THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK SOFTBALL… The Upper Iowa University softball  team wraps up their season by hosting a pair of NSIC doubleheaders against Wayne State College and Augustana University (S.D.) on May 8 and 9. Saturday's two-bill against Wayne State is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. on May 8 in Fayette, Iowa, while Sunday's two-game set against No. 1 Augustana is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start on May 9 at the Eischeid Softball Complex.

ATTENDANCE POLICY & LIVE OPTIONS… UIU Athletics will not restrict fan attendance for the games at Eischeid Softball Complex. Spectators will not be allowed on the field of play, on the team sidelines, or in the team dugouts any time before, during, or following competitions. In addition, fans will be asked to follow the guidelines set by Upper Iowa Athletics, and these can be found on UIUPeacocks.com.Saturday's games are not currently set to have live vide options due to Upper Iowa's commencement ceremony, but if options become available they can also be found on UIUPeacocks.com/LIVE. Live stats for all four games and a webcast for Sunday's games will be available through the links at UIUPeacocks.com/Live and included on this story. Sunday's two-bill will also stream live on the new NSIC Network app through Roku and Fire devices, as well as Apple and Android TV. Search for "NSIC Network" to find the app on your relevant device. Locally, Sunday's doubleheader is scheduled to be broadcast on KCRG-TV 9.3.

LAST AT BAT… The Peacocks went 1-3 over their penultimate weekend of play as they played their final road games of the season against NSIC opponents UMary and Minot State in a pair of two-bills. UIU opened their weekend with a 5-2 win over the Marauders in game one that snapped a seven-game losing streak. In game two, the Peacocks fell by a score of 8-4 despite out-hitting UMary 13-11 and allowing just four earned runs. A controversial interference call wiped two UIU runs off the board in the top of the sixth and the Peacocks stranded three in the sixth and two in the seventh as their comeback came up short. Upper Iowa dropped game one against Minot State by a score of 11-3 in a game that went five innings due to run rule. UIU held a 4-1 lead in game two, but the Beavers took the lead with seven unanswered runs and the Peacocks left the tying run at the plate in the seventh to end the 10-7 ball game.

CRUSHIN' CROGAN... Katie Crogan is coming off a weekend where she hit 9-16 (.563) as she put together a four-game hitting streak and had multiple hits in three of the four games. The UIU firstbaseman paces the Peacocks in most offensive categories as her 47 hits, 22 runs batted in, 21 runs, 13 doubles, eight home runs, .667 slugging percentage, and 1.059 on-base plus slugging are team-highs. Her .373 batting average ranks second on the team behind Payton Kastenschmidt (.379). In the NSIC, Crogan's 13 doubles rank fourth overall and are just two back of the top mark (15). Her eight home runs are tied for the sixth-best mark, and her 47 hits are tied for 11th.

PEACOCK PITCHING PROWESS... Peacock pitcher Abby McKay paces the Peacocks in every major category from the circle. McKay has the best record on the team at 9-11 with 16 complete games. The second-year freshman leads UIU in earned run average at 3.68 and allows a team-best .283 average to opposing hitters. McKay's 134 innings pitched lead the NSIC, and her 139 strikeouts (1.04 per inning) rank fifth in the conference.

WITHSTANDING THE WILDCATS... Wayne State College comes into their matchup against the Peacocks with a 7-27 (4-18 NSIC) record and have not played since Apr. 25 after a pair of doubleheaders were canceled. Offensively, the Wildcats hit .286 as a team with 269 hits, 118 runs (3.47 per game), 114 RBI, 29 doubles, four triples, and 12 home runs. The WSC pitching staff has compiled a 7.02 ERA and 142 strikeouts while allowing a .320 average to opposing hitters.

VANQUISHING THE VIKINGS... Augustana University (S.D.) owns a record of 36-4 (24-2 NSIC) heading into the weekend and received all 16 first-place votes in the most recent NFCA DII Top 25 Coach's Poll. On offense, the Vikings hit .346 as a team with 367 hits, 290 runs (7.25 per game), 264 RBI, 66 doubles, 11 triples, and 55 home runs. Augustana's 55 long balls lead the NSIC and are the fifth-most in Division II. Augie pitchers have recorded a 1.98 ERA and 205 strikeouts while allowing a .209 batting average to opponents. The Vikings are scheduled to play a doubleheader against #20 Winona State University prior to their matchup with Upper Iowa.