THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK SOFTBALL…
Upper Iowa opens the 2018 campaign up north in St. Cloud, Minn. at the St. Cloud State Crossover on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 2-3. The Peacocks will hit the diamond for a pair of doubleheaders in the St. Cloud Dome against the Rangers of the University of Wisconsin Parkside and the Yellow Jackets of Black Hills State University. Friday night's doubleheader begins at 6 p.m., while Saturday's twin bill begins at 3 p.m.

***NOTE: There will not be a live stats or live video option for the games this weekend.
 

---

PEACOCK STORYLINES...

NSIC PRESEASON POLL: The Northern Sun Conference announced its 2018 Preseason Softball Coaches' Poll and Upper Iowa was predicted to finish 12th in the 16-team league after accumulating 91 points. UIU is coming off a 19-33 season in 2017, including an 11-19 mark in the NSIC. The Peacocks will look to return to the conference tournament after snapping a four-season streak of post-season play last year. Winona State was picked to win the league for the third time in the past four seasons.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: A pair of Peacocks, catcher Shannon Nix and pitcher Emily Kisch were named NSIC Players to Watch for the season. Nix started all but three games last season as a junior, and hit .308 for the year, good for fifth on the team. The senior also hit a pair of homeruns while tallying 7 doubles in 2017, and drove in 12 runs as well. Kisch led the pitching staff in appearances and innings last season, making 31 trips to the circle including 22 starts as a freshman. The right-hander finished 8-15 wiht a 3.62 earned run average in 150.2 innings of work. The youngster allowed 178 hits, 102 runs, with only 72 earned, and an opponent batting average of .295. Kisch struck of 61 batters last season as well.

GETTING A GOOD LOOK: The Peacocks will get a good look at Wisconsin-Parkside this weekend, and will match up with Rangers three times in the first five games. UIU's first game at the UAM 8-State Softball Classic in Bentonville, Ark. in two weeks will be against UWP, as the Peacocks play six games in three days.
 

---

THE SERIES…

vs. WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE: The Peacocks and Rangers have met six times over the years, with the first matchup occurring in 2011 in Joplin, Mo. UIU leads the series 4-2, with the two losses coming in game two of a doubleheader. The two teams split in Fayette last season on March 21, with UIU winning 10-1 and UWP taking game two 11-3.

vs. BLACK HILLS STATE: The Peacocks and Yellow Jackets will square off for the first time in history on Saturday in St. Cloud.
 

---

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS…

vs. UWP RANGERS: Wisconsin-Parkside was picked 14th in their final season in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, and is coming off a 19-29 season in 2017 including a 13-15 mark in the GLVC. The Rangers will move to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) beginning in the 2018-19 year. UWP hit .260 as a team last season, and had a team earned run average of 4.03.
 
vs. BHSU YELLOW JACKETS: Black Hills State looks to improve upon last season after finishing 5-31 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and 7-37 overall. The Yellow Jackets set a new school record for most runs scored in a game last season, defeating Adams State, 20-4, on Feb. 27. Black Hills State brings back 10 players from their 2017 squad, and the team was picked 11th overall in the RMAC.