This Weekend in Peacock Baseball... Upper Iowa is at home for the final weekend of the regular season. The Peacocks will welcome the Mavericks of Minnesota State University, Mankato on Friday and Saturday. UIU will honor their nine seniors between games on Saturday.
Sayonara Seniors... The four games at Robertson Woods Field this weekend will be the final run at home for nine seniors at UIU including
Tyus Adkins,
Sam Broome,
Brett Fanning,
Kolton Gonnerman, Jake Greco, Dom Hillesheim,
Tanner Poor, Cal Seehase and
Collin Thomas.
Looking in the Rearview Mirror... On Tuesday, UIU dropped a pair of non-conference games to Quincy University; the Hawks are ranked No. 10 in the latest NCAA Regional Poll. UIU nearly pulled off the upset in game one losing in the final inning, 8-6. Quincy controlled game two 15-3. The Peacocks went 2-4 last week after posting a midweek sweep of the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University on Wednesday. UIU lost four games at Minot State University, the NSIC's top team in the standings, with three of the losses coming by one, two and three runs. UIU was led by a pair of hitters,
Tony Salato and Seehase; each racked up 9 hits each on the week and Salato had the walk off single in UIU's 10-9 comeback win over the Mustangs.
Ryan Munoz and
Chris Webber earned wins on the mound last Wednesday.
Chasing a Spot... The NSIC Baseball Champiosnhip gets started next week and the top eight teams in the conference standings earn an invite to play. UIU was in eighth place heading into Sunday's action, but by the end of the day the team was in a tie for tenth. The Peacocks will have to have a big weekend against Minnesota State and get some help from Winona State University (playing Northern State University), Concordia University, St. Paul (playing the University of Sioux Falls) and the University of Minnesota Crookston (playing the University of Minnesota Duluth).
About the Mavericks... Minnesota State enters the week having won 20 of their last 24 games including taking three of four from Augustana University, the NSIC standings leader at the time. The Mavericks are hitting .307 and slugging .407 with 67 doubles, 9 triples and 13 homers. While the offense is impressive, MSU makes their hay on the mound. The Maverick staff has an ERA of 3.27 led by four starters and their closer. Aaron Rozek is 7-2 on the season with an ERA of 1.71allowing just 12 earned runs in his 63.1 innings of work.
Senior Highlights... Tyus Adkins - 7 wins, 3 saves, 4 complete games, 38 appearances with 24 starts, 140.2 innings, 85 strikeouts.
Sam Broome - 36 games, 8 hits, 4 rbi.
Brett Fanning - 9 wins, 12 complete games, 31 appearances with 28 starts, 160.1 innings, 86 strikeouts, 3.42 career ERA.
Kolton Gonnerman - 2 wins, 2 complete games, 8 starts this year, 48 innings, 49 strikeouts, 3.56 ERA.
Jake Greco - 174 games with 173 starts, 194 hits including 44 doubles, 7 triples and 23 homers, 137 rbi, 122 runs, 24 stolen bases, .317 career batting average.
Dom Hillesheim - 83 games with 65 starts, 59 hits including 7 doubles and a homer, 27 rbi, 27 runs, .329 average as a senior.
Cal Seehase - 82 games with 53 starts, 52 hits including 12 doubles, 3 triples and 4 homers, 32 rbi, 38 runs, .324 average as a senior.
Tanner Poor - 3 wins, 35 appearances, 63.2 innings, 42 strikeouts.
Collin Thomas - 2 wins, 16 appearances with 9 starts, 66 innings, 45 strikeouts.
