DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - Entering the weeknd as the No. 6 seed, the Duhawks will compete in the Iowa Conference Tournament for the third consecutive season. At 19-20 overall and 13-15 in IIAC play, Loras will begin their quest towards a tournament title on Thursday at 1 p.m. against Central College.

SCOUTING REPORT: WARTBURG
Wartburg enters the Iowa Conference Tournament winners in seven of their final ten conference matchups. The Knights led the conference in both pitching and hitting for most of the season, prior to being beaten out in each category by Coe. Wartburg did however produce the most runs, largely due to their powerful lineup. Five starters had six or more home runs for the Knights, with DJ Utley leading the way with ten. Defensively, Wartburg ranked first in the conference and used their .962 fielding percentage to help their pitchers in the field. Teams seemed unable to tally many hits against the Knights this season, as their pitching staff limited opponents to a .257 average, the lowest in the conference. Parker Bolt boasted one of the best ERA's by a starter, despite going 5-4 on the mound. With a 2.93 ERA, Bolt is an important piece to have come tournament time. The Knights' bullpen played a large role in their overall success, holding opponents to just nine runs in 43 2/3 innings pitched.

SCOUTING REPORT: COE
Coe got hot in the second half of the season, winning 12 of their final 15 conference games. The Kohawks stood out on offense for a majority of the season and made the most of their improved patience at the plate. With a .331 batting average and a .400 on-base percentage, the Kohawks led the conference in offense while plating 282 runs in 40 games. Coe's batters struck out the least amount of times, which helped raise both of those averages. They've been so good in the batter's box that the lowest batting average of their starters stands at .293. On the base paths the Kohawks come into the postseason on fire, having stolen 61 bases in 71 tries this season. On the mound, Coe's pitching was one of the best, led by Jack Hoffmann who enters the tournament with a 1.36 ERA and an 8-1 record. Despite a losing mark at 3-4, Connor Alberhasky owns a 2.72 ERA and is one of the few pitchers nationally to have thrown a no-hitter this season. After earning the No. 6 seed in the tournament a season ago, the Kohawks are in prime position for a title run.

SCOUTING REPORT: CENTRAL
Central enters the postseason as the hottest team in the conference. Winners of seven in their last eight games, Central cemented themselves as the No. 3 seed following a final weekend sweep of Loras. The Dutch will face Loras the first round of the tournament looking to keep that trend alive, despite winning each of the four games by one run. Central finished near the middle of the pack in both hitting and pitching, with their final series making them the fourth best pitching team in the conference. In 39 games, Central has allowed their pitchers to go the distance 11 times, second most in the league. This confidence has helped the team to a 4.34 ERA. Offensively, the Dutch are on a downswing, having lowered their team batting average in six straight games. As opposed to Wartburg, Central poses no threat with the long-ball, having hit just five all season. With 72 doubles, and 14 triples, Central has still seen their fair share of extra base hits this season.

SCOUTING REPORT: BUENA VISTA
As the defending conference champions, Buena Vista heads into this week as an underdog, despite holding the third best record in the conference. Following a 33-7 record last season, Buena Vista took a small step back in 2015. That step still led to the Beavers finishing third in the conference in hitting and pitching. Buena Vista saw breakout performances on offense from Eric Gurbacki and Tanner Truesdell. The Beavers rode the consistent play of these two in all 39 of their games this season. Combined, the duo accounted for 61 RBI's, 32 percent of the team's total output. On the mound, Buena Vista boasts one of the most prolific relievers in the conference in Lucas Hadaway. Hadaway accumulated nine saves this season as the primary late-inning man for the Beavers. The North Polk product averaged more than a strikeout per inning, recording 28 in 22 innings pitched. In the starting role, both Justin Lange and Jake Bjorkgren recorded sub-3.00 ERA's. Bjorkgren tallied three complete games in 2015, while walking just seven batters in 52 innings pitched.

SCOUTING REPORT: LUTHER
Luther is back in the conference tournament for the first time since 2012, a step in the right direction under first year head coach Bryan Nikkel. The Norse enter the tournament on a cold stretch, having lost six of their last eight games. Luther has a very potent heart of the batting order, with four players batting well over .350 for the season. They've relied on Aldon Severson to supply the power in the lineup this season. Severson led the team in home runs with five and in total extra-base hits with 17. Teddy Klingsporn led the team on the mound in 2015, finishing the regular season with a sparkling 1.84 ERA. It was Alec Knop who led the conference in strikeouts however, despite an ERA of 5.40. Knops 62 strikeouts led the team by 14. In the bullpen David Lowe proved to be reliable for Luther, having allowed just three earned runs in 12 innings pitched.

SCOUTING REPORT: LORAS
Loras holds a spot in the conference tournament for the third straight year in 2015. Despite having lost five straight to end the season, the Duhawks are ready to pull off the upset in round one. Loras was swept by Central to finish the year, but lost by a total of four runs in four games. The Duhawks have really picked things up on the mound recently with senior Will Petrosky and junior Alex Steines throwing their best innings of the season in their last two outings. Senior Adam Schwoebel anchored the Duhawks for a majority of the year, and finished with a career-best 7-3 record and a career-low ERA at 3.38. Schwoebel also demonstrated excellent command of his pitches by walking a conference-low seven batters all season. Loras has struggled at the plate as of late, but the great pitching of these three has helped them stay in games. Both Petrosky and Steines rank near the top of the league in batting average against, holding teams to averages of .251 and .227 respectively. Steines also ranks third in the league in strikeouts with 52 in 52 1/3 innings. The junior has been using his fastball more often which has led to an increase in strikeouts over his last three starts. Loras struggled on offense towards the end of the season, resulting in just two players batting over .300 heading into the post-season. Senior Spence Bonner has been the most consistent of the group, coming into the tournament with a .320 batting average and 17 RBIs. Sophomore Tony Heiser has experienced a break-out year, batting .305 with 22 RBIs. Leading the team in RBIs is junior Patrick Walsh, who knocked in 27 this season.