The Peacock baseball team opens its 2018 campaign on Thurday night at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. Upper Iowa will take on the Beavers of Bemidji State University for a non-conference doubleheader, with game one scheduled for 9 p.m., and game two to follow at 11 p.m.
Upper Iowa was predicted to finish 12th in the 15-team NSIC in 2018 after accumulating 65 points. UIU is coming off a 19-29 season in 2017, including an 15-25 mark in the NSIC. The Peacocks finished just four games out of the top eight in the conference a season ago. A pair of veteran Peacocks, outfielder
Jacob Greco and pitcher
Brett Fanning, were named NSIC Players to Watch for the upcoming season.
Greco returns after a .298 batting average in 2017, and the outfielder/first baseman slugged .481 to lead the team. His 16 extra base hits led the team as he preps for his final season as a Peacock. The Fayette, Iowa native earned All-NSIC First Team honors, Daktronics All-Central Region & the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association Second Team honors in 2015.
Fanning earned All-NSIC Second Team honors a year ago after posting a 6-3 record with a 2.29 earned run average in 63 innings. Fanning bounced back after a pair of season-altering injuries over the last two seasons to lead the Peacock pitching staff. The Spring Valley, Ill. native was even better against Northern Sun Conference opponents with a 5-3 record and a 1.36 ERA, which was second-best among conference starting pitchers. His mere eight runs to conference teams was second-best in the league as well, and added seven complete games with a pair of shutouts.
The Peacocks return for their second season under Head Coach
Brandon Hunt, and have to replace 10 seniors for the upcoming season. The team returns plenty of talent including junior
Zac Cain, senior
Dominic Hillesheim, along with
Emmett Kulick and others for the 2018 campaign.
After the games in Minnesota, Upper Iowa will head down to Rolla, Mo. on Saturday and Sunday, March 10-11 against Missouri S&T for four games.
