THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK SOFTBALL… The Upper Iowa University softball team is away from home at the Lewis Flyer Dome Invitational for a four-game weekday slate. On Thursday, Feb. 24, the Peacocks see Saginaw Valley State University at 11 a.m. and Purdue University Northwest at 3:30 p.m. On Friday, Feb. 25, UIU plays the University of Wisconsin-Parkside at 9 a.m. and Ursuline College at 11 a.m.
FOLLOWING THE ACTION... There are multiple options for fans to follow the Peacocks on the road. The @UIU_Softball Twitter account will have gameday updates before, during, and after the games as the team will be live-Tweeting the action. Fans can also follow @UIUPeacocks on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and head to UIUPeacocks.com to get results as soon as they become available. Against Purdue-Northwest and Wisconsin-Parkside, live stats produced by those teams will be available through the links on UIU's schedule and included with this story. Against Wisconsin-Parkside, a live broadcast may be available on the UWP Softball Facebook page linked to UIU's schedule and this story.
IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE… Fans can purchase tickets to the Dome Invitational through the link on UIU's schedule page and included with this story. The tournament will be played at The Dome at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Ill. Passes are available for individual days or the whole event (2/24-27). The Peacocks play on Thursday, Feb. 24 and 25. No cash tickets are available, and all purchases are online-only. Per local guidelines, fans in attendance must wear masks at all times in the facility, regardless of vaccination status.
LAST TIME IN PEACOCK SOFTBALL… After frigid temperatures forced UIU to cancel their first two games on Feb. 12, the Peacocks played a triple-header on Feb. 13 at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic in Bentonville, Ark. Upper Iowa went 0-3 but steadily improved throughout the day. In game one, UIU fell 8-0 in five innings against the University of Illinois Springfield. The Peacocks took a 3-1 lead in game two against Emporia State University but lost 7-3. In game three, the Peacocks battled back from a 7-0 hole to cut the deficit to 8-7 and brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but the comeback effort came up just short in a 10-8 loss.
FANTASTIC FOUR… UIU's 1-4 hitters have combined for all of the team's 11 runs and are hitting a combined 16-40 (.400). Kaylee Frenette is 3-12 (.250) with two runs in the leadoff spot, while Sara Jessie is 3-10 (.300) with three runs and a double in the two-hole. Katie Crogan hit third in game one, with Amelia Fitzgerald hitting cleanup, but the pair flipped spots in games two and three. Crogan paces the Peacocks with a .571 average (4-7), seven RBI, and two round-trippers while scoring three runs. The fifth-year stalwart has a .700 on-base percentage thanks to three hit-by-pitches and a 1.429 slugging percentage. In the NSIC, Crogan's slugging percentage ranks first, her OBP ranks second, her average ranks third, her home runs are tied for fourth. Fitzgerald leads UIU with six hits in 11 at-bats and has scored three runs with one home and two RBI. The freshman's .545 batting average ranks fifth in the conference.
NATIONAL TREASURE… Katie Crogan is not only pacing the Peacocks and ranking at the top of the NSIC; she is also at or near the top spot in the NCAA DII in several offensive categories. Nationally, Crogan's 1.429 slugging percentage is tops in the country, her 0.67 home runs per game rank second, her 2.33 RBI per game rank fourth, her .700 OBP is tied for sixth, and her .571 batting average is tied for 22nd. She also averages the most hit-by-pitches per game in NCAA DII, with one per outing.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION... Saginaw Valley State will be opening its 2022 campaign against UIU at the Dome Invitational. The Cardinals went 29-17 (17-13 GLIAC) last season and were picked third (one first-place vote) in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's 2022 Preseason Coaches' Poll. Purdue-Northwest will also start their season at the Dome Invitational as they take on Truman State University before playing the Peacocks. The Pride finished with a 17-26 (11-16 GLIAC) record last season and were picked sixth in the 2022 GLIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Wisconsin-Parkside is off to a 0-6 start this year following a 17-29 (13-19 GLIAC) finish last season. The Rangers were picked to finish seventh in the 2022 GLIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Through six games, UWP is being out-scored 47-13 and out-hit .366 to .212 while allowing 8.32 earned runs per game. UIU is 6-3 in the all-time series against UWP, but the Rangers won 5-3 in last year's matchup at the Dome Invitational. Wisconsin-Parkside will play Truman State and Ursuline before the Peacocks. Ursuline holds a 1-3 record in 2022 after going 11-24 (10-10 G-MAC) in 2021. The Arrows were voted tenth in the 2022 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. UC has been out-scored 15-8 and out-hit .277-.224 while allowing 3.59 earned runs per game. Ursuline is scheduled to face UWP, Ferris State University, and PNW before playing the Peacocks.
