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OPENING TIP
The Vikings head to Seattle, Wash. this weekend for the first of two non-conference tournament hosted by Seattle University. Portland State opens the weekend against a familiar foe in North Dakota on Saturday, March 16 at 11 a.m. PT. PSU then plays host Seattle at 1:30. The Vikings face the same two opponents the following day. 

GAME COVERAGE: Both games will feature live stats at ViksLive.com. The two games against Seattle can be found on the WAC Digital Network. Links can be found on the softball schedule page at GoViks.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Stay informed with Portland State Softball on social media. See below for everything related to Portland State Softball.
Twitter - @PSUViksSB
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Facebook - @PSUViksSB

2019 NOTES
POTW HONORS: Portland State has garnered a trio of Big Sky Conference honors this season. 

• Darian Lindsey earned her second career conference POTW honor (2/11/19), she earned the final honor of 2018, after hitting .471 (8-for-17) with seven runs scored and two driven in. She closed out the week hitting safely in five-straight games, including three-straight multi-hit games. 
• Katie Schroeder picked up her first career Pitcher of the Week honor (2/18/19) after throwing a complete-game one-hitter to earn her first win as a Viking. She faced just 22 batters and threw 75 pitches in the complete game win. 
• Darian Lindsey picked up her second POTW honor of the season after leading the Vikings to a 3-2 record, while hitting .500 (9-for-18). She scored three runs, drove in six, and hit her first home run of the season. She had an OPS of 1.293 over the five games.  

FINDING THE LONG BALL: After going nine games without a home run, the Vikings blasted five over the five games at the Amy S. Harrison Classic (Feb. 22-24). The five home runs came from five different players. Sala Pedebone became the first Viking with multiple home runs on the year after blasting two at the TSU Tiger Classic. Her first game as a go-ahead three-run home run to give the Vikings a 5-4 win over host Tennessee State (3/1). She added her third home run of the season, a two-run shot, against Ohio State in the Vikings' home opener (3/12). 

GOING STREAKING: Jessica Flanagan came into the season riding and eight-game hitting streak. She extended that to 11 games before the streak ended against Marshall (2/9). Darian Lindsey has reached base safely every game this season. After going hitless during the opening game, Lindsey has hit safely 17-straight games. 

LAYING IT DOWN: The sacrifice bunt has been a particular point of emphasis for Head Coach Meadow McWhorter and the Vikings. In 2018 the Vikings laid down 46 sacrifice bunts in 52 games (.885 per game) with Darian Lindsey leading the team with 10. Through 20 games, the Vikings have already dropped down 26 sac bunts (1.3 per game). Lindsey has three so far this season but it is junior Alexis Morrison who leads the team with six. 

EFFICIENCY: In her first start in a Portland State uniform, junior Katie Schroeder put together one of the most efficient pitching performances, despite picking up the loss. She threw 82 pitches over 6 2/3 innings against San Diego (2/8) with 61 strikes for a 74% strike percentage. 

PRESEASON NOTES
ALL-CONFERENCE: Four Vikings were named to the 2018 All-Big Sky Conference First and Second Teams, the most since 2013. Kaela Morrow earned first team honors as a non-pitcher utility player after hitting .346 with a team-high seven home runs. Morrow is the first Vikings to earn first team honors since Brittany Hendrickson in 2015. Darian Lindsey (SS), Rachel Menlove (C), and Alyssa Burk (P) all earned second team honors. 

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Darian Lindsey became the first Viking to be named the Big Sky Conference's Newcomer of the Year. Lindsey hit .324 overall and .431 in league play in her first season on the Park Blocks. She led the team with 31 runs scored and boasted a team-best .953 OPS. She was third on the team with five home runs and 25 runs batted in. She posted a team-high six multi-RBI games.

SERIES WINS: The Vikings won four Big Sky series in 2018, the most since they won five in 2013. Here's a list of the series wins this season:

• Portland State picked up its first conference series win of the year after defeating Idaho State, 2-1, at home. The Vikings took the first game 2-1 in 10 innings behind a tremendous pitching performance by Alyssa Burk. After dropping game two 5-4, Burk threw her first complete-game shutout in game three as the Vikings took the series with a 5-0 win in the rubber-match.
• Portland State earned its first series sweep of the season, albeit a weather-shorted two-game series, with a pair of wins at Northern Colorado (4/14). The Vikings took the first game 12-4 in five innings before plating two runs in the top of the seventh to take game two, 3-2. 
• Portland State picked up its third Big Sky series win of the season taking 2-of-3 at Montana. It is the first time since 2015 that the Vikings have tallied three series wins. PSU won five series in 2013, the first year of Big Sky softball.
• Portland State made it three-straight series wins, taking 2-of-3 from conference leading Weber State to close out its home schedule. Weber State took the first game 3-1 before the Vikings evened the series with a 2-1 win in game two behind an outstanding pitching performance by Emma Detamore. The Vikings needed a pair of home runs, including a two-run home run by Mariah Gonzalez, to tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth. Portland State went on to win the rubber-match, 4-3 in eight innings, after a walk-off single by Marissa Bruno.