This Weekend in Peacock Softball… Upper Iowa will open their season in Arkansas this weekend, just not in the city they had originally planned. The Peacocks were originally slated to play from Friday to Sunday in Bentonville at the University of Arkansas-Monticello, but are now going to compete from Saturday to Monday in Russellville and Conway. UIU is scheduled to face Fort Hays State University and Northwest Missouri State University on Saturday and Arkansas Tech University and the University of Central Missouri on Sunday in Russelville. The team will head to the Conway Fieldhouse on Monday for a double header with Washburn University.
 
NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll… The Peacocks were selected 11^th in the Northern Sun Conference Preseason Softball Coaches' Poll. Winona State University was the top pick in the poll marking the fourth time in the past five seasons that the Warriors have been selected by the coaches to win the league.
 
One Last Look Back at 2018… Upper Iowa is ready to get going this spring and improve on 2018's 20-win season. The Peacocks went 20-24 last year with a 7-17 mark in the Northern Sun Conference. Despite missing the post-season, Upper Iowa finished with 20 wins for the fifth time in the last six seasons and only graduated one senior from last year's squad. The Peacocks played well at home (5-5) and in neutral sites (14-10), but struggled on the road with a 1-9 record when playing at their opponent's park.

Firepower Returns on Offense… Upper Iowa is led by junior infielder Jordyn Brennan, one of UIU's two NSIC Players to Watch in 2019. The Hortonville, Wis. product earned a spot on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Central Region First Team as a utility player and the All-NSIC Second Team as a shortstop. Brennan hit a team-high .374 and slugged .573. In addition to Brennan's big bat, UIU returns Katie Crogan, Jenny Budds, Julia Buffington and Sami Kay Shafranski. Crogan paced the offense with a team-high 40 rbi while hitting .347 and slugging .573 thanks to a team-high 52 hits including 11 doubles, a triple and 7 homers. Budds hit .336 with 49 hits and was 13 of 15 in stolen base attempts. Buffington hit .322 and slugged .473 with 47 hits including 7 doubles and 5 home runs, while Shafranski hit .291 with 41 hits, 18 walks and 11 stolen bases in 15 tries.

Experience in the Circle… UIU returns all four arms that threw a season ago led by Sydney Wilcox, another NSIC Player to Watch for the Peacocks, as well as Emily Kisch, Jaclyn Thompson and Erin Drahozal. Wilcox appeared in 14 games last season making 8 starts and posting a 3-5 record with a 3.55 ERA in 51.1 innings pitched. Kisch led the team in earned run average (3.50), wins (9-10 record), appearances (25), starts (20), complete games (11), innings pitched (116) and strikeouts (94). Thompson held opponents to a .237 batting average in her 90.2 innings pitched while striking out 88 for a 7-7 record with an ERA of 4.09 in 18 appearances and 15 starts. Drahozal picked up a win in three decisions and registered an ERA of 4.28 in 34.1 innings of work.