After two Pacific Coast Softball Conference titles and a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament over the past three years, it's safe to say that bar has been set high for the Portland State Vikings. Arguably the league's most successful team during that span, the Vikings will look to further boast their resume in 2012 under fourth-year Head Coach Tobin Echo-Hawk.

Led by the return of 10 letterwinners, six position starters and two pitchers, Portland State heads into this season with high expectations, as they were picked by the league's 12 head coaches to win their third straight PCSC Mountain Division title in the preseason poll that was released on Feb. 2.

Last spring, the Vikings went 34-18, won the Mountain Division with a 16-4 record and defeated Coastal Division champion, Loyola Marymount, two-games-to-none, in the PCSC Championship Series to advance to the NCAA tourney for the third time in six seasons. Among the most notable returners from that squad are junior right-handed pitcher Anna Bertrand, junior second baseman Carly McEachran and senior center fielder Jenna Krogh.

A strikeout machine, Bertrand is a two-time All-Mountain Division first team honoree who will shoulder the biggest load on the pitching staff. McEachran hit a very impressive .475 in league action last year on her way to being named the Mountain Division co-Player of the Year, and Krogh led the PCSC with a .398 batting average, which was the best mark by a Viking since 1991.

It all sounds impressive, but Echo-Hawk is cautiously optimistic going into this year.

The Vikings lost two big pieces from last year's team to graduation and several other returners that were expected to help out this season are no longer with the program. Echo-Hawk has used that as a rallying point for her team throughout winter workouts and she says it has paid off in the form of great team chemistry.

"This team, they just get along. The team chemistry is outstanding," said Echo-Hawk, who is 93-71 during her time at Portland State. "We lost some key players over the course of the past year, whether it was to graduation or to unforeseen circumstances. But it has only brought us closer. We really need to come together, because we have a lot to overcome from some of the things that have happened this year."

The two pieces PSU lost to graduation are big ones. Gone are Arielle Wiser, who started 221 of 222 career games at shortstop, and pitcher Nichole Latham, who left with her name in 10 different categories of the Portland State record book. A pair of freshmen are battling to see who will take over for Wiser, while Bertrand will team up with senior Karmen Holladay and freshman Raya Johnson to man the circle.

Heading into last season, the Vikings had some question marks in their lineup. They had lost some big bats from the 2010 team, but it all worked out in the end as they ended up in the NCAA Tournament. There are more question marks this spring and they will soon start to get answered when Portland State opens the year at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., playing five games from Feb. 10-12. Echo-Hawk might not want to come out and say it, but the talent is there for the Vikings to make a run at yet another postseason appearance.

POSITION-BY-POSITION BREAKDOWN

PITCHER

The conversation about the Portland State pitching staff begins and ends with Bertrand. When Echo-Hawk signed the righty to a National Letter of Intent coming out of nearby McMinnville High School, she predicted that Bertrand would leave as the greatest pitcher to ever play for the Vikings. So far, that prediction appears to be coming true. Bertrand already ranks sixth on the Park Blocks with 383 strikeouts, while her 8.26 strikeout ratio is by far the top mark.

"Anna is our go-to. It's great to have a pitcher like her on staff because you always know what you are going to get. She is just a very consistent player," said Echo-Hawk.

Bertrand has led the PCSC in strikeouts and opposing batting average two years running, while also ranking amongst the league leaders in wins and earned run average.

For the first time in Echo-Hawk's tenure, and quite possibly for the first time since the early 2000s, the Vikings don't return a pair of pitchers that saw major time the previous year. Last season, Bertrand and Latham paired up to form an extremely potent 1-2 punch. Several times, Holladay stepped in and provided solid innings. Now a senior, and healthy for the first time in her collegiate career, she is expected to see considerable more action in 2012.

Portland State's starting first baseman in 2011, Holladay didn't allow a single run over six appearances and 18 innings. That included a complete-game shutout victory over her former team, Oregon State, in the final regular season contest.

"Karmen had a couple of very effective appearances last year and she went out on a high note against Oregon State," Echo-Hawk said. "We are looking for her to carry some of the weight this season."

New to the staff this spring is Johnson. A two-time all-state pitcher, Johnson racked up 719 strikeouts over four seasons at Eaglecrest High School in Aurora, Colo.

"Raya has shown a ton of improvement over the course of the year. She is getting stronger and more confidence and we are hoping she can maintain that confidence throughout the course of the season," said Echo-Hawk.

CATCHER

Portland State will be looking for a new starting catcher in 2012, and going into the Kajikawa Classic, Echo-Hawk said she has yet to determine who that will be. Competing for the starting gig are senior Maggie Sholian and sophomore Kayla Norrie.

Echo-Hawk says they each have their strengths and their weaknesses. She says Sholian is a very intelligent player who reads the game well, while Norrie is a vocal leader and one of the most positive players on the squad.

Norrie batted .275 in part-time action last year and had several clutch pinch-hit at-bats, including a home run in the Utah Valley series. She started 12 games, but only five of those were behind the dish.

Sholian only registered six at-bats a year ago after transferring from Providence College.

INFIELD

The starting second base and third base jobs are nailed down by McEachran and sophomore Crysta Conn, respectively. Holladay is the leader to start again at first, but is being pushed by junior Alexa Morales, while freshmen Alicia Fine and Brittany Hendrickson are competing to see who will start at shortstop.

At first base, Echo-Hawk notes that both Holladay and Morales have excellent gloves and both swing the bat well. Holladay has the edge due to her experience, but when she is in the circle, then Morales will be at first.

Going to show how much McEachran is entrenched as the starter at second base, no one else has been practicing there.

"Carly is the vocal leader of this team and was voted a team captain. She is the energy of this team." said Echo-Hawk. "Her offensive numbers last season were really good and we are hoping she can repeat that."

McEachran made tremendous strides between her freshman and sophomore seasons, going from a .200 batting average, no home runs and seven RBIs to a .333 batting average, a team-best seven home runs and 30 RBIs.

Conn will start for the second consecutive year at the "hot corner," after putting together an impressive freshman season. In 2011, she hit .290 with eight doubles, four home runs and 31 RBIs, while starting all 52 games. Echo-Hawk says that Conn is perhaps the Vikings most consistent player both offensively and defensively.

Providing depth at third base is newcomer Kajsa Sporseen. A two-year member of the Portland State soccer team, Sporseen joined the Viking softball squad in January.

At the ever-critical shortstop position, Fine and Hendrickson bring different qualities to the team. Echo-Hawk says Fine is the better defensive player of the two and is in the mold of Wiser, who was a slick defender, while Hendrickson is already one of the team's top hitters.

"They are very different players. If you're looking for an offensive lineup then Brit would be there. But if we are going for a more defensive lineup, then Alicia gets the nod. She reminds me a lot of Rel (Wiser)," said Echo-Hawk.

"We tried several different people there during the fall, but now it's down to just those two. When you have a player like Rel for four years the expectations are going to be high. Anybody that steps into that position has huge shoes to fill. Brit and Alicia are very capable of doing that, now they just need to get confidence and experience playing at this level."

OUTFIELD

The outfield is where Echo-Hawk has seen the biggest competition. Krogh started all 52 games in center in 2011, with Sadie Lopez making 35 starts in left and Becca Bliss starting 30 times in right.

Krogh is the leader of the outfield with tremendous range due to her quickness. She, along with Bertrand and Latham, earned Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Pacific Region second team honors last year.

"Offensively you don't get much better than Jenna," Echo-Hawk said. "She puts the ball in play and makes things happen. Whether it's a mis-hit or a bunt, she gives herself an opportunity every time because of her speed."

A junior, Lopez has the experience in left field, with 90 career starts to her name at that spot. She hit .296 last year and earned first team All-Mountain Division recognition.

Competing with Lopez is freshman Aubrey Nitschelm, who came to the Park Blocks as an infielder. Echo-Hawk and assistant Kellyn Tate moved Nitschelm to the outfield during winter workouts and so far they have been impressed with how fast she has picked up the position.

In right field, Bliss, who is now a sophomore, is the incumbent, but is being pushed by junior transfer Jordan Goschie.

Echo-Hawks says Bliss is the team's best outfielder with a "do-or-die attitude. She is going to catch any ball possible." But Bliss needs to improve the offensive aspect of her game.

Like Nitschelm, Goschie is also a converted infielder. She came to Portland State after playing two seasons at Iowa.

"Ultimately it's going to come down to who hits as to who will start in right field," said Echo-Hawk. "Becca knows she needs to hit and she has been putting in the time to get better. Jordan has been doing a great job so far in the outfield. She's made huge strides in terms of reading balls, getting dirty and being aggressive."

Another player who could see time in the outfield in transfer Danai Martin. She comes to PSU after two years at Creighton. Echo-Hawk says Martin is one of the best baserunners she has ever coached. "I've never seen a player who can read a ball (in the dirt) and take the extra base like she can."

THE SCHEDULE AND THE PCSC

For the fourth straight year, Portland State opens up at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. The four-day event features 28 teams and is one of the nation's most prestigious preseason tournaments. The Vikings will also compete in tournaments in Las Vegas (Feb. 16-19), Moraga, Calif. (Feb. 24-26), Riverside, Calif. (Mar. 1-4) and Boise (Mar. 16-18).

Among PSU's 55-game schedule is eight contests against teams that made the NCAA Tournament a year ago. The Vikings will be tested right out of the gate, as three of their first five games, and six of their first 10, will come against squads that reached the postseason in 2010.

"We are going to be tested early by going up against some of the top teams in the country," said Echo-Hawk. "As a team, we have always embraced being challenged and playing the best. It will only prepare us for what we will face when we get into conference play."

Portland State's first home date at Erv Lind Stadium is March 12, when they take on North Dakota in a non-conference doubleheader. Two days later, the Vikings welcome in national power Alabama for a single game at 6 p.m. The Crimson Tide reached last year's Women's College World Series and were ranked third in the final NFCA poll. They have made the WCWS seven times in the program's 15-year history.

PSU opens up PCSC play on March 30, traveling to Utah Valley.

While the Vikings were picked to win the Mountain Division, Echo-Hawk says she sees Northern Colorado and Utah Valley competing for the title as well. In the Coastal Division, she believes San Diego will come out in a close race.