Cedar Rapids Kernels

Kernels will show Hawkeyes on video board

If you're caught between your love for the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Cedar Rapids Kernels, there's a way to watch both games Thursday night in the same location.

The Kernels will be showing Iowa's basketball game against Baylor for the NIT championship on the stadium's new 30-foot by 48-foot video board at the conclusion of the Kernels' home opener against Beloit.

The baseball game starts at 6:35 p.m. and the basketball game starts at 8 p.m., so the baseball game will still be in progress when the basketball game begins. However, the basketball game will be shown on some of the TVs on the concourse area from the beginning.

The concession stands will remain open through the end of the Iowa game.

It¹s also a Z 102.9 Thirsty Thursday, which means 12 ounce regular draft beer and 20 ounce bottled soda and water are $2 all night and through the NIT finals.

Kernels will go as far as pitching carries them

There is one common denominator when looking at a team's prospects no matter what the level of baseball.

Pitching.

Cedar Rapids Kernels Manager Jake Mauer assessed his club Tuesday. He talked about an exciting corps of youngsters led by center fielder Byron Buxton and a solid group of veterans. Then he got to the bottom-line.

"To be honest, it will be like anything," Mauer said from his Veterans Memorial Stadium office. "It will depend on how our pitchers do.

"If we keep the ball down and get the boys off the field, we should be as good as anybody."

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Buxton draws comparison to Trout

When Byron Buxton was asked to compare his style of play to a current major leaguer, he immediately mentioned Atlanta Braves outfielder B.J. Upton.

Buxton's Cedar Rapids Kernels batting coach Tommy Watkins looked a little closer to home.

"Seeing Mike Trout a couple of years ago, (Buxton) reminds me of a Mike Trout type player," said Watkins, who was a coach at Beloit when Trout, last year's American League Rookie of the Year and runnerup in Most Valuable Player voting, patrolled center field for the Kernels in 2010.

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Buxton coming to town with Kernels

The 25-man roster for the 2013 Cedar Rapids Kernels features six of the Twins' Top 30 Prospects, according to Baseball America, and includes 2012 first-round selection Byron Buxton, a talented outfielder with speed.

In addition to Buxton as the Twins' No.2 Top Prospect, the roster also includes lefthanded pitcher Mason Melotakis (No.13 top prospect), shortstop Jorge Polanco (No.14), third baseman Travis Harrison (No.17), righthanded pitcher Tyler Jones (No.23) and infielder Niko Goodrum (No.26).

The Kernels' pitching staff features four hurlers who spent the whole 2012 season in the Midwest League at Beloit (Tim Atherton, Steven Gruver, David Hurlbut and Tyler Jones), plus three others (Melotakis, Taylor Rogers and Matt Tomshaw) who spent at least part of 2012 with the Snappers when Beloit was affiliated with Minnesota.

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