SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- The No. 25 Augustana baseball team (33-14, 26-6 NSIC) is playing at home once again on Friday and Saturday when they take on Upper Iowa (11-24, 8-22 NSIC) in a three-game series. Friday marks the doubleheader, where the Vikings and Peacocks will face off starting at 4:00 PM and Saturday's series finale is set for noon. 

Saturday's game marks senior day for Augustana and the team will honor their seven seniors prior to the first pitch. 

The series is the first meeting between the two programs this season and the first since a mid-week doubleheader last season when the Vikings swept the Peacocks 4-0 and 13-3.  

Augustana holds the second-best team batting average in the conference, hitting .321 as a unit thus far this season. Junior Riley Johnson leads the way at the plate for Augustana in batting average at .392 and leads the conference in runs scored with 56. 

Sophomore Will Olson has the most home runs on the team, knocking six so far through the season. Senior Michael Svozil sits in third in the conference in stolen bases with 24 on the season.

On the mound, the Vikings are led by Max Steffens who holds a 7-0 record so far with six complete games on the year. Steffens has posted a 1.65 ERA thus far, while holding opponents to a .196 batting average. Sophomore Tanner Brown holds the second best ERA among starting pitchers for Augustana, posting a 2.81 ERA on the year with a 4-1 record. 

Scouting Upper Iowa

The Peacocks are facing off with Wayne State on Thursday in a doubleheader prior to the matchup with the Vikings.

At the plate, Upper Iowa has the fewest strikeouts in the NSIC, only striking out 253 times total. Zackary Cain leads the Peacocks in batting average at .367 while A.J. Friedrich leads the way in RBI for Upper Iowa with 27. Emmett Kulick holds the most home runs on the year for Upper Iowa with five.

On the mound, Duncan Snider has recorded the best ERA among starting pitchers for the Peacocks with a 2.26 ERA and two complete games on the season. Snider has pitched 51.2 innings this season and struck out 65 batters with opposing batters holding a .202 batting average against him. 

Next Up

Following the weekend series, the Vikings are off for a week before competing in the NSIC Tournament in St. Cloud, Minn.