Metro Sports Report

Scott Schebler (left) and Kellen Sweeney meet before Friday night's Midwest League baseball game at Lansing, Mich. Schebler, a former Prairie multi-sport standout, plays for the Great Lake Loons, an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sweeney, a former Jefferson star, is a third baseman for the Lansing Lugnuts, an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The pair played together on youth teams in Cedar Rapids. (Photo by Wendy Smith)

This pair has come long way since T-ball

Fri - 06 Apr Written by Jim Ecker

LANSING, Mich. -- Kellen Sweeney has a drawing of a lugnut on his baseball cap these days, symbolic of playing in a town where the automobile industry has a proud history.

His lifelong buddy, Scott Schebler, has a caricature of a loon on his cap, symbolic of a state known for its waterfowl.

Sweeney and Schebler wear their caps proudly. And yes, the former Metro stars have come a long way since their T-ball days in the Cedar Hills Booster Club program in Cedar Rapids.

Sweeney, 20, is a third baseman for the Lansing Lugnuts, a Class A farm team for the Toronto Blue Jays. Schebler, 21, plays right field for the Great Lakes Loons, a Class A affiliate for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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Former Metro preps in pro baseball

Sat - 07 Apr Written by Metro Sports Report

RYAN SWEENEY (Xavier, Boston Red Sox) -- Sweeney was 2-for-3 with two singles and a walk Saturday in Boston's 10-0 loss at Detroit. Year to date: BA -- .571 (4-7), R -- 0, RBI -- 1, 2B -- 0, 3B -- 1, HR -- 0, SB -- 0.

KELLEN SWEENEY (Jefferson, Lansing (MWL, Blue Jays) -- Was 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs Saturday in Lansing's 4-3 win over Great Lakes in the nightcap of a doubleheader. Went 0-for-3 in the opener, won by the Lugnuts, 4-2. Year to date: BA -- .286 (2-7), R -- 0, RBI -- 3, 2B -- 1, 3B -- 0, HR -- 0, SB -- 0.

SCOTT SCHEBLER (Prairie, Great Lakes (MWL, Dodgers) -- Was 1-for-4 with a double and RBI and two strikeouts Saturday in the Loons' 4-3 loss at Lansing in the nightcap of a doubleheader. Was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in the opener. Year to date: BA -- .091 (1-11), R -- 0, RBI -- 1, 2B -- 1, 3B -- 0, HR -- 0, SB -- 0.

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A tip of the fedora to the MSR

Thu - 05 Apr Written by Bob Brooks

I've never kept track of how many tips of the fedora I have given out over a period of nearly 70 years of sports coverage, but today it's a pleasure to give another tip of the old fedora to the gang who started the Metro Sports Report and in a short period of time have reached one million pageviews.

It represents a great milestone of coverage of local prep sports, certainly unprecedented in my view. And they will continue to offer the latest coverage of Cedar Rapids athletes who have excelled at the high school level and beyond.

For instance, MSR president Jim Ecker will be traveling to Lansing, Mich., to be with the Lansing Lugnuts Friday night when two former Cedar Rapids high school athletes will make their Midwest League baseball debut.

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Brandon Ophoff of Linn-Mar (left) edges ahead of Marion's Taylor Rogers in the 110 hurdles Thursday night in the Wilkinson Relays at Kingston Stadium. Ophoff won the race and Rogers was second. Marion finished second in the team race ahead of Linn-Mar. (Photo by Ken Gilchrist)

Marion proves it can run with 4A teams

Thu - 05 Apr Written by Jim Ecker

The Marion High School boys track team was anxious to see how it would fare against all the Class 4A schools at the 26th Wilkinson Relays on Thursday.

They did quite well, thank-you.

The Indians finished ahead of Kennedy, Jefferson, Prairie and Waterloo East in the team standings. Heck, they even finished ahead of the Linn-Mar Lions, who practically own the city of Marion when it comes to high school sports.

The Indians beat everybody at Kingston Stadium except the Washington Warriors, and they came darn close to getting them as well.

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MSR has 1,000,000 reasons to say thanks

Wed - 04 Apr Written by Jim Ecker

Mike Koolbeck and I thought we had a chance to be successful when we launched the Metro Sports Report on Jan. 3, 2011.

We thought we'd write a few stories, have some fun, get more involved in the community and maybe make a few bucks.

Little did we know.

Our little project reached a major milestone Wednesday when we reached 1,000,000 pageviews in exactly 15 months. I don't know about you, but that seems like a lot of pageviews for a website that's devoted to eight high schools in Cedar Rapids and Marion.

On behalf of my partner, we'd simply like to say thanks. Thanks for making us a part of your life and thanks for embracing our product.

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