, 10-5, before 3,668 fans at Fox Cities Stadium.

Engelb Vielma went 4-for-6 for the Kernels and scored four times in their 18-hit attack. Bryan Haar joined the party by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Jason Kanzler was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

Aaron Slegers (4-0, 3.27 ERA) allowed nine hits and five runs in 5.2 innings for Cedar Rapids and gave up two home runs, but it was good enough to get the victory.

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