This Weekend in Peacock Baseball… The Peacock baseball team (2-6) gets back on the diamond on Sunday afternoon in Hammond, Ind. Upper Iowa will face Purdue University-Northwest in a double header beginning at 1 p.m. The series was originally scheduled for four games, but weather cut the matchup in half.
Live Options… Fans that can't make the games in person, have a pair of options to follow along live. Links for live stats and live video can be found above and at UIUPeacocks.com/Live.
Sizing Up The Peacocks… As a team, the Peacocks have posted an ERA of 5.47 with 33 earned run allowed across 54.1 innings. Opponents have hit .320 against UIU's pitchers thanks to 70 hits compared to 46 strikeouts. At the plate, Upper Iowa is hitting .237 with 52 hits including four doubles, four triples and four home runs for a slugging percentage of .347. UIU is averaging 3.25 runs per game through the first eight contests. Four of the team's six losses have come by two runs or less.
On The Run… Upper Iowa has converted on 88% of their stolen base attempts with 22 steals in 25 attempts. Cael Luzum has a team-high six swipes, while Nicolas Vite has five. The 22 stolen bases through the first eight games is nearly two-thirds of last season's total of 38.
Swinging Hard… Jerry Garcia (.407), Vite (.313) and A.J. Friedrich (.292) are leading the Upper Iowa offense through the first eight games of the season. Garcia has a team-high 11 hits and a team-high .556 slugging percentage. Friedrich has pushed seven Peacocks across the plate, while Ethan Sawyer has driven in five teammates.
Up On The Hill… Colin Lacey leads the Peacocks in innings this season with 10.1 with a 1-1 record and 11 strikeouts. Lacey and Sam Marhefke combined for a shutout in UIU's first game of the season at Rockhurst. Marhefke and Race Geesink have combined to hold opponents scoreless in 4.2 innings. Keaton Parker has thrown 11 innings in his two starts with nine strikeouts, but has allowed six runs to opponents.
Scouting Purdue-Northwest… The Pride are 6-1 this season after a pair of series. Purdue-Northwest won three of four against Southwest Baptist University and then swept Minot State University in a three-game series at home. Ray Hilbrich leads the Pride with a .476 average on 10 hits including a double, while four other batters are hitting over .300 from the plate. As a team, PNW is hitting .280 with 11 doubles and a triple. Noah Burgh has appeared in two games while starting one on the mound for the Pride and has not allowed a run in seven innings of work, while recording seven strikeouts. Purdue-Northwest has a team ERA of 2.25 with 60 strikeouts in 56 innings.
Looking Ahead… Upper Iowa is scheduled to open their NSIC and home slates on Saturday and Sunday, Mar. 19-20 when they welcome the University of Minnesota Duluth to Robertson Woods Field for four games, the first three of which will count toward the conference standings.
