Forget the language barrier and other cultural differences. Maybe the biggest adjustment a team of high school baseball players from Yamanashi, Japan, has had to make during a weeklong stay in Iowa is food.
And not necessarily types.
“It’s a lot more volume per person,” said team captain Takumi Hosaka before last night’s all-star game at Veterans Memorial Stadium between Yamanashi and an Iowa Select team that included Metro and area prep players.
This was the last of five games the Yamanashi team played in Iowa as …

You might be looking at the next Ichiro tonight. Or the next Joe Mauer, for that matter.
A high-school baseball team from Yamanashi, Japan, is here to play a team of local and area preps in what is being labeled the Japan-Iowa All-Star Baseball Classic at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The nine-inning contest is being sponsored by the Iowa AAU, Cedar Rapids Convention and Visitors Bureau, Cedar Rapids Kernels and Perfect Game USA.
Yamanashi has a sister-state relationship with Iowa that was formed in the 1990s, according to …

When Scott Schebler was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 26th round of June’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, he was quite certain he wouldn’t turn professional and would head to powerhouse Wichita State for three years of college baseball instead.
The Dodgers gave him 300,000 reasons to change his mind. That’s the contract signing bonus (in dollars, of course) the team and the former Cedar Rapids Prairie prep agreed to Monday, the last day MLB clubs could sign their 2010 draft picks.
“Dream come true,” said Schebler, who …

You might be looking Tuesday night at the next Ichiro. Or the next Joe Mauer, for that matter.
A high-school baseball team from Yamanashi, Japan, is here to play a team of local and area preps in what is being labeled the Japan-Iowa All-Star Baseball Classic at Memorial Stadium. First pitch is 7.
The nine-inning contest is being sponsored by the Iowa AAU, Cedar Rapids Convention and Visitors Bureau, Cedar Rapids Kernels and Perfect Game USA. Yamanashi has a sister-state relationship with Iowa that was formed in the 1990s, according to Perfect …

By tonight he ought to know for sure if he’s going to be a Seattle Mariner or Nebraska Cornhusker. But as of now, Jon Keller‘s baseball future is still uncertain.
The Cedar Rapids Xavier grad was an 11th-round draft pick of the Mariners in June but hasn’t signed a professional contract and has until midnight Monday to do so. That’s the deadline for major league clubs to sign their picks.
“We’ve had three offers but haven’t taken any of them,” said Al Keller, Jon’s dad. “We’re still hopeful something will happen, but …

Iowa High School Athletic Association Executive Director Rick Wulkow was kind enough to sit down for a short chat during last week’s state baseball tournament in Des Moines.
Wulkow has been with the IHSAA since 1980, including five years as executive director. A Lytton native, Wulkow was recently appointed president-elect of the National Federation of High School Associations.
Here’s the interview with Wulkow in its entirety.
Q: Tell me about the national appointment and how you feel about it?
A: It’s one of those things that you kind of dream …

To the victor, go the spoils. And a lot of all-state honors, too.
Class 2A state champion Solon has five players on the Iowa Newspaper Association’s all-state baseball team, including four first-teamers. A panel of state sportswriters selected players to three all-state teams in each of the four classes.
Cedar Rapids Xavier pitcher Jon Keller has been elected the all-state captain in 4A. He is a Seattle Mariners draft pick who is still negotiating a professional contract with the club.
Class 4A state champion Cedar Rapids Kennedy is represented by first-team outfielder Austin …

DES MOINES — You’d have to say this one was over shortly after it began. Or maybe before it began.
Cedar Rapids Kennedy won its first state baseball championship last night by destroying Iowa City West, 11-1, in the Class 4A title game at Principal Park.

This much-anticipated battle of Mississippi Valley Conference rivals never materialized, perhaps in part because of who didn’t play as well as the actions of the guys who did. That’s not in the least meant to slight the Cougars (32-10), who played …

DES MOINES – This might have been the hardest Brandon Shulista threw anything all day.
“I was pretty pumped up,” the Solon pitcher said after stabbing a bullet of a comebacker to end Saturday afternoon’s Class 2A state championship baseball game. ”That line drive really hurt my hand, actually. Just a huge adrenalin rush.”
Shulista stood there temporarily stunned after the reflex catch gave his school its first state baseball title, 5-2, over Carroll Kuemper at Principal Park. Then in a sudden flash of unbridled emotion, Shulista took …

Jeff Johnson will be providing live coverage as Solon (40-2) takes on Carroll Kuemper (27-9) at 2:00 p.m.
Solon Championship Game