PORTLAND, Ore. – Following the best opening weekend in program history, the Portland State softball team is ready to add to its win total in Tempe, Ariz. this weekend. UTEP, Illinois State, No. 23 Arizona State, and Cal await the Vikings at the Littlewood Classic. 
 

LITTLEWOOD CLASSIC SCHEDULE 

Live Stats | Live Steam vs. ASU

Game 1: vs. Cal – Feb. 18 (1 p.m. PT)

Game 2: vs. No. 23 ASU – Feb. 18 (6 p.m. PT)

Game 3: vs. UTEP – Feb. 19 (8 a.m. PT)

Game 4: vs. Cal – Feb. 19 (10:30 a.m. PT)

Game 5: vs. Illinois State – Feb. 20 (7 a.m. PT)
 

HISTORY AGAINST OPPONENTS

California: The Bears hold a 20-2 advantage in a series that dates back to 1978. The Vikings haven't posted a win over Cal since 1979. The Bears notched an 8-3 win in the last matchup on Feb. 9th, 2014.

No. 23 Arizona State: The Vikings have yet to earn a win over the Sun Devils, who lead the series 15-0. Friday's matchup will mark the third-straight season the programs have clashed. Last season, the 13th-ranked Sun Devils sunk the Vikings in five innings with an 8-0 win on Feb. 27.

UTEP: After meeting three times in 2018, UTEP holds a slim 4-3 series lead over the Vikings. The Miners have notched four-straight wins, the last one coming on Feb. 25 (8-4). A Viking win on Saturday would be the first victory over UTEP since 2015.

Illinois State: The Vikings will take on the Redbirds for the first time in program history on Sunday.

LAST TIME OUT

Portland State began its 2022 campaign outscoring its opponents 48-13. The 48 runs were the most to start a season in program history. The Vikings finished the weekend 4-1, earning wins over Utah Valley, UC Riverside, and Pacific (Calif.). In their second meeting with Pacific, PSU was dealt their only loss, as the Tigers earned a 6-5 eight-inning victory.

FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS

The Vikings were solid in every aspect of the game last weekend. Over five games, Portland State totaled 58 hits and 70 total bases, continuing its offensive dominance from last year. Their .387 average leads the Big Sky and ranks 12th among all DI schools. The Vikings tallied double-digit hits in four of the five games, including a season-high 16 in the season opener against Utah Valley. 

The Vikings proved their speed on the base paths, ranking first in the Big Sky after going 9-for-9 on stolen bases.   

PSU's defense was rock solid over the weekend, recording just one error in 31 innings of action. Their .991 fielding percentage ranks at the top of the Big Sky and 15th in the nation.

OLIVIA GREY - OWNING THE CIRCLE

Olivia Grey, who led the Vikings to a Big Sky Championship last season, picked up right where she left off in 2021. The Junior right-hander was tabbed Big Sky Co-Pitcher of the Week following her 3-0 weekend at the Lynn Russell Miller Classic. Grey struck out 16 batters in 15.1 innings of work, holding her opponents to a .196 average at the plate. In her first complete-game performance of the season, the Woodland, Wash. native allowed just six hits as she led the Vikings to a 7-1 victory over UC Riverside.

MADDIE THOMPSON - LEADING THE NATION

Maddie Thompson was named the Big Sky Player of the Week on Tuesday after a stellar start to her sophomore campaign. The second baseman hit .619 over five games and led the nation in hits (13) after going 4-for-5 in two separate outings. Thompson scored a team-high ten runs and ranks atop the Big Sky with four stolen bases.

KIARA MCCREA - BIG DEBUT

It took freshman outfielder Kiara McCrea just two games to etch her name in the Vikings' record book. The Hillsboro, Ore. native became the first Viking since 2015 to notch 6-RBIs in a game, doing so in the Vikings 14-3 victory over Pacific (Calif.) on Friday. McCrea went 4-for-4 with two doubles against the Tigers. She finished the weekend hitting .368 with a team-high nine RBIs.

PRESEASON POLL

The Vikings were picked second in the 2022 Big Sky Preseason Coaches' Poll released on Jan. 31. Totaling 28 points and two first-place votes, PSU was chosen below defending regular-season Champion Weber State, who received 34 points and four first-place votes.