PORTLAND, Ore. – With the final stretch of the regular season approaching, the Portland State softball team is gearing up for another five-game slate this week, set to take on Oregon State and Montana.

The Vikings will open the week with a midweek doubleheader at Oregon State on Wednesday, April 9, beginning at 5:00 p.m. They'll then return home to host Big Sky foe Montana in a three-game series at Hillsboro Stadium, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 12, at 1:00 p.m., followed by a single game on Sunday, April 13, also at 1:00 p.m.

All five games will be broadcast live on ESPN+, with live stats also available. Saturday's home game will feature the annual Alumni Day, highlighted by a BBQ at 3:30 p.m.

PORTLAND STATE SOFTBALL GAME NOTES // WEEK 10
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BEATING THE BEAVS

• The Vikings have won four of their last five games against Oregon State over the past three seasons (2022-24)
• This run includes three consecutive victories, starting in 2023 and continuing with two wins in 2024, marking the program's longest win streak over OSU since 1991
• All three of those wins were decided by just one run, with the Vikings winning two of them on walk-off base hits
• 2022...The Vikings split a doubleheader with 24th-ranked OSU in Corvallis, securing a 6-1 win in the opener — PSU's first victory over a ranked opponent since 2011. The Beavers went on to win 39 games that season and reach the Women's College World Series for the second time in program history; 2023... PSU defeated the Beavers 9-8 at the Littlewood Classic in Phoenix, claiming a walk-off win in the bottom of the seventh inning; 2024... The Vikings extended their streak with back-to-back 1-0 shutouts over OSU in Hillsboro last year. Lorraine Alo secured the win for PSU in game two with a walk-off base hit in the bottom of the 11th inning

LAST TIME OUT - SERIES VS. SACRAMENTO STATE

• The Vikings hosted Sacramento State for their first Big Sky home series of the season on April 4-5. The Hornets took game one, 6-1, and secured the series with a 2-0 win in game two. Portland State responded in the series finale on Sunday, scoring three runs in the fifth inning to take a 4-3 lead. Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung delivered a two-RBI double, followed by Lorraine Alo's go-ahead RBI single to cap the rally and give PSU its first lead of the series. Anna Jardin sealed the win in the circle, retiring the Hornets in order in both the sixth and seventh innings to avoid the sweep.

• Early scoring is key for the Vikings, who have scored first in eight of their nine wins this season. Seven of those wins came after scoring in their opening at-bat.
• PSU struggles when allowing its opponent to score first, holding a 1-24 record in such games.
• The Vikings have been successful at maintaining leads, with a 7-1 record in games where they led heading into the fifth inning.

• Five different pitchers have earned victories in the circle this season: Grace Kimball (3), Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung (2), Anna Jardin (2), Gracie Walters (1) and Annie Lemos (1)
• Redshirt junior Gracie Walters has been stellar in her last three outings against Weber State (3/29), Western Oregon (4/1) and Sacramento State (4/4). She totaled 15 innings pitched across those three appearances, allowing only two earned runs while striking out 10 batters, totaling an ERA of 0.97 
• Kimball has pitched a team-high 87.2 innings across 21 appearances and 18 starts, tossing six complete games while holding her opponents to a .285 average. Her 49 strikeouts rank second in the Big Sky.

• The Vikings had a team batting average of just .200 through their first 22 games of the season but have since seen significant improvement at the plate, raising their average to .233 over the last four weeks/17 games.
• PSU is hitting .250 as a team in BSC play, putting together a season-best weekend at Weber State in their conference-opening series. They posted an impressive .317 team batting average, highlighted by a season-best 16 hits in game two against the Wildcats (3/28).
• Sac State was able to quiet the Vikings' bats over the weekend, limiting them to a .171 average across three games, allowing only 12 hits. Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung and Ellie Babbitt each tallied four hits in the series, combining for 66% of the Vikings' total hits on the weekend.
• Nakoa-Chung, who has reached base in 15 consecutive games, leads the Vikings offensively both overall and in Big Sky play. She enters the weekend with a .328 season batting average (21-for-64) and carries a .471 (8-for-17) average across the first six conference games.
• Ellie Babbitt had a breakout weekend against the Hornets, accounting for a third of the Vikings' total hits, hitting .571 (4-for-7) with an on-base percentage of .667 while extending her hitting streak to seven games.
• Redshirt junior Grace Johnson ranks second on the team with a .313 batting average, totaling a team-high 35 hits, 12 walks, and 27 runs scored. Additionally, she ranks second in the conference in stolen bases (19) and sac bunts (5).
• Freshman Nichole Orozco shined in her first-ever Big Sky series two weekends ago at Weber State, batting .400 (4-for-10) with four RBIs and hitting her first career home run in the Vikings' game-two victory (April 4).
• Senior Natalia Martinez leads the team with 23 RBIs, recording at least one RBI in 17 of the Vikings' games so far, including a season-high four RBIs against Western Oregon last week (4/1).
• Jade Henry has capitalized on her opportunities during conference play, appearing as a pinch hitter in four of six games and going 3-for-4 with two RBIs in those at-bats.

• Active Reached Base Streaks (3+ games): Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung (15 games); Ellie Babbitt (7 games)
• Active Hitting Streaks (2+ games): Ellie Babbitt (7 games); Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung (5 games)

• Grace Kimball was named the Big Sky's Co-Pitcher of the Week following an impressive weekend at the Cardinal Classic (2/14-16) 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 146-245 (.373) overall record
• She's just two 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 59-67 (.468) 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