THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK SOFTBALL… Upper Iowa (8-7, 0-0 NSIC) is prepped for a busy week of action. The Peacocks were to travel to Winona, Minn. for the conference opener against No. 22 Winona State University on Tuesday afternoon, but that doubleheader has been moved to Fayette and will be pushed back a day for better weather. The NSIC opener will now take place at the Eischeid Softball Complex on Wed., Mar. 27 at 2 p.m. UIU will then hit the road to Moorhead, Minn. and Aberdeen, S.D. to face the Dragons of Minnesota State University Moorhead and the Wolves of Northern State University over the weekend. UIU and MSUM will get underway on Sat., Mar. 30 at 1 p.m. while the doubleheader with NSU is set for 12 p.m. on Sun., Mar. 31.

SPRINGING INTO CONFERENCE… Upper Iowa is jumping into NSIC action after starting the season above .500 for the third time in the last four seasons. The Peacocks hit .349 as a team in their final non-conference games at the Emporia State Classic, but came up short in two of three games prior to a pair of games being cancelled on Saturday. UIU is averaging 5.0 runs per game and has registered 129 hits including 21 doubles, two triples and nine home runs.  

YOUNG BLOOD… Freshman Kaylee Frenette has provided a major spark to the Peacocks in the last month of action. The Chippewa Falls, Wis. native led the Peacock offense last week at the Emporia State Classic with seven hits, and has batted .531 over the last nine contests. Frenette leads the team with 14 runs scored, including six in the last three games, and has registered a team-high 22 hits fueled by two doubles and a triple.

CLOSING STRONG… Upper Iowa has proven the ability to finish games strong under head coach Amanda Bradberry. The Peacocks are 6-2 when leading after four innings this season, following the trend of going 86-19 in the Bradberry era. UIU has also performed well in games that came down to the wire, going 6-2 when leading after six innings this season and 83-7 in the last five seasons.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS… Winona State (15-5, 0-0 NSIC) comes into the doubleheader ranked No. 22 in the NFCA Coaches Poll that was released on Mar. 17. Since then, the Warriors went 2-2 at the Missouri Western Hy-Vee Classic with wins over Northwest Missouri State University and Missouri Southern State University. The Warriors are hitting .316 as a team with 175 hits, 96 runs scored, 87 RBI, 26 doubles, two triples, and eight long balls. The WSU pitching staff posts a 1.37 ERA compared to their opponents' 4.52.

ABOUT THE DRAGONS… MSU Moorhead (6-11, 0-0 NSIC) closed out its non-conference slate on a four-game win streak and will open conference action at NSU on Mar. 26. The Dragons are batting .263 as a team with 119 hits, 71 runs scored, 62 RBI, 33 doubles, one triple and nine homeruns. The MSUM pitching squad holds a 4.94 ERA.

ABOUT THE WOLVES… Northern State (8-14, 0-0 NSIC) is looking to break a five-game slide when the Wolves open NSIC play against MSUM on Tuesday afternoon in Aberdeen, S.D. The Wolves are hitting .322 as a team with 200 hits, 111 runs scored, 102 RBI, 29 doubles, and 13 homeruns. The NSU pitching staff posts a 4.96 ERA.

UP NEXT… The Peacocks will face another trio of NSIC opponents in next week's action. UIU is scheduled to face Concordia University, St. Paul for a mid-week match-up in St. Paul, Minn. before welcoming the University of Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State University to the Eischeid Softball Complex for weekend doubleheaders.