LIVE OPTION LINKS… Only four of UIU's nine contests in Clearwater will have coverage. The two games against Grand Valley State will have live stats (Game 1 || Game 2) and the two contests with Ohio Valley will have audio coverage online.

THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK BASEBALL... The Peacocks are in Clearwater, Fla. for nine games in six days. Upper Iowa will open the week with a pair of double headers against Grand Valley State University on Sunday and Kentucky Wesleyan College on Monday. UIU will compete in three nine-inning games from Tuesday through Thursday with games against Ohio Valley University surrounding a matchup with Hillsdale University. Friday will be the final day of action for the Peacocks as they line up for two nine-inning games against Slippery Rock University and Northwood University.

HOCUS POCUS… The Peacocks opened their season in Memphis, Tenn. against the LeMoyne-Owen College Magicians two weeks ago. The home team claimed a 7-4 decision in game one, but Upper Iowa salvaged a split on day one thanks to a 6-1 win in game two. The Peacocks improved to 3-1 on the season thanks to a double header sweep Magicians of LeMoyne-Owen College on Sunday. Upper Iowa won game one, 8-6, and backed it up with a 10-6 victory in the series finale.

IN THE CENTER OF IT ALL… Tyler Adams hit .571 in the Peacocks' opening series of 2014. The senior center fielder tallied 8 singles, scored 5 times and drove in 3 runners. Last year, Adams was the sixth UIU baseball player to earn first team honors at the NCAA Division II level for UIU, but he was the first to have earned the honor two times. As a junior, he tied for the fifth-highest batting average in the league at .395, while starting all 39 games in centerfield.

STAND UP AND SHOUT… Several Peacocks stood out two weeks ago in Memphis as UIU opened their season with a 3-1 mark. Luis Ravelo (.500), Dickson Paz (.417), John Dobson (.308) and Ryan Citro (.300) all hit well at the plate to lead the Peacocks; the team registered a .308 average over the four contests. The Peacock pitchers were led by Mason Buster, who earned his first win with UIU allowing just one run in seven innings of work while striking out seven. Dickson Paz and Anthony Ruden also picked up wins for Upper Iowa.

REIGN DELAY… The reigning NSIC Baseball Newcomer of the Year, Martin Valdez, opened 2014 with a loss, but the Peacock ace a season ago will get back on the mound this week to even his record. After transferring from East Los Angeles College as a junior, Valdez dazzled in his first season with the Peacocks ultimately earning NSIC Newcomer of the Year honors and an All-NSIC Second Team nod. The southpaw posted a 5-1 record with an earned run average of 2.18, fifth lowest in the NSIC, through 53.2 innings. Valdez appeared in eight games starting seven of them and averaged 6.71 innings per start, the NSIC's highest average. UIU's ace recorded five complete games and three shutouts.

PRESEASON POLL - The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced its 2014 Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll and Upper Iowa was predicted to finish eleventh out of fifteen teams after accumulating 79 points. The 2013 NCAA DII National Runners-up of Minnesota State University, Mankato were the unanimous choice in the 2014 Preseason Baseball Coaches' Poll. This marks the fifth year in a row the Mavericks have been picked to win the league. Minnesota State amassed 196 points after receiving 14 first place votes (coaches can't vote for their own team). St. Cloud State was second as they had 179 points. Augustana was picked third with 169 points and the other first place vote, Wayne State and Winona State both came in at 150 points to round out the top five picks in the poll.