Kirkwood Baseball

KCC baseball nipped twice in opener

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - The Kirkwood Community College baseball team  dropped a pair of one-run decisions in the season opener to Johnson  County Community College Saturday.

Kirkwood lost the first game, 6-5, and dropped the nightcap, 10-9, in  12 innings.

The Eagles (0-2) fell behind 6-1 after three innings of the opener,  but they scored twice in the fifth inning and twice in the sixth  inning to make it close.

Spencer Wiskus went 2-for-2 with two RBIs for the Eagles in the first  game and hit a home run.

Kirkwood took a 9-8 lead in the top of the 10th inning in the second  game, but Johnson County (8-2) scored in the bottom of the 10th to  stay alive and scored again in the 12th to win it.

Korry Howell went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs for the  Eagles in the nightcap. Colin Kreiter also went 2-for-5. Tyler Bordner  belted a home run and drove in three runs. Wiskus scored three times.

Kirkwood and Johnson County are scheduled for another twinbill Sunday.

GAME 1

Kirkwood         001 022 0 - 5 4 2
Johnson County   051 000 x - 6 5 3

W - Schwab. L - Miller.

GAME 2

Kirkwood         300 112 010 100 - 9 8 5
Johnson County   200 204 000 101 - 10 14 2

W - Van Vieck. L - Funkhouser.

Rima excited about Kirkwood baseball team

Kirkwood baseball coach Todd Rima plans to have three catchers and  three shortstops in his starting line Saturday when the Eagles begin  the season against Johnson County, but don't be alarmed.

It's a sign of strength, not insanity.

Kirkwood is blessed with an abundance of talented catchers and  shortstops who are capable of playing other positions, so this is a  way to strength the overall lineup.

"It allows us to put our nine best offensive guys on the field," Rima  said this week, "and we can do that and still be good on defense.

"We had to move some guys just to make sure we could get all their  bats in the lineup."

Toran Shadidi, who missed last season with an injury after hitting  .342 in 2015, has earned the starting job behind the plate.

Spencer Wiskus, who was a star catcher at Iowa City West, has moved to  first base. And Tyler Bordner, a part-time catcher for Kirkwood last  year and a .354 hitter, has moved to right field.

"I think Shahidi is as good as any catcher in our league," said Rima.  "And Wiskus and Bordner are really good.

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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.

4 KCC baseball players ready to sign

Four members of the Kirkwood baseball team plan to sign letters-of-intent with NCAA Division I programs on Wednesday.

Lorenzo Elion, a freshman infielder from Chicago, plans to sign with the University of Michigan.

Colin Kreiter, a sophomore outfielder from North Scott, and Tyler Bordner, a sophomore catcher/infielder/outfielder from Morris, Ill., will be signing with Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Toran Shahidi, a sophomore catcher from Ames, plans to sign with USC Upstate from Spartanburg, S.C.

The signing ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday in Johnson Hall.