Portland State University Athletics

Portland State's 1991 softball team was a story of growth over four seasons. The senior-laden Vikings had finished 43-9 overall, setting a school record for wins, and reached the final four in NCAA Division II softball, eventually placing third in the nation. It was the best national finish, among many, for the PSU Softball program. The 43 wins was the culmination for a team that had won 17 games, then 25, then 41 the previous three seasons. PSU was 84-23 in 1990 and 1991 combined. The Vikings boasted two All-Americans on the '91 team (Kristin Jacobs, Cynthia Macom), one Academic All-American (Cathy Eason) and Coach Teri Mariani was named NCAA Division II West Region Coach of the Year. Jacobs, Macom, Mariani, Michele Hughes and assistant coach Mary (Ross) Haluska have already been inducted as individuals to the Portland State Hall of Fame. The Vikings reached the NCAA Final Four by winning the NCAA West Regional at Erv Lind Stadium, coming through the losers bracket with three straight wins and outscoring their opponents, 24-2, in those three games. Ranked number one in the nation for much of the season, the team was making the second of four straight NCAA Division II appearances. The team also holds school records for consecutive wins (12) and shutouts (21) in a season.