THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK BASEBALL… Mother Nature continues to play havoc with the UIU baseball schedule delaying the team's double header with Winona State by a day and not only shrinking, but moving the team's four-game series versus Sioux Falls. The Peacocks will face the Warriors for two games in Winona, Minn. on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. and then take on the Cougars in Plattsmouth, Neb. in two games on Friday at 11 a.m.
ABOUT THE PEACOCKS... Upper Iowa opened the NSIC slate with a 5-2 mark after a win against St. Cloud State and a sweep of UMary, but the team had a tough stretch against Augustana and Minnesota Duluth claiming just one win in the final game against the Bulldogs. All six games on the schedule last week were cancelled due to weather. The bats are led by sixth-year senior
Jacob Greco, who is hitting .397 with 27 hits including 4 doubles, a triple and 3 homers for a slugging percentage of .618. Six Peacocks are hitting above .300 including
Callahan Seehase,
Emmett Kulick,
Dominic Hillesheim,
Conner Klostermann and
Hans Alwin. Freshman
Colin Lacey is leading UIU's pitching staff; the southpaw has a 2-1 mark with a 2.25 ERA.
Brett Fanning (1-1),
Kolton Gonnerman (2-2) and
Ryan Munoz (1-1) have also picked up wins as starters.
Tyus Adkins has been solid out of the bullpen as well.
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS... Sophomore Aaron Mutter has asserted himself as the Warriors top arm in the rotation despite an early injury. In five starts, the right-hander has collected a 2-1 record striking out 18 and walking five in 24.1 IP. Sophomore Caleb Schoenholz leads the Warriors in innings pitched (36.1 IP) and strikeouts (32). The southpaw is averaging 5.33 strikeouts per start and has a strikeout to walk ratio of 4.0. First baseman Sam Kohnle leads the team with .375 average through the first 23 games of the season. The first baseman has collected 33 hits in 88 at bats, driving in a team high 15 runs.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS... Sioux Falls has won five of their last eight games. USF ranks 14th in the league with a .247 batting average and has hit 14 home runs, which ranks tied for seventh in the NSIC, in 26 games. USF has a .317 on-base percentage and is slugging at .344. On the mound, the Cougars have a 5.42 ERA, which ranks seventh in the NSIC. The Cougars have allowed 232 hits, 125 earned runs with 125 strikeouts and a .287batting average in throwing 207 2/3 innings. The Cougars are led by junior first baseman Josh Rehwaldt ranks second in NSIC in hitting at .439, and slugging pct., at .673 while sitting third in on-base percentage at .486 and fourth with 43 hits.
NEXT UP... Upper Iowa hosts Wayne State College on Wednesday, Apr. 18 for a midweek double header. UIU baseball is teaming up with the softball team to Strikeout Violence Against Women and show support for the "It's On Us" movement. The Peacocks will then head to northern Minnesota to take on the University of Minnesota Crookston on Saturday and Sunday, Apr. 21-22.
