Two weeks ago, when Portland State won a road series against Sacramento State, they knew they were getting a preview of the venue that they would soon return to for the Big Sky Championships. Little did they know, the then second-seeded Hornets would drop five of their last six games, setting up a rematch between the two schools in the first game of the tournament.

No. 5 Portland State (19-29/8-9 BSC) will face No. 4 Sacramento State at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday at Shea Stadium in Sacramento. The Vikings won the regular season series between the two teams 2-1, clinching a spot in the Championships in the process. The conference standings shifted significantly in the final week to set up this matchup, but that reveals something about the six teams playing this week.

"I think it just goes to show how evenly matched the conference is and how it is anybody's ball game," head coach Meadow McWhorter said. "We've all pressed the reset button. Records don't matter, what you did in series doesn't matter it's just about what you bring to the tournament."

Portland State enters the tournament fresh off an inspired win against regular season champion Weber State. The Vikings won 5-2 on Senior Day, riding impressive performances from their two seniors to the win. Alyssa Burk threw a complete game, limiting the conference's best offense to just five hits and two runs. Fellow senior Kaela Morrow also had a big game, going 2-for-3 and driving in three runs.

The win should give the Vikings some momentum as they take to the field again after just three days of rest. Sacramento State, meanwhile, enters the tournament with little to no momentum following a sweep at the hands of Idaho State. The Hornets needed just one win last weekend to lock up the second seed at the tournament. Instead, they were swept to fall behind Idaho State. Montana made matters worse, sweeping Southern Utah in their final action of the season to bump Sacramento State down another spot.

In their last game of the regular season, the Hornets led 4-3 going into the final inning but allowed a three-run walk-off home run.

Last season, Portland State may have been playing its best softball when the conference tournament was called early because of weather. The missed opportunity in 2018 has fueled the team to work hard and take advantage of a similar chance if presented in 2019. A team that found its grit as the conference season progressed will be ready for the higher stakes of the conference tournament.

"We haven't talked a lot recently about how things ended (last year) and I don't feel like we have to because it has been at the core of what everybody has done and how hard they have worked remembering that," McWhorter said. "The experience that we have, battling through and having our backs against the wall and coming out swinging is who we are. We have played really well lately when things are on the line for us and that's what we're going to need at the tournament."

The winner of the Portland State-Sacramento State game will advance to take on No. 1 Weber State at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The loser would drop to the bottom half of the bracket and wait until 1:30 p.m. Thursday for the next game. The top six teams in the conference are participating in the double-elimination tournament.

Regardless of the results at the tournament, this Portland State team has put together an outstanding season. The Vikings already have 19 wins, the most in a year since winning 25 in 2013.

"I am extremely proud of this team and everything that they've done this year," McWhorter said. "The challenging moments, the rewarding moments, this team from the time they got back has worked extremely hard. They worked hard over break and they have been so open to growing and doing it together and as of late it has been really fun to watch them play well together and play well for each other. They deserve all the success in the world, this team really does, so I'm excited to see what they can do."

GAME COVERAGE

First pitch will be at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning. The game can be viewed on Pluto TV on channel 231 and live stats can be found on BigSkyStats.com. Follow @psuviksSB on Twitter for highlights of the action.

SCOUTING SACRAMENTO STATE (29-23, 9-8 BSC / .281 / 2.95 ERA)

-The Hornets enter the tournament on a downward trend, losing five of the last six games of the regular season. Still, the Hornets had the best team ERA in the Big Sky and will be playing on their home field as the hosts of the 2019 Big Sky Championships.
-Savanna Corr is the most likely candidate for Pitcher of the Year in the Big Sky. She leads the conference with a 2.23 ERA and opponents have batted just .191 against her this year. She also has 19 wins, nearly double any other Big Sky pitcher. She had a 5-4 record in Big Sky play.
-Portland State won the regular season series against the Hornets, sweeping the day one doubleheader. The Vikings won game one 3-1 and game two 7-2. Sacramento State won the series finale 3-0 behind a complete game shutout from Corr.
-Sacramento State not only has the best pitching stats, but they also have five players in the Big Sky top 10 for runs scored this season. Nene Alas leads the league with 41 runs and also ranks sixth with a .363 batting average.

COACH McWHORTER ON SACRAMENTO STATE

"We're excited to face Sacramento State. They are going to be a tough opponent and it is their home field, but we've played well on their home field and there are no secrets so really it's just going to come down to who pitches the best, who has the best timely hitting and who gives everything they have on defense."

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. SACRAMENTO STATE

The Vikings are 24-51 all-time vs. Sacramento State. The Hornets hold a 38-9 advantage in games played in Sacramento, but Portland State won the season series there 2-1.

In game one, Portland State scored three runs off of Savanna Corr to combine with a stellar complete game performance from Katie Schroeder in a 3-1 win.

Portland State won the second game of the series 7-2. Alexis Morrison hit a home run, Darian Lindsey had a four-hit, two-RBI day and Serafine Parrish allowed just four hits in a complete game.

Sacramento State won game three 3-0 behind a complete game shutout from Corr. Schroeder and Parrish combined to allow just 10 hits and three runs, but the offense was stymied by the Sacramento State ace.

LINDSEY'S RECORD SETTING SEASON

Junior shortstop Darian Lindsey has put together one of the most impressive seasons at the plate in Portland State history. Lindsey broke D-I Portland State single-season records in batting average (.413), doubles (20), on-base percentage (.519) and slugging percentage (.703).

Her stellar play has also put her near the top of the conference in a number of important statistical categories. She leads the Big Sky in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and walks (30). She was also second in the conference in hits (64), doubles (20) and total bases (109). Lindsey also cracked the top 10 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs.

POTW HONORS

Portland State has garnered six Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors in the 2019 season.

Darian Lindsey earned her second career conference POTW honor (2/11/19) 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.

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.  

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.

Alyssa Burk won her first Pitcher of the Week honor (4/1/19) this season and third of her career. She pitched back-to-back complete game shutouts against Northern Colorado, striking out 23 total batters on the weekend. She didn't allow a single run in 14.2 innings, walked zero batters and allowed just five total hits.

Burk claimed the honor again following the Southern Utah series (4/22). She threw a complete game two-hitter in an 8-1 Portland State win. She allowed just two hits while striking out eight batters and walking three.

Serafine Parrish is the latest Vikings to be honored, picking up the award following the Sacramento State series (4/30). The Vikings also played a midweek doubleheader against Oregon. Parrish made four appearances in five games over the week, including a big win in game two against the Hornets. Parrish threw a complete game, allowing just four hits and two runs in a 7-2 win.

GOING STREAKING

Tayler Gunesch is on a roll after returning from injury during conference play. She has currently reached base safely in 15 straight games and has recorded a hit in five straight. She also has at least one hit in 14 of the last 15 games.

Rachel Menlove also has an impressive active streak, reaching base safely in nine straight games. Jessica Flanagan has reached base in four straight and Darian Lindsey has a hit in the past three games as well.

FINDING THE LONG BALL

Rachel Menlove's three-run shot in the seventh inning against Weber State (5/3) brought the Vikings to 24 total on the season.

Alexis Morrison hit one in a 7-2 win of game two (4/26) against Sacramento State and Darian Lindsey hit a solo shot in the series opener. Ashley Doyle hit her first of the season against Oregon (4/23).

Lindsey has hit a team-high seven home runs this season and is tied for fourth in the Big Sky. She also hit a solo shot in the third inning of a 3-2 win against Southern Utah (4/19) for her third home run in a two game stretch. Rachel Menlove then hit the 20th homer of the season for the Vikings in the series finale against SUU (4/20), leaving the park with a solo shot in the first inning of an 8-1 win.

Lindsey hit two home runs in the same game against Montana. The two homers were both solo shots, one to lead off the game and the other leading off the seventh inning. The home runs brought the team season total to 18.

The Vikings hit four home runs in three games at the Seattle Invite (4/6-7). Alexis Morrison had two in the same game against Santa Clara, the first multi-home run game by a Viking since 2015. Darian Lindsey and Rachel Menlove each had a home run as well, bringing their season totals to three and four, respectively.

The Vikings blasted five over the five games at the Amy S. Harrison Classic (2/22-24). 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).

In the Idaho State series (3/23), Rachel Menlove hit a pair of home runs and Riley Casper added one of her own to bring the Vikings total up to 11 for the season. Darian Lindsey hit her second of the season in a 4-0 win against Northern Colorado (3/29).

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 45 games, the Vikings have topped last year's total, laying down 48 sac bunts (1.00 per game). Riley Casper leads the team with seven while Alexis Morrison, Rachel Menlove and Sala Pedebone have six each.

WHERE THEY RANK

The Vikings have a number of players in the Big Sky top 10 in various statistical categories. Darian Lindsey hit .413, tied with Weber State's Takesha Saltern for best in the Big Sky. She led the conference in slugging percentage (.703), on-base percentage (.519) and walks (30). She was second in the conference in hits (64), doubles (20) and total bases (109). Lindsey also cracked the top 10 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs.

Rachel Menlove is eighth in slugging percentage (.526), 10th in hits (49), ninth in RBIs (26), tied for sixth in doubles (11), tied for seventh in home runs (6) and seventh in total bases (80). Jessica Flanagan has 51 hits which is good for seventh in the league.

Riley Casper is tied for sixth with seven sacrifice bunts and Sala Pedebone is third with 24 walks.

Katie Schroeder is fifth in ERA (3.49), 10th in opposing batting average (.296), third in innings pitched (118.1) and tied for fifth in wins (8). Serafine Parrish is sixth in ERA (3.56) and eighth in opposing batting average (.290). Alyssa Burk is fifth in opposing batting average (.274) and seventh in strikeouts (60).

THE FIRST FOUR

Portland State's fate in games this season has largely been determined by the first four innings of play. The Vikings have been very good with a lead this year, while struggling to overcome deficits that they face.

When leading after four innings, Portland State is 17-3. In games where the Vikings trail after the first four innings, meanwhile, they are just 1-21. A fast start could be critically important for Portland State's success at the conference tournament.