Vice President for Athletics Rick Hartzell announced today that Head Baseball Coach Jeremy Ische has resigned from his position at Upper Iowa to return to Southwest Minnesota State University as the head coach for the Mustang baseball program. Ische's coaching career began 10 years ago as an assistant baseball coach in Marshall, Minn.
 
"I am sad to see Jeremy leave Upper Iowa," said Hartzell. "But I am happy for him and his family to return to their roots in southern Minnesota. The baseball program is in a great place thanks to the efforts of Coach Ische over the last seven years in Fayette. We will miss him, but he has built a tremendous foundation within our program that will last for years."
 
Ische has been at Upper Iowa for seven seasons including the last five years as the program's head coach. During his five years at the helm, the Peacocks have posted 57 wins including 45 in the conference with three All-NSIC Defensive Team members and one All-NSIC performer.
 
"I would like to thank Vice President for Athletics Rick Hartzell for the opportunity to be the head baseball coach at Upper Iowa," said Ische. "It has been a pleasure to coach at this institution. We have made many memories here at UIU as a program and a family. I would also like to thank our alumni and current families and players for their continued support and effort in our program and know that trend will continue. Thank you to all involved and I wish the Peacocks nothing but the best."

The Peacocks finished the season with a 19-27 mark overall and a 15-19 mark in the NSIC placing 10th after being picked 13th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. UIU posted perfect records against Bemidji State University (2-0), the University of Minnesota Duluth (2-0), Concordia University, St. Paul (2-0) and Winona State University (3-0) and grabbed big wins over William Jewell College, St. Cloud State University, and Augustana University during the season. 
 
Hartzell added, "I am naming Brian Voigt as our interim head baseball coach while we conduct an internal search. I have great confidence in Coach Voigt as we move to our new home in the Great Lakes Valley Conference next season."
 
Voigt joined the Peacock baseball staff as an assistant baseball coach heading into January 2023 after six years as the head baseball coach at Central Lakes College in Brainerd, Minn. Voigt led the Raiders to a record of 42-29 in his final two years and was named the 2022 MCAC Central Division Coach of the Year.
 
Upper Iowa will officially become a full member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference on July 1, 2023 and compete in the GLVC in all sports beginning with the 2023-24 athletic schedules. The GLVC is comprised of 14 NCAA Division II member institutions, spanning four Midwest states. In addition to UIU, the GLVC members include: Drury University, University of Illinois Springfield, University of Indianapolis, Lewis University, Maryville University, McKendree University, Missouri University of Science & Technology, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Quincy University, Rockhurst University, Southwest Baptist University, Truman State University, and William Jewell College.