2024 Cedar Rapids Kernels Coaching Staff Announced 

Cedar Rapids, IA – The Cedar Rapids Kernels in conjunction with the Minnesota Twins are excited to announce the 2024 Cedar Rapids Kernels coaching staff. Leading the helm following their 2023 Midwest League Championship is Manager, Brian Dinkelman who’s no stranger to Cedar Rapids. Also returning is Jonas Lovin as the Pitching Coach, Jairo Rodriguez as the Hitting & Developing Coach, Blake Kretovics as the Strength & Conditioning Coach, Tyler Blair as the Lead Athletic Trainer, Randy Yang as Assistant Athletic Trainer, and Jeremy Miranda as Baseball Technology Coordinator. The Kernels welcome CJ Baker as the Hitting Coach and Argenis Angulo as the Pitching Coach to Cedar Rapids for their first season.

“I’m excited to be back as Kernels Manager again and am looking forward to having a chance to repeat as league champs.” States Kernels 2024 Manager Brian Dinkelman “It should be another fun season in Cedar Rapids.”

Manager Brian Dinkelman: 2023 Midwest League Manager of the Year Brian Dinkelman returns for his eighth season in Cedar Rapids and fifth as Kernels Manager. Under his direction in 2023, Cedar Rapids posted a league-best 82-50 regular season record, the team's highest winning percentage in ten years, en route to the Kernels' first Midwest League Championship in 29 years. In his four years as the Kernels manager, Cedar Rapids has been over .500 every season, in the postseason in all four years and has played in two Midwest League Championship series. Drafted by the Twins in the eighth round of the 2006 draft, Dinkelman spent eight years as a player in the Twins organization, making his Major League Debut in 2011.

Kernels GM, Scott Wilson says of the recent announcement that Brian Dinkelman is returning in 2024, “We are very fortunate to have Brian back as our manager after the incredible Championship season last year.  He returns with a lot of familiar coaches surrounding him and we look forward to April 9*th* and Opening Night.”

Pitching Coach Argenis Angulo: Pitching Coach Argenis Angulo joins the Kernels for his first year in Cedar Rapids in 2024. Born in Araure, Venezuela, Angulo was drafted by Cleveland in the 19th round of the 2014 MLB draft. The right-handed pitcher spent time in the Cleveland and Oakland organizations before closing out his career in 2022 with the Twins AA affiliate, the Wichita Wind Surge. Following his retirement from professional baseball, Angulo spent last season as the pitching coach for the FCL Twins, where he oversaw a staff that finished top five in the league in shutouts, hits allowed and strikeouts.

Pitching Coach Jonas Lovin: Pitching Coach Jonas Lovin returns to the Kernels coaching staff for his second year in Cedar Rapids. Under Lovin’s direction in 2023, Cedar Rapids finished with a staff ERA of 3.90 and also finished the year top five in the Midwest League in wins, saves, runs, earned runs, walks allowed, and WHIP en route to a Midwest League Championship. Lovin also helped to oversee Midwest League All-Star Miguel Rodriguez, who led the league in saves, posting 14, the most for a Kernels pitcher since 2017. Prior to his time coaching in professional baseball, Lovin spent four years on the pitching staff at Augustana University, helping the Vikings claim the 2018 Division II National Championship and one season at Division I Nebraska Omaha.

Hitting Coach CJ Baker: CJ Baker joins the Kernels in his first year coaching at the professional level in 2024. Baker comes to Cedar Rapids and the Twins organization with nine years of collegiate coaching experience, most recently as the Video, Technology and Analytics Coordinator for two seasons at Stanford University. In his two seasons with the Cardinal, Stanford made back-to-back College World Series trips and hit over the .300 mark with more than 100 home runs in both seasons. Before his time in Palo Alto, Baker also made coaching stops at Bucknell University, Lock Haven University and Seattle University.

Hitting and Development Coach Jairo Rodriguez: Former Cedar Rapids catcher Jairo Rodriguez returns for his third season as a coach for the Kernels. Rodriguez spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as the hitting coach in Cedar Rapids, helping the Kernels clinch back-to-back postseason berths. Rodriguez also helped to coach Midwest League MVP Christian Encarnacion-Stand in 2022. Rodriguez spent the 2023 season as the hitting coach for the Dominican Summer League Twins. Born in Acarigua, Venezuela, Rodriguez spent 10 seasons as a player in the Twins organization, including part of the 2013 season with Cedar Rapids.

Strength & Conditioning Coach Blake Kretovics: Strength and Conditioning Coach Blake Kretovics returns for his second season in Cedar Rapids after helping aid the Kernels to a Midwest League Championship in 2023. A native of New Richmond, Wisconsin, Kretovics played college baseball at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota, where he studied Exercise Science, Strength and Conditioning. Kretovics also has experience working with the Twins and at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

Lead Athletic Trainer Tyler Blair: Lead Athletic Trainer Tyler Blair makes his return to Cedar Rapids for the 2024 season. After spending the previous two seasons as the Lead Athletic Trainer for double-A Wichita, Blair returns to the Cedar Rapids staff where he spent the 2019 and 2021 seasons, helping the Kernels reach the postseason in both years. A native of Jacksonville, Illinois, Blair earned degrees from both Illinois State University and California University of Pennsylvania and began in professional baseball as a trainer in the Pirates organization.

Assistant Athletic Trainer Randy Yang: Assistant Athletic Trainer Randy Yang returns to Cedar Rapids for his third season with the Kernels. Yang joined the Kernels staff in 2022 after spending the previous season as an athletic training intern with the Twins. In his two seasons in Cedar Rapids, Yang has been a part of two playoff teams and the 2023 Midwest League Championship team. Prior to joining the Twins Organization, Yang earned a master’s degree in Athletic Training from Bethel University.

Coordinator, Baseball Technology Jeremy Miranda: Coordinator, Baseball Technology Jeremy Miranda returns to the Kernels for his third season in Cedar Rapids in 2024. A Midwest League Champion in 2023, Miranda has seen back-to-back playoff runs in his two years with the Kernels. Prior to joining the Twins Organization, Miranda earned a degree in Statistics from Iowa State University.

The Kernels Opening Night for 2024 is Tuesday, April 9th at 6:35 PM vs. Dayton. Single-game tickets go on sale on Monday, March 18th. We still have season ticket packages available and our full promotional schedule with theme nights and daily specials will be released in late February.

To keep up to date on information regarding the Kernels 2024 season please visit www.kernels.com or follow our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube feeds and subscribe to our Kernels email newsletter.