THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK BASEBALL… Upper Iowa is back in Liberty, Mo. on Wednesday for a single, nine-inning game against the Cardinals of William Jewell College at 1 p.m. The two teams got together at William Jewell last Wednesday and were slated to rematch in Fayette this week, but field conditions in Fayette due to snow late last week and temperatures have pushed the game back south.
 
LIVE OPTIONS... Both live stats and a webcast is available for the game for fans who can't make the impromptu trip into Missouri. Fans can access the live options through the links above or by going to UIUPeacocks.com/Live on game day. 
 
BE KIND, REWIND… Last time the Peacocks laced up, the team split their double header at Truman State University on Friday, Mar. 10 winning the first game 5-3 before dropping game two by a 10-3 count. The Bulldogs (8-7) took advantage of six runs in the first two innings of game two after the Peacocks had held them to just three total runs in the first matchup. Austin Shingledecker (1-0) picked up the win in relief of starter Jarrett Ramer, who threw three innings allowing three runs on seven hits. Shingledecker threw 1.2 innings and held TSU scoreless on just one hit. Sam Marhefke came in for the save keeping the Bulldogs at bay with 2.1 scoreless and hitless innings while picking up three strikeouts. At the plate, UIU got three hits from Ethan Sawyer on the day, while JJ Vargas, Samuel Grushkin and Ryan Hull all registered a pair of hits on the day. The Peacocks had three extra base hits including doubles from Gabe Bombardier and Vargas and a homer in game two off the bat of Victor Plaz.
 
DON'T I KNOW YOU… Last Wednesday, the Peacocks and Cardinals battled in Liberty with WJC taking the two-game sweep. The Cardinals posted a 13-4 win in game one and a 9-4 decision in game two. UIU tallied five singles and a pair of walks in game one before picking up eight hits including two doubles and three homeruns with five walks. The Cardinals raced out to an 8-0 lead after the first three innings as they compiled 10 hits early on. Alex Greene drove in Upper Iowa's first run in the top of the fourth inning. The Peacocks added two more in the fifth frame to cut the gap to 8-3 after UIU scored a pair of runs without a hit thanks to a walk, a hit batter, a wild pitch and an error. WJC widened the margin again in the fifth inning with five runs to jump their lead to 13-3. UIU scored the game's final run with another wild pitch with the bases loaded. Kyle Hrncir (0-2) suffered the loss after allowing eight runs on 10 hits while getting four strikeouts. Chandler Jones (1-1) scored the win with five innings of work allowing three runs on three hits with five strikeouts. In the second game, Bryce Hall opened the contest with a home run, but the 1-0 lead didn't last long as William Jewell scored three runs on a pair of hits, a walk and an error. A lead off home run in the bottom of the second inning gave the home team a 4-1 lead. JJ Vargas hit the third leadoff homer of the game in the fourth inning to cut the gap in half. After the Cardinals pushed their lead back to 6-2 with two runs in the fourth, Ryan Hull hit a two-run shot to left field to bring UIU back within two runs, 6-4. WJC scored the final three runs on four hits in the sixth inning. Cael Luzum and Hull each had two hits in the game. UIU's Jason Jennerjohn (0-1) started the bullpen game for the Peacocks as the first of seven pitchers in the game. Sam Marhefke threw the best on the hill for UIU with four strikeouts and just one run allowed in his two innings, while Gabe Olson threw two strikeouts in his two scoreless innings. Aiden Flood (1-0) picked up the win in relief for William Jewell.
 
BEHIND THE FEATHERS… Upper Iowa is hitting .236 as a team, but has a slugging percentage of .411 and an on-base percentage of .328. The Peacocks have registered 19 doubles, 11 home runs, 31 walks and 12 hit batsmen. UIU is averaging 5.0 runs per game, while allowing 7.3 runs per game to opponents. The pitching staff has an ERA of 7.99 allowing 63 earned runs in 71.0 innings with 62 strikeouts and 45 walks. As a team, UIU is fielding at a high level with a .973 percentage with just eight errors in their first ten games.
 
PEACOCK STANDOUTS… On the mound, Jarrett Ramer leads the team with a 2-0 record in three starts, while Austin Shingledecker (1-0, 2.57 ERA) and Sam Marhefke (2 Saves, 3.12 ERA) have been effective out of the bullpen. Colin Lacey has thrown the most innings (13.1), but has suffered a pair of losses in the early going. At the plate, Ryan Hull is hitting .387 with 12 hits including three doubles and two home runs and has added eight stolen bases in nine tries. Ethan Sawyer (.344) and JJ Vargas (.300) have also started the season with success at the plate combining for 20 hits including five doubles and four home runs; Vargas has recorded three of each. Vargas leads the team in runs batted in with nine, while Bryce Hall has scored a team-high 11 runs. Upper Iowa has also been solid on the base paths creating more opportunities with 21 steals in 26 attempts.
 
LOOKING AHEAD… Upper Iowa is scheduled to host the University of Mary at Robertson Woods Field this coming Saturday and Sunday, Mar. 18-19. The games have currently been pushed back to Sunday and Monday, Mar. 19-20, but Mother Nature is still trying to affect that schedule. More talks will be had by both programs later this week to decide what is possible given the forecast and amount of precipitation (rain and snow) predicted for later this week.