FARMINGTON, Utah - The Portland State softball team made their presence known in the 2024 All-Big Sky awards announced by the conference on Tuesday, with six players earning recognition, including two individual awards.
 
Among the honorees were freshman Lorraine Alo, a first-team non-pitcher/utility selection who secured the title of Big Sky Freshman of the Year, a first for the program. Also making waves in her debut season on the Park Blocks was redshirt junior pitcher Grace Kimball, who, as a second-team selection, was named the Big Sky's Top Newcomer. The pair of individual honors marks the most for Portland State since joining the Big Sky in 2013.

In addition to the newcomers, four returning players secured awards on Tuesday. Maddie Thompson achieved a historic feat as the first player in program history to earn back-to-back first-team nods, acknowledged as the league's top second baseman for the second consecutive season. Natalia Martinez, Paetynn Lopez, and Emily Johansen rounded out the accolades with honorable mention recognitions.

Alo's first team and Freshman of the Year honors came shortly after she was selected as one of the top 25 finalists for the TUCCI/NFCA DI National Freshman of the Year award. Excelling in her role as a designated player, the Kaneohe, Hawaii native boasted the second-highest batting average in the conference (.406) along with a team-leading three home runs, 28 RBI, a .594 slugging percentage, and a .479 on-base percentage. During conference play, Alo maintained an impressive .457 batting average and an astounding .528 on-base percentage, while contributing 16 RBI over 14 games.

Kimball, a right-hander who returned home to the Rose City following three years at Boise State, hit her stride midway through the season and never looked back. She concluded the year with a 3.30 ERA, amassing a 12-9 record and delivering 11 complete game performances, including four solo shutouts. Kimball recorded 98 strikeouts in 118.2 innings pitched, with 41 of those strikeouts occurring in Big Sky contests. She wrapped up the conference schedule with a 6-2 record, pitching seven complete games while limiting Big Sky foes to a .234 average.
Also earning an infield honor for the Vikings was Martinez. The Salinas, Calif., native had a breakthrough season, marking her first career conference award. In addition to tallying 38 putouts and 65 assists at third base, the junior was dangerous at the dish during conference play, boasting a .350 batting average by going 14-for-40 against Big Sky pitchers and driving in five runs.
 
Lopez added to her list of accolades with a solid performance both behind and at the plate. The senior, hailing from Chehalis, Wash., batted .349 (15-for-43) against Big Sky opponents, delivering three home runs and 11 RBI over 14 games. Defensively, she thwarted seven base stealers throughout the year, tallying 142 putouts and 12 assists for an impressive .987 fielding percentage. Tuesday's recognition marks the third conference honor of Lopez's career, following her first-team selection in 2022 and an honorable mention in 2021.