Midwest League Title Determined in Cedar Rapids Tonight, With Unique Set-Up

Unexpected circumstances at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday night have turned Wednesday night into what will undoubtedly be one of the most exciting nights in the ballpark's history.

Tuesday night, the Cedar Rapids Kernels had an opportunity to win their first Midwest League Title since 1994. Cedar Rapids had won game one of the best-of-three Midwest League Championship Series against the Great Lakes Loons on Sunday. That 10-6 Kernels victory featured four home runs by Cedar Rapids and a 5-run Kernels outburst in the 9th inning.

In a Cedar Rapids summer that has seen very little rain, it was Mother Nature who got in the way Tuesday night. The Kernels were trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the 5th inning when the game was delayed and finally suspended. An area of rain just hung over the area, with very little movement for several hours. That meant no celebration last night and sets up a very unique situation at the ballpark tonight. One way or another, the Midwest League Champion will be determined tonight. Here's how it will work.

Cedar Rapids and Great Lakes will resume last night's game, with the Kernels batting in the bottom of the 5th, at 5:30 tonight. If Cedar Rapids wins that 9-inning game, they are the victors.

If Great Lakes wins the suspended game tonight, a second game will be played this evening. That game would be 7 innings. Whoever was to win that game would be the champion of the Midwest League.

Tickets for last night can be exchanged at the Kernels ticket office for tickets for tonight. If you don't already have tickets for tonight, you can purchase them here. Let's fill up Veterans Memorial Stadium and give the Kernels a huge home-field advantage tonight.

Cedar Rapids won the Midwest League Championship in 1988 and 1992 as an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They won it again in 1994 as the Single-A affiliate of the (now) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Tonight they'll try to bring home the trophy as a Minnesota Twins affiliate for the first time.

Good luck, Cedar Rapids!