This Week in Peacock Baseball... Upper Iowa shook up their schedule once again this week due to weekend weather. Because of winter weather predicted for the weekend, UIU and the University of Mary agreed to move their weekend series up a couple days to be played on Thursday and Friday. In doing so, the Peacocks had to postpone their non-conference double header with Quincy University until May 1. The Marauders and Peacocks will meet four times on Thursday and Friday; the series is the second NSIC series for both teams this season.
Last Week for the Peacocks… The Peacocks went 1-4 last week, but played well against St. Cloud State in a weather-shortened, three-game series at home. Upper Iowa hit .289 in the five games with 13 extra base hits including 8 doubles, a triple and 4 homers. UIU scored 30 runs, but allowed 47 runs and a .357 batting average to their opponents.
Jacob Greco led the hitters with a .500 average; the redshirt senior went 9-18 with 6 runs and 5 RBI. Greco had a triple and two homers to slug .944.
Emmett Kulick and
Dominic Hillesheim each had 6 hits, while
Conner Klostermann and Zackary Cain each picked up 5 hits.
Ryan Munoz earned the sole win on the hill for UIU with a complete game on Monday against St. Cloud State.
Scouting the Marauders… UMary opened the NSIC season against Wayne State College in Omaha, Neb. The Marauders dropped all four games, but two of the losses came by just one run. UM hit .296 for the weekend with three extra base hits (three doubles). The Marauder relievers posted a 2.38 ERA over the weekend in 11.1 innings, allowing just three earned runs. UMary is fifth in the NSIC in hitting with a .300 batting average. Last weekend, Jesus Payan went 7-for-16 in the WSC series, scoring three times and driving in three runs. For the year, Payan is second in the NSIC with a .451 batting average. Darius Barlas posted a three-hit game against WSC and finished the weekend 6-for-11. Travis Stevens tossed a season-high seven innings against the Wildcats, striking out two and allowing five earned runs. At the plate, Stevens posted a line of .550/.625/650 in six games last week with six runs scored, five rbi and two doubles.
Looking Ahead… Upper Iowa will host Augustana University next Tuesday, Mar. 27 in a Northern Sun Conference double header beginning at 12 p.m. The Peacocks will then head to Duluth, Minn. for a four-game NSIC series against the University of Minnesota Duluth on Friday and Saturday, Mar. 30-31.?
