Complete Release in PDF Format
OPENING TIP
Portland State concludes its season-long home stand with a three-game Big Sky Conference series against the Idaho State Bengals, beginning with a doubleheader on Friday, March 30. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. PT.
The Vikings are 1-2 in conference play after dropping a pair of games to close out their opening weekend of conference play against North Dakota.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Stay informed with Portland State Softball on social media. See below for everything related to Portland State Softball.
Twitter - @PSUViksSB
Instagram - @PSUViksSB
Facebook - @PSUViksSB
YouTube - @GoPortlandState
LIVE VIDEO: A live video stream will be available for all home games played on Field 4 (dirt) at the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex this season. If, due to inclement weather, the games are moved to the turf field, there will be no live stream. Links are available on the Softball schedule page at GoViks.com.
ONLINE: Live stats will be available for every game this weekend. Links are available on the Softball schedule page at GoViks.com.
UP NEXT: Portland State hits the road next week for non-conference midweek doubleheader with the Oregon Ducks on Tuesday, April 3. The Vikings then head to Sacramento, Calif. to take an the Sacramento State Hornets for a three-game conference set beginning with a doubleheader on Friday, April 6.
GOING STREAKING: JR OF
Tayler Gunesch extended her current hitting streak to a career-high 15 games after hitting safely in both games against Boise State. She took care of business early in both games with a single to lead off the bottom of the first. Gunesch has hit safely in 21 of the last 23 games.
LATE-INNING WOES: Over the last three games, the Vikings have taken leads in to the fifth inning only to lose each in seven. Over that three-game span, the Vikings have been outscored 20-0 from the fifth inning on.
POTW: JR RHP
Alyssa Burk earned her second career Big Sky Conference Pitcher of the Week honor after going 2-0 with an 0.88 ERA at the Seattle University Invitational (March 16-18). Burk opened the week with a career-high 14 strikeouts against Bryant (3/16). She added six strikeouts in a win over Seattle (3/17). She allowed two earned on six hits over 16 innings. Opponents hit just .118 against her over the two starts.
RACKING UP THE K'S: JR RHP
Alyssa Burk struck out a career-high 14 batters in the Vikings' win over Bryan (3/16). The 14 strikeouts are tied the for the most by any Big Sky pitcher this season and the most since Anna Bertrand struck out 16 in 2011.
GOING DEEP: After having the worst home run per game average in the nation a year ago, there has been an infusion of power this season. The Vikings have blasted 20 long balls, which is tied for first in the Big Sky. Ten of the 20 homers have been hit by first-year players. FR C/DP
Rachel Menlove has hit four home runs, while SO IF
Darian Lindsey and SO IF
Ashley Doyle have each blasted three home runs.
Kaela Morrow leads the team with six home runs.
LEAD-OFF HITTER: SO OF
Tayler Gunesch has led off every game this season. She is hitting .333 on the year with 21 runs scored. She has driven in 13 and hit her first career home run to lead off the second game of a doubleheader against Toledo (3/7). She has hit safely in 21 of the last 23 games, including a career-high 15-game hitting streak.
WALK-OFF: Kaela Morrow hit the game-winning three-run home run in the bottom of the eight to give the Vikings an 11-8 extra-inning win over Toledo (3/7). It was the Vikings' first walk-off home run since 2016 and their first in extra-innings since Brittany Hendrickson in 2015.
CAREER YEAR: Kaela Morrow is have a career-year as a junior. She leads the team with .366 batting average. She also leads the team with six doubles, six home runs, 22 runs batted in, and a .645 slugging percentage. She has a .402 on base percentage and 15 runs scored. She has struck out just six times in 93 at bats and leads the team with 12 multi-hit games and five multi-RBI games.
GRAND SALAMI TIME: JR C
Kaela Morrow became the first Viking since Brittany Hendrickson in 2014 to hit a grand slam. Morrow came up with the bases loaded in her first at bat of the season and hit her first home run in the top of the first against Sam Houston State. She went 2-for-4 with a run scored, her first career home run, which just happened to be a grand slam, and a career-high 5 RBIs. She became the first Viking since Alex Flores in 2016 to record five RBIs in a game.
CROOKED NUMBERS: The Vikings plated 13 runs in the bottom of the third inning in a 14-4 win over Bryant University (3/17). Their previous season high was seven runs in the bottom of the eighth against Toledo (3/7). It was Portland State's third game with double-digit runs this season and the most since scoring 15 runs twice in 2015.
FOUR DINGERS: Portland State hit four home runs, all solo and all by different hitters, in their 6-5 win over New Mexico State (2/24). It was the most home runs in a single game since the Vikings hit five against Hawaii in 2014. Portland State has hit multiple home runs in three games this season.
OPENING DAY WIN: Portland State picked up an 8-2 win over Sam Houston State to open the season. It was the first win to open the season for the Vikings since they opened the season with a 9-7 win over Nevada in 2015. Portland State is 4-6 in its last 10 games to start the season.
COMPLETE GAMES: JR RHP
Alyssa Burk started the 2018 season right where she ended in 2017. She opened the year with a complete-game win over Sam Houston State. She allowed just two earned runs on two hits, she walked four and struck out five. It was her ninth-consecutive complete game, dating back to last season. She closed out the 2017 season with eight-straight compete games in Big Sky Conference play, going 3-5 in the process.
THE ROSTER
Portland State has a very young roster again in 2018 with 18 underclassmen (7 freshmen and 11 sophomores).The Vikings return 12 letterwinners from a year ago, including a pair of pitchers. They add 10 newcomers, including a trio of sophomore transfers.
BIG SKY TOURNAMENT
The Big Sky Conference Championship will be held May 10-12 in Ogden, Utah. It will be hosted by Weber State due to the Wildcat's regular season championship in 2017. Six teams will qualify for the double-elimination tournament with the winner earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
