Kehrer was selected 48th overall in Compensation Round A by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. He helped the Orem Owlz win the Pioneer League championship title last fall.
Cedar Rapids won the Midwest League Western Division first-half title with a 43-25 record and finished the summer with an 82-56 overall mark, winning its final six games of the regular season. The Kernels take on the Clinton Lumberkings (Seattle Mariners affiliate) in the first round of the playoffs, which features four best-of-three series.
Kehrer saw action as both a relief pitcher and starter this summer, finishing the regular season as a member of the rotation. He worked seven innings of three-hit ball, giving up only an unearned run, to win his final start of the regular season Thursday, Sept. 2 vs. the Burlington Bees (Kansas City Royals affiliate). He should be available to make a playoff start this week if called upon. July 28 in a win at Clinton, the left-hander worked seven-innings of three-run ball, striking out six while not issuing a walk.
Kehrer was 6-5 with four saves and a 4.56 ERA this summer. Fourteen of his total 27 appearances were as a starting pitcher. He ranked second on the team in innings pitched (116 1/3) and strikeouts (108).
Cedar Rapids has home-field advantage in the first round and is scheduled to host games two and three of the series, which opens Wednesday at Clinton. The series winner advances to play either the Quad Cities River Bandits (St. Louis Cardinals affiliate) or Kane County Cougars (Oakland A's affiliate) in the Western Division championship series. The Quad Cities won the second-half division title and finished one-game better (at 83-55) than Cedar Rapids overall.
Kehrer was one of six former EIU players playing in the Minors this summer.
Erik Huber,
Jordan Kreke,
Josh Mueller,
Brett Nommensen and
Mike Recchia were not part of playoff-qualifying teams. However, Huber and Kreke both helped their 2009 teams win their respective MiLB league titles.
