PORTLAND, Ore. – College softball's opening week is here, and Portland State will begin its 2026 season with five games at the Easton Classic in Fullerton, Calif. Carrying a roster loaded with new talent, the Vikings will open the season with doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday and a single game Sunday.

The Vikings will play CSUN, Cal State Fullerton and Boise State over the three-day tournament, with opening day games set against CSUN (1:30 pm) and CSUF (4:00 pm). The tournament will be held at Anderson Family Field, home of Cal State Fullerton. PSU's contests against the Titans will stream on ESPN+, while only live stats will be available for the other games. Links for tickets, live stats, and ESPN+ coverage can be found below.

Easton Classic – Feb. 6-8
Fullerton, Calif. | Anderson Family Field | Link to Tickets
Friday, Feb. 6 
Gm 1: Portland State vs. CSUN  (1:30pm) | Live Stats 
Gm 2: Portland State at Cal State Fullerton  (4:00pm) | Live Stats - ESPN+
Saturday, Feb. 7 
Gm 3: Portland State vs. Boise State (3:00pm) | Live Stats 
Gm 4: Portland State at Cal State Fullerton (5:30pm) | Live Stats - ESPN+
Sunday, Feb. 8 
Gm 5: Portland State vs. CSUN  (10:00am) | Live Stats 

Opponent Notes 

• CSUN: The Matadors had a strong showing in 2025, finishing the season 26-26 overall with a second-place finish in the Big West Tournament. CSUN holds a 13-3 series lead over the Vikings, having won the most recent meetings in 2024 by scores of 8-2 and 3-2. The Vikings are seeking their first win over the Matadors since 2011.
• BOISE STATE: The Broncos went 34-22 in 2025, including an 11-11 mark in Mountain West play. Portland State and Boise State have been frequent opponents throughout their program histories, with Boise State holding a 13-5 series lead after winning eight straight, including a three-game sweep in Boise in 2023. Portland State is seeking its first win over BSU since 2015.
• CAL STATE FULLERTON: The Titans had an impressive 2025 campaign, going 37-17 and 22-5 in conference play. This weekend marks the first meeting between the Vikings and Cal State Fullerton since the 2015 season, when the Titans earned a 6-3 neutral-site win to extend their all-time series lead to 5-2 over PSU. 

Viking Preseason Notes

• 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
• Head Coach Meadow McWhorter enters her 10th season at the helm in 2026, with an overall record of 149-253 and a conference mark of 62-72
• 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
• Johnson currently ranks fifth all-time in career stolen bases during the program's Division I era and is just 14 shy of the all-time leader, recent alum Olivia Dean (48)
• 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

2026 Portland State Softball Season Preview 
Large senior classes over the past three seasons have reshaped the Vikings' roster heading into 2026, filling it with new faces and creating a fresh opportunity to establish their own identity in head coach Meadow McWhorter's highly respected program. While a core group of returners remains, over half of McWhorter's roster is made up of newcomers this season.

The fresh look helps the program move forward after a tough 2025 season, when Portland State went 12–39 overall and 5–9 in Big Sky play, finishing fifth. Before that, the Vikings enjoyed four consecutive Big Sky Tournament semifinal appearances, advancing to the championship game twice and winning the conference title in 2021—a level of success they aim to return to this season.

"One of this group's biggest strengths is how connected they are already," McWhorter said. "Even with a lot of new faces, there's been strong buy-in to how we prepare, compete, and show up for one another."

The coaching staff will use a busy non-conference schedule to establish a lineup, a challenge they welcome after losing six starters from last year.

"I'm especially optimistic about both sides of the ball," McWhorter said. "There's growing competitive confidence in the circle and a lot of trust developing on defense, which is a strong foundation heading into the season."

The Vikings' pitching staff will lean on upperclassmen Gracie Walters, Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung, and Anna Jardin, who together handled half of last season's innings and the majority in conference play. Walters dominated Big Sky hitters, holding them to a .157 average over 25 innings with a 2.24 ERA and a no-hitter against Montana, while Nakoa-Chung earned Second-Team All-Big Sky honors and enters 2026 as a preseason All-Big Sky selection, contributing both on the rubber and at the plate. Freshmen right-handers Giselle Pantoja and Claire Masters round out the staff and are ready to contribute in their debut seasons.

Supporting the pitchers is a talented catching corps led by redshirt junior Alison Harris, who started 33 games behind the plate in 2025. Sophomores Samiya Wright and Kendall Nevin, redshirt sophomore Abigail Carsley, and freshman Sierra Llamas bring versatility and experience. Carsley and Nevin will also see time in the infield and outfield, respectively.

The rest of the field has big shoes to fill, but the Vikings have the talent to do it. Freshmen Jacobi Coombs, Mia Martinez, Sofia Peato, and Addison Harmier join transfers Talynn Williams and Breanna Lutz as the new faces of the Vikings' infield. Williams arrived in Portland this fall after three seasons at Buffalo, while Lutz, a two-time NFCA National SoCal JC Player of the Year and JC All-American, signed following two standout seasons at Palomar College. Providing steady leadership is redshirt senior second baseman Grace Johnson, who started all but one game for the Vikings in 2025.

Sophomore returners Nichole Orozco and Gracie Toney will anchor the outfield, joined by Rylee Gaustad, who started 18 games at shortstop in 2025. Redshirt junior Jolee Benson, a transfer from Arizona State, brings veteran presence to the mix. Sophomore outfielder Elise Sanchez, a speedy asset to the group, will redshirt this year.

As for the Vikings' offense, boosting production will be key to adding wins this season.

"There is a lot of excitement within our offense," McWhorter said. "They have real power and depth, and it's made putting a lineup together a daily challenge—in the best way."

The Vikings return their top two hitters from 2025, Nakoa-Chung and Johnson, who both batted over .300 last season. Nakoa-Chung led the team in five offensive categories, posting a .313 average and a .436 on-base percentage while adding nine doubles and three home runs. Johnson proved her value at the top of the lineup, leading the Vikings with 43 hits.

Now, Portland State will look to put all these pieces together across a 46-game regular season, which begins with 24 road games before the team makes its home debut at Hillsboro Ballpark.

With youth come growing pains, but this group has embraced the challenges and opportunities that have come with it so far.

"We're young, and experience is something we're still building, especially in tight moments," McWhorter said. "But this group has embraced shared leadership, and new players have stepped up and taken real ownership. This is a competitive group that's ready to bring that mindset into the season."

If the Vikings can blend talent, trust, and experience, they have the pieces to be a dangerous team in 2026. More importantly, this season represents a chance to redefine their identity, build momentum, and return to the top of the Big Sky—a goal this program knows it's capable of achieving.