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FIRST PITCH
     Portland State opens Big Sky Conference play on the road with a three-game series against the Idaho State Bengals in Pocatello, Idaho. The series opens Saturday, March 25 with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. MT. The series finale is slated for a 1 p.m. MT start on Sunday, March 26.
     The Vikings open league play after having a full week off. They picked up their second win of the season, 8-6 over UNLV, in their final game of the 2017 Rebel Classic hosted by UNLV in Las Vegas, Nev. Freshman RHP Emma Detamore picked up her first career win against the Rebels with her second complete game. She allowed six runs, just three earned, on eight hits. 
     Portland State's bats came alive for a season-high 11 hits against the Rebels. Seven players recorded at least one hit in the game, while six drove in at least one run. Senior IF Shae Nelson went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI to extend her current hitting streak to five games. It was her sixth multi-hit game of the year and her third game in the last seven with at least three hits. 
     Junior OF Mariah Gonzalez and freshman IF Alexxis Ponce each recorded their first multi-hit games, going 2-for-4 with an RBI each against UNLV. 
     Against UNLV, Portland State drove in five of its eight runs with two outs, including a two-out RBI double by freshman IF Riley Casper. 
    
ONLINE: Live stats will be available for all three games against the Bengals in Pocatello. Links are available on GoViks.com.

LIVE VIDEO: A live video stream will be available for all three games against the Bengals in Pocatello. Links are available on GoViks.com. 

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SENIOR CAMPAIGN
Senior IF Shae Nelson has had a tremendous start to her senior season. Nelson leads the team with a .377 batting average. She leads the team in runs scored (9) and doubles (5). Her batting average, slugging percentage (.459), and on-base percentage (.449) are all career highs. 

FRESHMAN COMING TO PLAY
Several freshmen have made an impact on the Vikings' starting lineup in a very short amount of time. Freshman IF/DP Alexis Morrison has come on over the past five games. Over that stretch, she is hitting .462 (6-for-13) with three runs scored, four RBIs, and a double. She is hitting .345 for the season, second on the team. Freshman OF Marissa Bruno is third on the team with a .306 batting average. She went on an eight-game hitting streak, including four-straight multi-hit games. 

GOING STREAKING
Senior IF Shae Nelson is riding a five-game hitting streak, the team's longest active streak. She is hitting .526 (10-for-19) with four runs scored, two doubles, and two RBIs over her current streak. Nelson has also reached base in each of the last 13 games. Freshman IF/DP Alexis Morrison has reached base safely in each of the last seven games, which includes a five-game hitting streak. 

CRAKER GOES DEEP
Junior IF Kortney Craker hit her first home run of the season, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs. Her home run was just the second of the season for the Vikings and ended a 15-game stretch without a home run. 

4 FOR SHAE
Senior IF Shae Nelson posted the team's first four-hit game of the season, going a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and a run batted in against Seton Hall. 

FIRST WIN
Portland State picked up its first win of the season with a 4-3 win over Rhode Island in the final game of the GCU Invitational last weekend in Phoenix, Ariz. Not only did the Vikings get their first win of the year, but it was the first NCAA Division I win for first-year Head Coach Meadow McWhorter.  

YOUNG SQUAD
Portland State added 11 freshman to the roster heading into the season. The 11-member freshman class is tied for the largest in the country this year. 

UP NEXT
Portland State will open its home slate next week with a midweek non-conference game against in-state foe Oregon State. The Vikings will host the Beavers on Wednesday, March 29 at the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex in Hillsboro. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. PT. 

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IDAHO STATE BENGALS
• Team: Idaho State enters Big Sky Conference play 7-13 overall on the year and 1-1 at home after splitting a doubleheader with Utah Valley to open its home slate. The Bengals are hitting .289 as a team on the year. They have been outscored 112-86 on the year. The Bengals like to put pressure on defenses on the base paths. They are 35-44 in stolen base opportunities this season. 
• Hitting: Kacie Burnett leads the team with a .576 batting average. She is slugging .788 with seven doubles, two triples, and a home run. She has driven in 15 runs this season, second on the team. Ashlyn Ames is hitting just .235 on the year with 12 hits. She leads the team with 21 RBIs.
• Pitching: Idaho State has utilized a three-arm rotation this season. Harley Wells is 2-1 on the year with a team-best 3.21 ERA over 32 2/3 innings. Ames is 1-7 on the year with a 4.53 ERA over a team-high 51 innings. Mariah Mulcahy is 4-3 with a 5.84 ERA over 44 1/3 innings.  

vs. IDAHO STATE
All-Time: Portland State is 19-13 all-time against Idaho State, dating back to 1981. The Bengals have had the upper hand over the last three seasons, going 8-2. Portland State is 5-6 all-time at Idaho State. 
Last Season: The Bengals took the season series last year, 2-1, before taking the final meeting, 12-0 in five innings at the Big Sky Conference Championship. The Bengals outscored the Vikings 30-7 over the four games and held PSU to a .212 team batting average. ISU hit .366 as a team with a 1.52 ERA over those games.