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Luke Keaschall continues offensive damage for C.R. Kernels, now back in the field
Played his first game defensively this season, at second base, in a 4-2 win over Dayton
Jeff Johnson
Apr. 14, 2024 4:56 pm, Updated: Apr. 14, 2024 6:44 pm
CEDAR RAPIDS - And he played in the field, too. That might have been the best news for Luke Keaschall.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels player has been limited to a designated hitter role the first week-plus of the Midwest League season with a balky elbow. He was second baseman for his club Sunday in its 4-2 win over Dayton at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Things went just fine. He was flawless fielding the baseball and proved his arm is good to go, including making a long and accurate throw from behind the second-base bag for the final out.
“Just excited to be back in the field,” Keaschall said. “It felt great.”
He’s been great since getting off to a 1-for-11 start at the plate. A second-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins last summer out of Arizona State, Keaschall is 7 for 17, with six walks, six runs, two home runs, four RBIs and five stolen bases in his last five games.
That’s being the consummate leadoff hitter. The consummate hitter, period.
“At the end of the day, the more pitches you see, the more comfortable you get, the better you are,” Keaschall said. “Sometimes you have slow starts, sometimes you get hot in the middle. Sometimes you come out hot out of the gate, then get slow. Baseball’s a long season. Just trying to ride the highs as long as possible and make the lows as (short) as possible.”
He hit a leadoff home run in this game for Cedar Rapids (4-4). He also walked, singled and stole a base.
Jay Harry’s three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning won it for the Kernels, who took four of six games in this series against a Dayton club loaded with Cincinnati Reds prospects.
“He had a lot of action at second today,” said Kernels Manager Brian Dinkelman. “I know he’s been chomping at the bit to get back out there in the field. He’s been working through some arm stuff, but he’s healthy, he feels fine, so it was good to get him back out there.”
Keaschall began his pro career last season in Rookie ball, got in 20 games at low-A Fort Myers and joined the Kernels late. He hit .313 in eight regular-season games and was the starting second baseman in the playoffs, as the the team won the MWL championship.
He is listed as the Twins’ No. 9 prospect by MLB.com.
“He has good at-bats, hits the ball hard, has a good idea and eye at the plate. He’s taking his walks, too,” said Kernels Manager Brian Dinkelman. “He puts together some competitive ABs and does some damage, so we like him at the top of the lineup there.”
The Kernels have Monday off (every Monday off, actually), then travel to Wisconsin for six games. They return home the following week for a 12-game homestand against Beloit and Peoria.
Starting pitching has been good early, as expected, with C.J. Culpepper provided a strong four innings Sunday. The offense has had its moments.
In short, this appears to be a solid club again.
“Our pitching is awesome,” Keaschall said. “Any time you can get the quality starts like we get out of our starters like we have been, we’re going to have a chance to win. We swung the bats well this weekend, but the starters and the relief pitchers did a great job, too.”
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