FAYETTE, Iowa - Upper Iowa baseball (11-14, 4-4 GLVC) makes the long conference trek out east to UIndy (13-14, 7-5 GLVC) for a four-game weekend series. The Peacocks and Greyhounds start on Friday, March 27, at 3 p.m. with a Saturday doubleheader at noon and a Sunday game at noon.
LIVE OPTIONS
Fans unable to attend the games this weekend can stay connected with a pair of live options available at UIUPeacocks.com/Live, including live stats and a pay-per-view webcast through GLVCSN. Fans can also refer to the links attached to this story for all live options.
In addition to GLVCSN.com, viewers can catch the Peacocks on the GLVCSN iOS and Android mobile app, as well as the GLVCSN app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV.
LAST TIME OUT
The Peacocks were swept by Maryville (Mo.) (14-10, 8-0 GLVC) this past weekend in the home opening four-game series at Robertson Woods Field. Cael Luzum led the Peacocks in the series with a team-high four hits, including a double.
Thane Meiners and Gabe Bombardier each added three hits. Bombardier had a double, a home run and a team-high four RBIs. Meiners also walked twice. JJ Vargas had two hits with a two-run homer in game three. Kyle Hrncir made his first appearance at the plate in game four, smacking a 2RBI single.
Brett Nicodemus had the most strikeouts of any Peacock pitcher on the weekend with six. He allowed two hits, one walk and no earned runs in his three-inning relief appearance in game one. Carson Dupuis also didn't allow a run in his two-inning relief appearance, adding two strikeouts.
STATISTICAL SUMMARY
Meiners leads the team in batting average this season at .337 with a team-high 27 hits. He's totaled six doubles, a triple and a home run. The senior has also walked 18 times for a .455 on-base percentage.
Luzum is slashing .325/.467/.506 with a team-high 10 doubles while adding a triple and a home run. He's also a perfect 10-for-10 on stolen base attempts. Brock Zimmer is batting .276 with four doubles and five home runs.
Vargas and Jared Hoodjer lead the team in home runs with seven each. Bombardier leads the team in RBIs with 28, while Hoodjer is adding 22. Freshman Jayce Klug is UIU's leader in walks with 23 and in stolen bases with 11.
Gabe Olson leads the team on the mound with a 3.16 ERA and a 4-1 record. He's pitched a team-high 31.1 innings with 32 strikeouts. The senior is fourth in the GLVC in ERA and is tied for 18th in total strikeouts.
Dylan Hesch has pitched 21.2 innings with a 4.15 ERA and 22 strikeouts. Hrncir has a 4.50 ERA in 20 innings pitched with 22 strikeouts as well. Both Hesch and Hrncir are 2-1 this season. Isaiah Maes has pitched 21 innings with 16 strikeouts.
The Peacocks have a .251 batting average and an 8.10 ERA as a team this season. UIU has hit 29 home runs as a team, ranking fifth in the GLVC. The pitching staff has struck out 199 batters, also ranking fifth in the GLVC.
AROUND THE GLVC
Maryville is the lone undefeated team in GLVC play after sweeping both Lincoln (Mo.) (5-15, 0-8 GLVC) and Upper Iowa. The Saints are riding a six-game win streak after taking two games from No. 16 Grand Valley State (Mich.) (20-4) the weekend before.
Illinois Springfield (18-7, 7-1 GLVC) is second in the conference after winning three out of four against Drury (Mo.) (13-12, 4-4 GLVC) this past weekend. Missouri S&T (13-10, 6-2 GLVC) is on a seven-game winning streak after sweeping Truman State (Mo.) (7-18, 1-11 GLVC) and winning a midweek game against Harding (Ark.) (16-12).
Quincy (19-9, 8-4 GLVC) is sitting in fourth, but tied with the Saints for the most wins in conference play. The Hawks split a series this past weekend with Missouri-St. Louis (19-9, 8-4 GLVC), currently in fifth. Quincy was the only GLVC team receiving votes in this past week's ABCA Coaches' Poll.
Illinois Springfield's Kaden Griffitts won GLVC Player of the Week after batting 9-for-15 (.600) with four homers in the series victory over Drury. Vince Gohlke of Lewis (Ill.) (9-16, 3-5 GLVC) took home GLVC Pitcher of the Week after tossing six shutout innings in the series finale against William Jewell (Mo.) (6-17, 2-6 GLVC).
ABOUT THE GREYHOUNDS
UIndy took on Rockhurst (Mo.) (18-7, 7-5 GLVC) this past weekend, winning the first two games, 24-11 and 13-9, but losing the second two games, 9-6 and 12-10. The Greyhounds also split with Southwest Baptist (Mo.) (12-12, 6-6 GLVC) and took three out of four against McKendree (Ill.) (10-16, 4-8 GLVC) in GLVC play.
The team has five batters hitting over .300, led by redshirt senior Austin Bode, slashing .373/.472/.843 with eight doubles, five triples and 10 home runs. Bode leads the conference in home runs and is third in slugging percentage. He enters the series on an eight-game hitting streak.
Senior infielder Garrett Rusch is batting .333 with seven doubles and five home runs. Redshirt sophomore Solen Munson is also batting .333 with four doubles and seven homers.
Brayton Bowen is batting .321 with a team-best .581 on-base percentage after walking 31 times. Bowen leads the GLVC in total walks and in on-base percentage. Senior catcher Chase Mason is batting .305 with five doubles, one triple and three homers.
The Greyhounds have three pitchers with over 30 innings pitched this season. Aidan Pearson has the best ERA of the three at 3.45 with 23 strikeouts and a 4-1 record. Kaleb Marrs has thrown a team-high 38.1 innings with 33 strikeouts. The junior right-handed pitcher is tied for 15th in the GLVC in strikeouts and has a 7.04 ERA.
Aydan Tran has a 5.09 ERA in 35.1 innings pitched with 29 strikeouts during his junior campaign. Griffin Hallahan has pitched 27 innings with 19 strikeouts and a 4.67 ERA. He has allowed the opposing batting average of the four at .235.
As a team, UIndy is hitting .297 and has a 6.53 ERA. Those marks rank seventh and fifth in the GLVC, respectively. The Greyhounds' 40 home runs rank third in the conference, and their pitching staff ranks ninth in strikeouts with 179.
Al Ready is in his eighth season as the head coach of UIndy. He has led the Greyhounds to three straight NCAA Midwest Super Regional appearances. He has a 213-155 record with UIndy since becoming the head coach in 2019.
