THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK SOFTBALL… After a one-day delay, Upper Iowa is set to the hit the road for a trio of doubleheaders over spring break. The Peacocks will first travel to St. Louis, Mo. for double headers against Maryville University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis on Mar. 7-8 before making the short trip to Lebanon, Ill. for a pair of games against McKendree University on Mar. 9. Both Thursday's and Friday's doubleheaders are scheduled for 1 and 3 p.m. The Peacocks will round out their week with 12 and 2 p.m. start times on Saturday. Upper Iowa has opened the season with a 6-2 record for the second year in a row and is looking to build on its current three-game winning streak.
 
FRIDAY SWEEP… Upper Iowa last took the field on Feb. 22nd at the West St. Paul Dome in West St. Paul, Minn. where the Peacocks posted a pair of wins over the University of Minnesota Duluth (8-3, 8 inn.) and Concordia University, St. Paul (1-0). The Peacock pitchers held their opponents to a .120 average surrendering only three runs on six hits. Emily Kisch led the team from the circle with two wins in nine innings of work, allowing no runs while giving up only three hits and striking out 10 batters. Katie Crogan hit .714 on the day with five hits in seven at bats, while Kaylee Frenette added four hits in six at bats including a triple. Sami Kay Shafranski, Kennedy Newell and Jordyn Brennan all had multiple hits on the day.
 
CLEAN UP DUTIES… Crogan is hitting for power for the Peacocks as the cleanup hitter this season. The sophomore leads the team with a .833 slugging percentage, which ranks 7th in the Northern Sun Conference. Crogan also ranks 6th in the league for both batting average (.542) and on base percentage (.633), and is tied for 5th with 13 total hits. Just eight games into the season, Crogan leads the team with four doubles and seven runs batted in.
 
IN THE CIRCLE… Kisch and Sydney Wilcox are leading the Peacock pitching staff in the early going this season. Kisch is 3-1 on the year with a team-leading 3.15 earned run average. The junior has registered 21 of UIU's 34 strikeouts in 26.2 innings of work, which is tied for the 7th-most strikeouts in the conference. Wilcox has two wins in three starts and claims a 3.91 earned run average in 14.1 innings pitched. As a unit, Upper Iowa is allowing a .256 batting average to their opponents.
 
ABOUT THE SAINTS… Maryville (9-4) is currently on a five-game winning streak. The Saints competed in the LMU Tournament to open the season 3-1 before going 3-2 at the UAM 8 State Classic in Arkansas. Maryville most recently swept Lincoln University of Missouri and Fontbonne University in a pair of doubleheaders on their home field.
 
ABOUT THE TRITONS... The Tritons (9-11) head into the doubleheader with UIU having won six of eight contests at the Spring Games in Clermont, Fla., including wins over #25 Gannon University and #14 Grand Valley State University. UMSL is riding a four-game winning streak, tallying 15 runs in that span while only allowing six.
 
ABOUT THE BEARCATS... The Bearcats (8-8) have played their last three doubleheaders in the friendly confines of Bearcat Field in Lebanon, Ill. In those games, McKendree swept Southwest Baptist University and split games with University of Central Missouri and Saginaw Valley State University. The Bearcats are 5-3 when playing at home this season, and will host the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Friday.