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THIS WEEK: The PSU softball team (13-15, 1-3 PCSC) heads to Idaho State in a four-game PCSC Mountain Division series this weekend. The Vikings are looking to get back on track after opening conference play 1-3 last weekend against Utah Valley. PSU and Idaho State meet up twice on Saturday and two more times on Sunday, with both doubleheaders starting at 11 a.m. PT. All four games will be played at Capell Park in Chubbuck, instead of in Pocatello due to snow and rain.

GAMES 29 & 30
at Idaho State (7-23, 0-4 PCSC)
Saturday, April 16  •  11 a.m. PT  •  Doubleheader
Chubbuck, ID  •  Capell Park

GAMES 31 & 32
at Idaho State (7-23, 0-4 PCSC)
Sunday, April 17  •  11 a.m. PT  •  Doubleheader
Chubbuck, ID  •  Capell Park

HOW TO FOLLOW THE VIKS THIS WEEK: All four games this weekend at Idaho State should feature live stats, depending on internet connectivity at Capell Park. Check the live stats link on GoViks.com for updates.

FUTURE AUDIO BROADCASTS: After this weekend's games at Idaho State, all 17 remaining regular season contests will be broadcast live over GoViks.com. Softball Sports Information Director Ryan Borde will call the action April 22-23 in Seattle, while Teri Mariani will travel with the team for the six games in Colorado later this month. Mariani will also call PSU's final seven home games.

LOOKING TO GET BACK ON TRACK: The Vikings will look to bounce back after a disappointing PCSC-opening weekend in which they lost three of four games at home to Utah Valley. Portland State was the unanimous choice to repeat as Mountain Division champions, but their quest for another title took a big hit with the three losses. At 1-3 in conference play, the Vikings are three games back of first-place Northern Colorado (4-0) and two games back of both Seattle and Utah Valley (3-1). 

A SIGN OF GOOD THINGS?: Portland State entered conference play at 12-12, making them just the third squad in the Vikings' NCAA DI history (1999-present) that has a .500 winning percentage or better through 24 games. The 2006 team was 14-10 at this point, while in 2009 the Vikings were 12-12. Both of those teams went on to win the PCSC title and advance to the NCAA tournament. Prior to losing four straight games, two at Oregon State and two at home against Oregon, PSU's record stood at 12-8. That was the team's best start since the 1997 squad was 15-5 through 20 games.

PSU-IDAHO STATE SERIES NOTES: The Vikings have won six straight over Idaho State and lead the all-time series 8-2 ... before playing twice in 2008, the teams last met up in 1983. They played three times in 1981 – twice in Portland and once in Pocatello – with PSU winning twice ... their only meeting in Pocatello was the first time they squared off in 1981, with the Bengals taking a 2-1 victory in 18 innings ... in last year's four-game series, the Viks won the first two games by scores of 6-1 and 10-1 (five innings) on April 24, and then took the next two the following day by scores of 1-0 and 7-1 ... in game one, Anna Bertrand struck out a career high 16 and allowed just four hits and no earned runs ... in game two, Nichole Latham worked the first three innings to the get the win, giving up four hits and one run ... in game three, Bertrand struck out eight in a one-hit complete-game performance ... in game four, Latham got the win in relief, giving up five hits and no runs over three innings ... Bertrand finished the series 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 20 Ks, while Latham was 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA and 6 Ks ... it wasn't a big offensive weekend for the Vikings, who outhit Idaho State 24-19. Arielle Wiser and Lacey Holm both had three hits for PSU and Danielle Lynn walked four times and scored five runs.

SCOUTING IDAHO STATE: The Bengals (7-23, 0-4 PCSC) snapped a five-game losing streaky today (April 13) with a 6-1 win at Utah State. They still have lost 14 of their last 16. They have yet to play a home game this season ... ISU got swept at Northern Colorado last weekend, losing the four games by a combined score of 32-12 ... the Bengals are hitting .232 and have a team ERA of 4.80 ... Sophomore Christina Rayner is the lone Bengal player hitting over .300. Rayner is batting .333 with three homers and 19 RBIs. Sophomore C Terah Blackwell and senior OF/C Brittany Olsin led the team with four home runs, while two other players have hit three ... in the circle, senior Kandi Clesson has pitched the bulk on the innings (112.0), with Rayner serving as the number two pitcher. Clesson is 6-14 with a 4.44 ERA and 68 Ks, and Rayner is 1-5 with a 5.72 ERA in 56.2 IP. Clesson lowered her ERA by more than a point and a half after giving up only one run to Utah State. Opponents are hitting .325 against the Bengals.

HOMER HAPPY: With 17 home runs already this season, the Vikings are on pace to break last season's total of 19. PSU didn't hit its 17th homer of 2010 until May 5, which came in their 49th contest. Karmen Holladay, Lacey Holm and Carly McEachran led the team with three apiece, Sadie Lopez and Arielle Wiser each have two bombs, while Brandi Campos, Crysta Conn, Danielle Lynn and Kayla Norrie each have hit one.

FINDING HER SWING: It was only a matter of time, but transfer Karmen Holladay found her swing against Utah Valley this past weekend, batting .545 (6-for-11) with two doubles, one home run and seven RBIs. Holladay had two hits in each of the first three games and in the opener on Sunday she belted an opposite field home run that cleared both fences at Erv Lind Stadium in right field. She finished the weekend with a 1.000 slugging percentage and .615 on-base percentage, and only struck out once in 13 plate appearances. Her torried weekend at the plate raised her batting average from .184 to .250.

SUPER SENIOR: Vikings senior Arielle Wiser has played in all 198 games during her career, starting 197 of them. All 197 starts have come at shortstop and she has started 185 straight games dating back to her freshman season. Wiser already ranks first all-time at Portland State in sacrifice hits with 38 and also joined the top 10 in hits and runs scored earlier this year. This past weekend she moved up from ninth to a tie for eighth in hits with 178 and she also joined the rankings in games played (t9/198), doubles (t9/23) and at-bats (10/606). Against Utah Valley, Wiser hit .462 (6-for-13) with three doubles,