PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland State softball will close out its opening month in Honolulu this week, set for five games over three days (Feb. 26–28) at the OUTRIGGER Classic, hosted by the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. The Vikings will play three games against Mercyhurst and two against the 'Bows at Rainbow Wahine Stadium.

The Vikings (3-7) open the tournament Thursday against Mercyhurst (1 p.m. HT / 3 p.m. PT). They'll then play doubleheaders the following two days, scheduled to play both teams on Friday and Saturday.

The tournament games will not be streamed; however, live stats will be available (links below).

OPPONENT SCOUT / SERIES HISTORY

• Mercyhurst Lakers (0-4): The Lakers out of Erie, Pa., have played only four games so far this season–going winless against Albany, Presbyterian and ETSU during their opening weekend (Feb. 13-15). They posted a 5-33 record a season ago, marking their first year as an NCAA Division I institution after making the jump from Division II in July 2024. Thursday's opener will be the first-ever meeting between the Vikings and Lakers.
• Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine (5-9): After a strong start to its 2026 campaign, UH has lost nine of its last 10 games heading into this weekend–most recently coming off an 0-5 showing at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, including two losses to top-20 opponents. Hawai'i is under new leadership this season with Panita Thanatharn in her first year at the helm of the program. The Rainbow Wahine hold a 21-7 lead in the all-time series against Portland State. The teams met twice in both the 2020 and 2024 seasons, with UH winning all four. 

• The Vikings' last action came at the Littlewood Invitational in Tempe, Ariz. (Feb. 13–15), where they went 1-4 against a challenging slate that included losses to No. 22 Arizona State, Indiana and Nevada. Their lone win of the weekend was a 7-2 victory over Pacific (Calif.)

• Gracie Toney has hit two home runs in just 15 at-bats, including one against No. 22 Arizona State at the Littlewood Invitational. She leads the Vikings with a .333 batting average, .733 slugging percentage, five RBI and 11 total bases
• Grace Johnson has reached base in eight of 10 games-she paced the Vikings with a .357 average at the Littlewood Invitational which included a 3-for-4 outing against No. 22 ASU
• Johnson's .469 on-base percentage ranks sixth in the Big Sky entering the weekend, while teammate Breanna Lutz sits seventh at .467

• Gracie Walters has gone the distance in all three of her starts this season, pitching complete games against Cal State Fullerton, CSUN and Pacific. Entering the weekend with a 2-1 record and a team-best 3.67 ERA, she has held opponents to a .273 average across 21 innings with 10 strikeouts
• Anna Jardin also tossed a complete game during opening weekend, leading the Vikings to a win over CSUF while allowing eight hits, none for extra bases, and no earned runs

• Grace Johnson is 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts through 10 games, four of which came during opening weekend
• Her career total sits at 39–ranking fourth all-time in the program's DI era, just 9 shy of the record held by recent alum Olivia Dean (48)

• The Vikings' 3–1 win at Cal State Fullerton (2/7) marked a milestone for head coach Meadow McWhorter — her 150th career win at Portland State. She became just the second coach in program history to reach the milestone

• The Vikings will play a 46-game regular-season schedule, including 31 non-conference games and 15 Big Sky contests
• Portland State's 2026 roster features 12 returners and 13 newcomers, including seven freshmen
• Portland State will debut a new home field in 2026, playing at Hillsboro Ballpark — also home to the newly named AUSL team, the Portland Cascade.
• The Vikings finished the 2025 season 12-39 overall and 5-9 in conference play, placing fifth in the standings
• Senior Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung was named to the Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team after a standout 2025 season, becoming the first player in program history to earn all-conference honors as a pitcher/utility player (second team)
• Nakoa-Chung led the Vikings in five offensive categories in 2025: batting average (.313), on-base percentage (.436), slugging percentage (.500), doubles (9), and home runs (3)
• Senior second baseman Grace Johnson returns after leading the team with 43 hits in 2025 and setting the program's DI-era single-season stolen base record with 22
• The Vikings return 51% of their innings pitched from last season, led by upperclassmen Gracie Walters, Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung, and Anna Jardin
• The Vikings were picked fifth in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches' Poll released last month
• Portland State's roster features two multi-sport athletes, Claire Masters (Fr.) and Kainani Jacang (Jr.), who are also members of the Portland State soccer team
• Along with assistants Kellie Wilkerson and Meghan Romero, two 2025 graduates and program alums are part of the staff this season: Natalia Martinez (assistant coach) and Ellie Babbitt (director of player development)
• The Vikings posted a record-breaking fall term in the classroom with a 3.74 team GPA, including eight student-athletes who earned 4.0 GPAs — the highest term GPA in program history