ON DECK... After this weekend's tournament, the Peacocks will partake in the D2 Midwest Region Invitational on Feb. 22 and 23. 

2014 DEBUT... In their season debut, the 2014 Peacock softball team looked sharp through six innings in game one and for the majority of the second of two matchups with Grand View College this past Saturday night in Rochester, Minnesota. Upper Iowa scored twice in the first inning of game one and added another run in the fourth, but despite the Peacocks' 3-1 lead, GVC mounted a comeback in the seventh inning to swipe a victory from the Peacocks' grasp. The Vikings scored five runs in the top of the seventh and escaped with a 6-3 victory inside the RCTC Dome. In game two, it looked as if Grand View would continue its strong play thanks to their early momentum, but UIU responded quickly and forcefully. After falling behind by three runs in the first, the Peacocks quickly took the lead in the fourth and never looked back. UIU earned RBI rips from Riley Kruel in the third and fourth innings, while Cheyenne Burnett plated one in the sixth. Erica Kirgan and Shelby Crist each plated a runner, while Adrienna Olson brought two across the diamond as the Peacocks blew past the Vikings in game two, 11-4. 
IN CASE OF "FLOOD"... Sophomore Jacqueline Flood was named an NSIC Player to Watch this preseason. Last year's NSIC Freshman of the year started all 44 games for the Peacocks as the designated player and pitcher. On her way to some postseason hardware, Flood racked up 31 RBIs from the batter's box and double-digit victories from the rubber.

20-20 VISION... Junior Tara Duran joins Flood on the NSIC Players to Watch list this preseason. As a sophomore, Duran earned All-NSIC Second Team honors after leading the team in hitting. The Peacock catcher started 27 games and led the team with a .410 batting average, a .577 slugging percentage and a .465 on-base percentage. Her .410 batting average is tied for fifth-best in school history. She earned 32 hits, 5 doubles, 1 triple and 2 home runs in 78 total at-bats. She added 22 runs on the base paths and collected 20 RBI, with a career-high 5 of those coming against Sioux Falls (4/20/13). She also had one of the longest hit steaks on the team at 10 games.

REPRESENTIN'... Upper Iowa University student-athlete Katie Mnichowicz was named the new Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, or NSIC, representative to the NCAA National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Mnichowicz, a member of the Peacock softball team, takes over for Trevor Reeves of Wayne State College, who served as the NSIC's National Representative for the last two years. Mnichowicz will begin her duties immediately and serve on the committee through the national convention in January of 2016. Mnichowicz has started all 97 games she has played in through her first two seasons as the Peacocks' everyday shortstop. In her two seasons, she is hitting .266 with 77 hits,11 doubles and a homerun. The Palatine, Ill. native has knocked in 35 runs, scored 66 times and she has swiped 26 bags. The exercise science and sports administration major earned a spot on the UIU Athletic Director's Honor Roll as a freshman and sophomore and the NSIC All-Academic team as a sophomore. Mnichowicz has been a member of SAAC at Upper Iowa since 2012 and was selected to attend the 2013 NSIC SAAC Leadership Summit.

OH SO "KRUEL"... Playing in her first and second collegiate games, Riley Kruel earned earned four hits, two RBIs and scored three runs in her first collegiate day of her career. Kruel stepped to the plate seven times in a double-dip with Grand View collecting a .571 batting average, a .667 slugging percentage and a .571 on-base percentage. Her strong play in game two led UIU to a split as the Peacocks earned an 11-4 victory over the Vikings after falling 6-3 in game one. Kruel added a perfect fielding percentage from her centerfield spot adding three putouts to her stat line.