PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland State softball team will kick off the month of April with a five-game homestand this week, beginning with a non-conference doubleheader against Western Oregon on Tuesday, April 1 (2:00/4:30 p.m.). The homestand continues with a three-game Big Sky series against Sacramento State, with games on Friday, April 4 (2:00/4:30 p.m.) and Saturday, April 5 (1:00 p.m.) at Hillsboro Stadium.

All five games will be broadcast live on ESPN+, with live stats also available (links below).

The first 50 fans to arrive at Friday's doubleheader against the Hornets will receive a free Portland State water bottle as part of the PDX City Celebration fan promotion.

PORTLAND STATE SOFTBALL GAME NOTES // WEEK 9
-----------------

-----------------

LAST TIME OUT - SERIES AT WEBER STATE

• The Vikings kicked off their conference schedule over the weekend with a three-game series in Ogden, Utah. They split Friday's doubleheader, losing 6-1 in the first game but bouncing back with a 9-6 victory in game two. However, they fell short in Saturday's rubber match, losing 4-0. In their game two win on Friday, the Vikings recorded a season-high 16 hits and played their first error-free game since February.

• In all six of the Vikings' wins this season, they've scored first. Conversely, the Vikings are 0-22 when allowing their opponent to score the first run of the game.
• Of the Vikings' six wins this season, they've scored in the first inning in five of those games.
• The Vikings are 5-1 when holding a lead after four innings.

• For the third consecutive weekend, the Vikings posted a season-best weekend batting average, hitting .317 across three games against the Widlcats.
• Over the past 12 games, the Vikings have raised their team batting average from .200 to .231, recording double-digit hits in three of those games, including a season-high 16 hits at Weber State (3/28)
• Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung, who has reached base in 12 straight games, has led the Vikings offensively for two consecutive weekends. Most recently, she posted a team-best .444 average (4-for-9) in the conference opening series at Weber State to go along with an impressive .500 on-base percentage
• Freshman Nichole Orozco also had a standout weekend at the plate against the Wildcats, batting .400 (4-for-10) with four RBIs and hitting her first career home run in the Vikings' game-two victory on Friday.
• Redshirt junior Grace Johnson leads the Vikings with 30 hits, a .313 batting average (30-for-96), 22 runs scored, five sac bunts, and 15 stolen bases. her five sac bunts and 15 stolen bases both rank second in the Big Sky
• Senior Natalia Martinez leads the team with 18 RBI, recording at least one RBI in 15 of the Vikings' games this season
• The Vikings have eight home runs on the season, with five of those coming in the last eight games 

• Active Reached Base Streaks (3+ games): S. Nakoa-Chung (12 games); G. Johnson (8 games)
• Active Hitting Streaks (2+ games): G. Johnson (2 games); S. Nakoa-Chung (2 games); E. Babbitt (2 games); D. Hoyle (2 games)

• Four different pitchers have earned victories in the circle this season: Grace Kimball (2), Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung (2), Annie Lemos (1), and Anna Jardin (1).
• Kimball has pitched a team-high 75.2 innings across 19 appearances and 16 starts, tossing four complete games while holding her opponents to a .291 average. Her 42 strikeouts rank third in the Big Sky.
• Redshirt junior Gracie Walters had her best outing of the season at Weber State on Saturday (3/29), pitching 5.0 innings, allowing only four hits and one earned run in the series finale

• Grace Kimball was named the Big Sky's Co-Pitcher of the Week following an impressive weekend at the Cardinal Classic last month. She pitched two complete games, totaling 15 innings while shutting out her opponents in 13 of them. She held UC Davis and UC Riverside to a .207 batting average, yielding just two earned runs for a 0.93 ERA on the weekend. On the final day, she threw nine innings against the Highlanders—eight of them scoreless—allowing just five hits and no earned runs. She finished the weekend with eight strikeouts, just three walks, and only three extra-base hits allowed. The honor was the second Big Sky Pitcher of the Week honor of her career. 
• For the first time in her career, junior Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung was named the Big Sky Pitcher of the Week (3/24), following games against Rutgers and Pacific (CA). Her week in the circle was highlighted by a scoreless outing against Rutgers (3/19) where she limited the Scarlet Knights to just two hits in 4.2 innings while striking out five. She later threw 3.1 innings against the Tigers (3/22-23) finishing the week with a 2.62 ERA and holding her opponents to a .200 batting average.

• The Vikings have played three opponents ranked in the Top 25 this season and five schools in power four conferences
• They hosted #10 Florida State for their home-opening doubleheader at Hillsboro Stadium (March 11), dropping both games to the Noles, 11-0 (6 inn.) and 18-5
• Portland State took on then-No. 20 Stanford in week two, falling 16-5 in five innings, and faced No. 12 Oregon on Feb. 28, losing 9-1 in six innings. 
• The Vikings also played Grand Canyon (L, 9-0 in 5 inn.), a team that's received votes in the national polls several weeks this season
• The Vikings' last win over a ranked opponent came in 2022 when they defeated No. 24 Oregon State 6-1 in Corvallis.

• The Vikings return 12 players from last year's team that went 23-24 overall, 6-8 in Big Sky play, and finished as the Big Sky Tournament runner-up
• Three returners earned all-conference honors (Lorraine Alo, Grace Kimball, Natalia Martinez), while all four 2024 Big Sky All-Tournament selections (Alo, Martinez, Kimball, Ellie Babbitt) are back
• The roster includes 11 newcomers: eight freshmen and three transfers
• Freshmen: RHP Delaney Hoyle, C Kendall Nevin, C Scarlett McEwen, C Samiya Wright, OF Gracie Toney, OF Nichole Orozco, OF Elise Sanchez, MIF Rylee Gaustad
• Transfers: LHP Sophia Guerra (CSU Bakersfield, Guatemala), RHP Anna Jardin (Rhode Island, Wilsonville, Ore.), C Abby Carsley (Kansas, McMinnville, Ore.) –will redshirt this season.

• As a freshman in 2024, designated hitter Lorraine Alo had one of the best offensive seasons in program history and the second-best ever in the Big Sky Conference
• She set a single-season program record with a .440 batting average, ranking eighth in the nation, going 55-for-125 with 11 doubles, one triple, five home runs, and 32 RBI. She also set a program record with a .517 on-base percentage
• She dominated the Big Sky Tournament, hitting .632 (12-for-19) over six games with two home runs, four RBI, and a .708 on-base percentage
• Alo became the first player in program history to be named Big Sky Freshman of the Year, earning first-team utility honors
• Additionally, she was named second-team All-Pacific Region by the NFCA and became the program's first-ever freshman to be a TUCCI/NFCA DI National Freshman of the Year Finalist (Top 25)

• A transfer from Boise State, Kimball led the Vikings in the circle in her first season at Portland State in 2024. As a redshirt junior for PSU, she went 15-10 overall and 6-2 in Big Sky play, throwing 153.2 innings
• She posted a 3.42 ERA for the season, with a 2.30 ERA in Big Sky regular season play. She pitched 14 complete games, including four shutouts, while holding opponents to a .256 average with 128 strikeouts
• She had a dominant Big Sky Tournament run, tossing 35 innings over four days with a 3-1 record, three complete games, and 30 strikeouts to lead the Vikings to a runner-up finish
• Kimball was named Big Sky Newcomer of the Year and earned second-team all-conference honors

• Viking Head Coach Meadow McWhorter is in her ninth season at Portland State, carrying a 143-243 (.370) overall record into the weekend
• She's just five wins away from surpassing former PSU head coach Tobin-Hawk Creek's 147 wins, which would make her the second-winningest coach in program history
• She's led the Vikings to a 58-65 (.472) Big Sky record and four straight top-three finishes in the conference tournament, including a title in 2021, third-place finishes in 2022 and 2023, and a runner-up finish in 2024
• McWhorter has coached 24 first- and second-team All-Big Sky selections, four individual award winners (including 2023 BSC Player of the Year Emily Johansen), four All-Pacific Region honorees, and 15 Big Sky All-Tournament selections

• The Vikings have 50 games scheduled for the regular season, with 17 at home, 33 on the road, 35 non-conference games, and 15 Big Sky contests
• They'll compete in five non-conference tournaments, four of them consecutively in February, totaling 20 games in 24 days
• Tournament schedule: La Jolla Invitational (Feb. 7-9), Cardinal Classic (Feb. 14-16), ASU/GCU Invite (Feb. 21-23), University of Oregon Invitational (Feb. 28-March 1), and Santa Clara/St. Mary's Invitational (March 14-16)
• Their non-conference schedule includes seven Power Four opponents, three of which finished in last year's final top 25 poll