Portland State Vikings (7-17 overall, 1-2 BSC) at
Southern Utah Thunderbirds (5-26 overall, 1-2 BSC)
April 1-2, 2016 • Cedar City, Utah • Kathryn Berg Field
Live Stats | Live Video

This Week
Portland State is back on the road this week for its first Big Sky Conference road test of the season. The Vikings head to Cedar City, Utah to take on the Southern Utah Thunderbirds for a three-game set. The series opens with a doubleheader on Friday, April 1 beginning at 12 p.m. MT. The series finale is slated for Saturday, April 2 at 12 p.m. MT.

Online
Live stats will be available for all three games in Cedar City. Check the softball schedule page on GoViks.com for more information. 

Live Video
A live video stream will be available all three games in Cedar City at WatchBigSky.com. 

Social Media
Stay informed with Portland State Softball on social media. See below for everything related to Portland State Softball. 
• Twitter - @PortlandStateSB
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• Facebook - @PortlandStateSB
• YouTube - @GoPortlandState

Last Time Out
Portland State opened Big Sky Conference action with a three-game series loss to Weber State. The Vikings took the first game of the series, 4-0, behind a tremendous pitching effort by senior RHP Karyn Wright. Candice Orozco and Brianna Celaya provided the offense, each hitting a home run, to propel the Vikings to the win. The Wildcats evened the series with a 5-3 win in game two after coming back from an early deficit. Weber State took the rubber-match, 10-2, to take the series 2-1. 

I Want Candy
Senior OF Candice Orozco has been on a tear over the past week. Over the last five games, Orozco is hitting .615 at the plate (8-for-13) with three runs scored, three doubles, a home run, and five RBIs. She hit safely in four out of the five games, including a career-high three-hit game against Weber State. She also matched her career-high in RBIs with three in the same game. Over the Vikings' last 10 games, Orozco leads the team in batting average (.524), Hits (11), doubles (3), home runs (3), RBIs (8), slugging percentage (1.095), and on base percentage (.577).  

The Wright Stuff
After not pitching for nearly a month, senior RHP Karyn Wright has posted some of the best outings of her career. Over her last three games, Wright is 2-0 with an 0.88 ERA, including two complete games and one complete-game shutout. Wright has allowed just two earned runs over 16 complete innings during the stretch and has struck out nine. She posted back-to-back complete-game wins for the first time in her career with wins over Seattle (3/22) and Weber State (3/25). 

Singles
• Senior Melissa Masters has reached base safely in each of her last five games, the most currently by any Viking. 
• Six Vikings have recorded multi-RBI games in the last five games. 

Up Next
The Vikings continue their five-game road trip with a doubleheader against #4 Oregon on Tuesday, April 5 in Eugene, Ore. It will be the second and third games against a ranked opponent for the Vikings this season. 

Opponent Preview
Southern Utah Thunderbirds
• Record: Southern Utah is 5-26 overall and 2-1 in Big Sky Conference play this season. The Thunderbirds are 0-0 at home, 3-9 on the road, and 2-17 at a neutral site. 
• Top Hitter: Kylee Wolf leads the team with a .350 batting average on the season. She also leads the team in hits (35) and runs scored (20) on the season. She has hit six doubles and a pair of home runs. She has also driven in 10 runs and is 4-for-4 in stole base attempts. 
• Top Pitcher: Kristen Hostetler is 2-4 on the season with a team-best 5.62 ERA. She has allowed 47 runs, 34 earned, over 42 1/3 innings pitched. She has walked 18 and struck out 17. Opponents are hitting .358 against her. 
• Team Notes: Southern Utah started the season with six-straight losses before winning three straight. After that, the Thunderbirds lost their next 18 games before opening conference play with a 2-1 series win over Idaho State. The T-Birds are hitting .238 as a team, second-worst in the Big Sky. They have been out-scored 236-to-91 this season and have been shutout six times. 
• All-Time Series: Portland State is 17-10 all-time against Southern Utah. Southern Utah has had The Vikings number of late, taking five of the last six games. Portland State took the last meeting, 7-1 at home last season to avoid the series sweep. 
• Last Season: Southern Utah took the season series 2-1 at Portland State. The Thunderbirds took the first tow games by scores of 5-3 and 5-4 respectively. The Vikings took the final game of the series 7-1 behind a complete game by Meagan Hendrix. 

Season Notes
Player/Pitcher of the Week
• Sophomore IF Kortney Craker and freshman RHP Alyssa Burk were named the Big Sky's Player and Pitcher of the Week respectively following the Hawaii Invitational. 
• Craker hit .615 (8-for-13) with five runs scored, a double, three home runs, and six RBIs. She slugged 1.385 with an on base percentage of .688. She tallied two game-winning home runs on the week including a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh against Utah Valley (2/26). 
• Burk went 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA with two complete games including a complete-game shutout of Hawaii. She allowed just three earned runs off five hits over 14 innings, while walking six and striking out 17. She struck out a career-high 10 batters in the shutout of Hawaii. 
• It was the third time, first since 2013, that the Vikings have swept the Big Sky's weekly honors. 

Walk-Off Winner
Sophomore IF Kortney Craker hit a walk-off solo home run against Utah Valley (2/26) to give the Vikings their first win of the season. It was the first walk-off home run (not via the eight-run rule) since Becca Bliss walked-off against Sacramento State on April 27, 2013. 

Double-Digit K's
Freshman RHP Alyssa Burk recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts en route to her first career win, and first career complete-game shutout, against Hawaii (2/27). The last Viking to record 10+ strikeouts in a game was Anna Bertrand (11) against Sacramento State on April 26, 2013.

Back-to-Back Complete Game Wins
• Freshman RHP Alyssa Burk recorded the first back-to-back complete game wins of her career with wins over Hawaii (2/27) and Utah Valley (2/28). It was the first time a Viking recorded back-to-back complete game wins since Anna Bertrand recorded six straight compete-game wins in 2013. 
• Senior Karyn Wright posted the first back-to-back complete game wins of her career with wins over Seattle (3/22) and Weber State (3/25). 

2016 Weekly Recaps
Week 6 - Seattle (March 22) & Weber State (March 25-26)
• Portland State went 2-3 over the course of the week beginning with a doubleheader split with the Seattle Redhawks. Seattle took game one, 11-8, before the Vikings took game two, 2-1. 
• The Vikings then dropped their first Big Sky Conference series, 2-1, to the Southern Utah Thunderbirds. 
• Senior OF Candice Orozco led the Vikings with a .615 batting average on the week, going 8-for-13 at the plate. She scored three times, doubled three times, hit a home run, and drove in five on the week. 
• Portland State players tallied eight multi-hit games and six multi-RBI games on the week. 
• Senior RHP Karyn Wright put together the best two pitching performances of her career with back-to-back complete-game wins. She allowed just two earned runs over 16 innings on the week for a 0.88 ERA. 

Week 5 - Saint Mary's Classic II (March 11-13)
• Portland State went 0-1 after having four games cancelled due to inclement weather. 
• Junior LHP Meagan Hendrix picked up the 5-1 loss, allowing thee earned runs over 3 2/3 innings. She walked three and struck out two. 
• Hendrix led the Vikings at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles. 
• Junior C Alex Flores drove in the Vikings' lone run with a RBI single in the bottom of the seventh. 

Week 4 - San Diego Classic I (March 4-5)
• Portland State went 1-2 over the weekend. The Vikings' pitchers threw three complete games and combined for a 2.21 ERA. 
• Freshman RHP Alyssa Burk opened the week with a 1-0 loss on an unearned run. She struck out four and did not allow a walk. 
• Junior LHP Meagan Hendrix allowed one run on five hits in the Vikings' win against San Diego. 
• Senior OF Candice Orozco went 2-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBIs on the weekend. 
• Portland State hit .228 on the weekend, while opponents hit .271. 

Week 3 - Bank of Hawaii Invitational (Feb. 26-28)
• Sophomore IF Kortney Craker was named the Big Sky's Player of the Week. 
• Freshman RHP Alyssa Burk was named the Big Sky's Pitcher of the Week.
• Craker was also named the Hawaii Invitational Most Valuable Player. 
• Senior OF Brianna Celaya and Burk were named to the All-Tournament Team. 
• Portland State went 4-1 at the Hawaii Invitational, its best weekend record since going 5-0 in 2006.
• Craker hit .615 (8-for-13) with five runs, a double, three home runs, and six RBIs.She slugged 1.385 with a .688 on base percentage. 
• Burk went 2-0 with two complete games, including her first career complete-game shutout. She allowed just three earned runs over 14 innings for a 1.50 ERA. She struck out 17 batters, including a career-high 10 batters against Hawaii (2/27). 
• Senior OF Candice Orozco hit a pinch hit go-ahead home run against Utah Valley (2/28). 

Week 2 - DeMarini Desert Classic (Feb. 19-21)
• Portland State went 0-5 at the DeMarini Desert Classic. 
• Portland State hit .252 with six extra-base hits. 
• Portland State committed nine errors, which led to 12 unearned runs over the five games. 
• Portland State opened the classic with a 16-12 loss against CSUN (2/19). 
• The Vikings scored just two runs over the next four games, being shut out three times. 
• Junior C Alex Flores went 7-for-14 (.500) with three runs scored and six RBIs. 
• Flores hit two home runs on the weekend, her first two of the year.
• Flores has hit safely in each of the last three games. 

Week 1 - Kajikawa Classic (Feb. 12-14)
• Portland State opened the season 0-5 at the Kajikawa Classic. 
• Portland State hit .311 with three doubles, a home run, and 16 RBIs.
• Senior OF Brianna Celaya hit .571 (8-for-14) with three runs scored, a double, home run, and two RBIs. She posted an OPS of 1.504 on the week.
• Senior IF Melissa Masters (.500), junior IF/OF Shae Nelson (.462), and senior IF Ashley Smith (.400) all hit over .400 on the weekend. 
• Portland State pitchers went 0-5 with a 9.54 ERA after allowing 52 runs, 37 earned, over 25 1/3 innings. 
• Junior LHP Meagan Hendrix went 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA over 14 2/3 innings pitched. She struckout 10 batters on the weekend. 
• Portland State committed 10 errors which led to 15 unearned runs on the weekend. 

2016 Season Highlights
• March 25 Karyn Wright led the Vikings to their first Big Sky Conference game of the season with a complete-game shutout of Weber State. 
• March 22 Karyn Wright picked up her first win of the season with a complete game against Seattle. She allowed just one run over seven innings for the Vikings' first home win of the season. 
• March 1 Kortney Cracker named Big Sky Player of the Week, while Alyssa Burk named Big Sky Pitcher of the Week. It was the first weekly honor sweep since 2013. 
• March 1 Kortney Craker named College Sports Madness Big Sky Player of the Week.
• Feb. 28 Kortney Craker named Bank of Hawaii Invitational Most Valuable Player. Brianna Celaya and Alyssa Burk named to the All-Tournament Team. 
• Feb. 28 Candice Orozco hits pinch hit go-ahead home run in the top of the seventh to defeat Utah Valley, 4-3. Alyssa Burk picked up her second win of the season with second straight complete game.
• Feb. 27 Alyssa Burk threw first complete-game shutout with a 1-0 win over Hawaii. She struck out a career-high 10 batters, the most by a Viking since 2013. 
• Feb. 26 Portland State picked up its first win of the season over Utah Valley, 6-5. Kortney Craker hit first career walk-off home run on the first pitch of the bottom of the seventh. 
• Feb. 19 Alex Flores hit first home run of the season against CSUN. Flores went 4-for-4 with a career-high four hits. She also drove in a career-high five runs. 
• Feb. 14 Brianna Celaya hit the first home run of the season by a Viking against Arizona State. 

2016 Preseason Notes
• Head Coach Barb Sherwood is in her third year of leading the Vikings. Portland State doubled its win total from year one to year two in both overall and Big Sky Conference wins in 2015. 
• Portland State returns six starters, 13 letterwinners, and nearly its entire pitching staff from last year's squad that went 16-35 overall and 8-13 in conference play. The Vikings add five newcomers, which includes a pair of freshmen and three transfers. 
• Portland State will have to replace the majority of its offensive production from a year ago. The Vikings graduated two seniors who accounted for over 30-percent of the team's hits (112), doubles (17), and RBIs (71), while accounting for 54-percent of the team's home runs (13).
• The Portland State pitching staff tallied a 4.72 team ERA in 2015 which was 2.38 points better than the previous season. The Vikings will have to continue to improve their team ERA if they want to contend for their second Big Sky Conference championship.
• The Big Sky Conference Tournament has been expanded to six teams for the 2016 season. The double-elimination tournament will be hosted by the regular season champion May 12-14. 
• Head softball coach Barb Sherwood has announced addition of 10 players for the for the 2016-17 academic year on Nov. 11, 2015. Sierra Boyajian (Newhall, CA/Hart HS), Marissa Bruno (Monterey, CA/Santa Catalina HS), Riley Casper (Encinitas, CA, La Costa Canyon HS), Elena Cook (Boise State, ID/Boise HS), Emma Datamore (Woodland Hills, CA/Louisville HS), Taylor Gunesch (Salem, OR/West Salem HS), Korina Krueg (Lodi, CA/Tokay HS), Alexis Morrison (Pendleton, OR/Pendleton HS), Alexxis Ponce (Whittier, CA/Santa Fe HS), and Hannah Self (Tigard, OR/Tualatin HS) will all join the Vikings in the fall of 2016.