PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland State softball team will look to bounce back from a 1-4 opening weekend as they head back down to California for five more games this weekend at the Silicon Valley Classic (Feb. 16-18).
The tournament is co-hosted by Santa Clara and San Jose State and will take place at both venues. The Vikings will open the tournament in Santa Clara with games against Nevada (10 am) and Santa Clara (3 pm). They'll play the remainder of their games in San Jose, beginning with a Saturday doubleheader against Nevada (12:30 pm) and San Jose State (5:30 pm) followed by a single game against Fordham on Sunday (12:30 pm). Rain is expected in the area on Saturday and Sunday. Any changes to the schedule will be posted on goviks.com.
Portland State's game against Santa Clara on Friday will air on ESPN+. The rest of the games will have live stats only.
SILICON VALLEY CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Friday, Feb. 16 | Santa Clara, CA (Santa Clara Softball Stadium)
Game 1: Portland State vs. Nevada (10am) - Live Stats
Game 2: Portland State at Santa Clara (3pm) - Live Stats | ESPN+
Saturday, Feb. 17 | San Jose, CA (Spartan Softball Stadium)
Game 3: Portland State vs. Nevada (12:30pm) - Live Stats
Game 4: Portland State vs. San Jose State (5:30pm) - Live Stats
Sunday, Feb. 18 | San Jose, CA (Spartan Softball Stadium)
Game 5: Portland State vs. Fordham (12:30pm) - Live Stats
WEEKEND NOTES - SILICON VALLEY CLASSIC (Feb. 16-18)
OPPONENT BREAKDOWN
Nevada (3-2): PSU leads the series 22-19-1. The Vikings lost the most recent game in 2017. They haven't beaten the Wolf Pack since 2015. Santa Clara (2-3): PSU leads the series 30-7. The Vikings have won 14 consecutive over the Broncos, most recently posting a 14-3 win in 2019. San Jose State (1-4): PSU leads the series 13-11 despite a 10-1 loss in the most recent matchup in 2020. They haven't beaten the Spartans since 2011, losing six in a row. Fordham (2-3): Fordham leads the series 1-0. They posted an 8-0 victory over PSU in 2015.
LAST TIME OUT
The Vikings opened their 2024 season last weekend at the Lynn Russell Miller Classic in Riverside. They went 1-4, falling to CSUN twice (8-2 and 3-2), Utah State (6-2) and UC Riverside (8-0, 5 inn.). Their one win came on Sunday, Feb. 11 in the weekend's second game against Utah State (3-2).
ALL-CONFERENCE RETURNERS
The Vikings landed five All-Big Sky honors last season. For the second consecutive season, three Vikings were named to the first team, including returners Maddie Thompson and Emily Johansen. In addition to her first team nod, Johansen became the Vikings' first-ever Big Sky Player of the Year. Second Team pitcher Allicitie Frost is also among the all-conference returners from last season.
IN THE CIRCLE
Five pitchers saw time in the circle over the weekend. Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung earned the only win, pitching a complete game against Utah State on Sunday. The sophomore tossed 10 innings over three appearances, finishing the weekend with a team-best 2.10 ERA. During her complete game win over the Aggies, she allowed eight hits (only two extra-base hits), three walks and two earned runs.
DYNAMIC DUO
Two 2023 first-teamers are manning the Vikings' right side of the infield this season, first baseman Emily Johansen and second baseman Maddie Thompson. The duo was exceptionally outstanding last year in conference action, both hitting above .400. Thompson finished with a .345 overall average while hitting a conference-best .477 (21-for-44) during Big Sky play. Johansen hit .344 on the season (.435 BSC) and produced d a team-high 44 RBI and 13 doubles. Thompson's .441 and Johansen's .460 on-base percentages were the top two in the Big Sky. Defensively, they combined for 104 putouts and 33 assists with just a single error across 15 conference games.
RECORD CHASING
Johansen, who missed opening weekend due to injury will return to the lineup at the Silicon Valley Classic. She currently holds top-ten positions in ten of the program's all-time offensive categories and looks to surpass several of them this year. Home runs: 27 (Rec. 32) | RBI: 127 (Rec. 135) | Doubles: 30 (Rec. 44) | Sac Flies: 11 (Rec. 12) | Walks: 72 (Rec. 84) | Runs scored: 96 (Rec. 133)
TWO-WAY THREAT
In addition to 55 career appearances in the circle, senior Allicitie Frost has had 44 at-bats during her career. In 2023, she had 27 at-bats, recording six hits. She tallied one double, a grand slam and seven RBI.
NINE STRONG: VIKING SENIOR CLASS
The Vikings have nine seniors on their roster this season, eight of whom have played their entire careers at Portland State. Emily Johansen and Marisol Gaona are the oldest of the group, using their fifth year of eligibility offered due to COVID-19. Also in her fifth season is transfer Makayla Romeo. This is her first season at Portland State following two seasons at both LMU and Tarleton State. Maddie Thompson, Paetynn Lopez, Alexa Cepeda, Logan Riggenbach, Shea Garcia and Allicitie Frost all began their careers at PSU as freshmen in 2020 (ahead of '21 season). This class has had a lasting impact on the program, winning 61 games, 24 Big Sky contests and nine postseason wins over three years. In three consecutive Big Sky tournament appearances, they've clinched one conference title and secured two top-three finishes. Their impressive achievements have been complemented by notable accolades. Among them, five players have earned at least one all-conference honor, totaling nine honors collectively. Four players have been named first-team All-Big Sky and two have earned All-Region honors.
