THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCKS BASEBALL… Upper Iowa is set to host Southwest Minnesota State University for a trio of games on Mar. 20-21. The games are currently set for 12 and 2 p.m. starts on Saturday, Mar. 20 and a single game on Sunday, Mar. 21 at noon. However, depending on field conditions, game dates and times could change to accommodate the weather. Live stats and an audio broadcast will be available for the series using the links above or at UIUPeacocks.com/LIVE.
RECAPPING ROCKHURST… Upper Iowa won the first matchup at Rockhurst University 8-1 on Friday night before dropping three-straight to the Hawks. On Saturday, the Peacocks came up just short as the difference was just one run in both outings. In the second game of the doubleheader, UIU carried a 7-4 lead with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. With their backs against the wall, Rockhurst miraculously scored four runs swiping the victory right from under the Peacocks. Sunday was more of a lopsided affair as RU ended the series with a 14-3 victory.
"MEAN" ALEX GREENE… Alex Greene was on fire during the Peacocks opening series in Kansas City. The freshman tallied eight hits and a walk in 14 at bats for a .571 average, scored five runs and drove in six Peacocks. The performance earned him an NSIC South Player of the Week Honorable Mention. Greene had two hits in all four games, quickly becoming a staple of UIU's meat of the order. The Marion, Iowa native's big weekend was highlighted by an RBI double that helped extend UIU's lead in an 8-1 win on Friday night. Greene's .571 batting average is a team-high and the fifth-best rate in the NSIC.
FRESHMAN PHENOMS… Freshman hurlers Jarrett Ramer and Keaton Parker combined to allow just one unearned run on five hits and a walk while setting down ten on strikes on opening night. The duo's performance led to a win and a save, respectively. Ramer's 0.00 ERA is tied for first with eight others in the conference. Parker is one of six NSIC pitchers to register a save thus far this season. Noah Gyldenvand and Jake Hilmer both started all four games for the Peacocks registering four hits apiece including a pair of doubles. The tandem both scored during the series as well as driving in three runs between the two of them.
VETERAN PRESENCE… Senior Nolan Friedrichs helped bolster the Peacocks lineup over the weekend. The Edina, Minn. native pummeled the Peacocks lone round tripper as well as a double that helped yield a .375 batting average and a team-high .875 slugging percentage to begin the 2021 campaign. Chris Webber threw 2.2 scoreless innings and struck out three out of the pen versus the Hawks. The junior out of Adams, Minn. was one of three non-freshman to pitch more than one inning at Rockhurst.
MANAGING THE MUSTANGS… SMSU went 6-5 during the shortened 2020 campaign including a pair of two-game series splits against NSIC-members, the University of Minnesota Duluth and Concordia University, St. Paul. This season the Mustangs are 1-1 this season after a split with Briar Cliff University of the NAIA. The career series between the two teams is neck-and-neck, Upper Iowa currently holds the advantage 25-23.
Nathan Kuhn and John Bezdicek both tallied three or more hits in SMSU's opening series. Kuhn scored three times in the series while Bezedicek crossed the plate twice. The duo is set to lead the Mustangs' offense along with Kip Gronholz who held an NSIC-second best rate at the plate with a .455 batting average and the league's fourth-highest on-base percentage at .514 during the 2020 campaign. Bezdicek and Jake Wensmann got the two starts thus far for SMSU, both crafting three scoreless innings. Bezedicek struck out eight of the nine batters he faced and walked the outlier. The junior held the third-lowest ERA in the NSIC last season at 2.00. Wensmann fanned five and allowed three men to reach. As a unit, the Mustangs have posted a .328 batting average while holding their opponents to a .231 rate. In the field, Southwest has yet to commit an error.
