PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland State softball will play its final four non-conference road games this weekend in Los Angeles, facing Loyola Marymount and Southern Utah twice over two days (March 13-14) at LMU's Smith Field.

The Vikings (8-12) will open each day against host LMU before taking on the Thunderbirds. Friday's doubleheader begins at 1 p.m., while Saturday's action starts at 10 a.m. 

Portland State's games against the Lions will stream live on ESPN+. The games between the Vikings and SUU will have live stats only (links below).

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2026 PORTLAND STATE SOFTBALL GAME NOTES // WEEK 6

LMU TOURNAMENT
March 13-14 | Los Angeles, Calif. – Smith Field
Watch on ESPN+ -- Live Stats 
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FRIDAY, MARCH 13
Portland State at Loyola Marymount (1:00 PM)
Portland State vs. Southern Utah (3:30 PM)
SATURDAY, MARCH 14
Portland State at Loyola Marymount (10:00 AM)
Portland State vs. Southern Utah (12:30 PM)

OPPONENT NOTES / SERIES HISTORY

Loyola Marymount (18-8): Entering the weekend with 18 wins, LMU is coming off a 3-2 weekend in Las Vegas, dropping games to both Utah Tech and UNLV. Offensively, the Lions are hitting .320 as a team, with six players batting over .300. In the circle, their pitching staff ranks in the top 20 nationally in team ERA (2.42) and shutouts (6). The Lions enter the weekend ranked 14th in the latest mid-major softball poll. All-Time Series » The Vikings and Lions have met 48 times entering this weekend. Five of those meetings have come since 2020, with the Lions winning all five. Prior to that stretch, the Vikings picked up back-to-back wins in 2011. Portland State enters the weekend having dropped five straight in the series and trailing the series 18-30.

Southern Utah (11-15): The Thunderbirds enter the weekend at 11-15, coming off a 2-2 showing in Pocatello where they earned a pair of run-rule wins over Maine and dropped two games to the Bengals. SUU is averaging 4.23 runs per game and hitting .256 as a team, with a 5.59 ERA. All-Time Series » The Vikings have an extensive history against former (and future) Big Sky opponent SUU, entering the weekend with a 30-17 all-time lead over the Thunderbirds. The teams met five times in 2021 and three times in 2022, with the Vikings winning six straight during that span.

VIKS' LAST TIME OUT

• The Vikings went 2-3 last weekend at the Blue Collar Classic in Boise, Idaho, defeating Cal Baptist, splitting with Boise State and dropping two games to St. Thomas.
• Portland State beat Boise State 4-1 on Friday evening behind a complete-game performance from Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung. The win marked the Vikings' first over the Broncos since 2015, snapping a nine-game losing streak against BSU.

SOLID DEFENSE

• The Vikings lead the Big Sky defensively with a .967 fielding percentage
• They've recorded six error-free games this season, including three at last weekend's Blue Collar Classic, committing just two errors across five games in Boise
• Portland State has committed more than one error in only three games this year
• The Vikings finished 2025 with a program-low .931 fielding percentage — a stark contrast to their defensive performance so far this season

OFFENSIVE NOTES

• Overall Numbers » The Vikings are hitting .261 with a .327 team on-base percentage through 20 games.
• Table-Setter » Grace Johnson leads the Vikings with a .393 batting average and .456 on-base percentage, ranking in the top 10 of the Big Sky in both categories. She also leads the team with seven multi-hit games.
• Run Producer » Freshman Mia Martinez leads the Vikings with 12 RBI, four home runs and 31 total bases. Eight of her team-high 12 RBI have come with two outs in the inning.
• Who's hot? » Nichole Orozco led the Vikings in Boise, hitting .357 (5-for-14) with a .438 on-base percentage. Abigail Carsley paced the team with two extra-base hits and a team-high four RBI, matching Breanna Lutz's RBI total for the weekend.
• Top of the Lineup » Hitting primarily in the 1-2-3 spots, Grace Johnson (.393), Breanna Lutz (.340) and Mia Martinez (.279) have combined to hit .337 (58-for-172) through 20 games — well above the team's .261 average. The trio has scored 36% of the team's total runs, while Martinez and Lutz have combined for 12 extra-base hits, including six doubles, one triple and five home runs.
• Timely Hitting » Jolee Benson has been key to the Vikings' run production, hitting .556 with runners in scoring position and .393 with runners on base, compared to .183 with the bases empty.
• Tough to Strike Out » Portland State averages just 3.65 strikeouts per game at the plate — the lowest mark in the conference — with the next closest team at 4.31 per game.
• Leading Off » The Vikings have consistently set the tone early, with their leadoff hitter reaching base in 40% of innings this season.
• Long Ball » The Vikings hit five home runs last weekend at the Blue Collar Classic — nearly half of their season total — including two in the second inning of Friday's win over Boise State. Abigail Carsley homered twice on the weekend, while Breanna Lutz launched a grand slam in the tournament-opening win over Cal Baptist.

DUAL THREAT 

• Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung leads the Vikings in the circle with a 4-3 record, 4.23 ERA and 30 strikeouts, holding opponents to a .281 average across 11 appearances (49.2 IP).
• She has also made 14 appearances at the plate, going 9-for-41 with three doubles, one home run and seven RBI.
• She put together a true two-way performance against Boise State, hitting her first home run of the season while pitching a complete game and allowing just one run in the 4-1 victory.

THE LAST 10

• The Vikings' pitching staff carries a 6.44 ERA on the season but has lowered that mark to 4.18 over the last 10 games
• Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung has anchored the turnaround, going 4-0 since Feb. 26 with wins over Boise State, Hawai'i and Mercyhurst (twice). One of her victories over Mercyhurst was a one-hit, complete-game shutout to lead the Vikings to a run-rule victory
• With 30.2 innings pitched and six appearances over the last 10 games, Nakoa-Chung owns a 2.51 ERA, holding opponents to a .244 average with just five walks (1.14 per game) and 22 strikeouts, including a season-high eight against Cal Baptist.
• Additionally, Nakoa-Chung recently recorded her first shutout of the season in a five-inning complete-game win over Mercyhurst, allowing just one hit in a 9-0 victory

CHASING THE RECORD

• Grace Johnson leads the Big Sky with nine stolen bases and is a perfect 9-for-9 on the season
• She is one of just 20 players nationally with a 1.000 stolen base percentage among players with nine or more steals
• Johnson now has 43 career stolen bases, ranking third in the program's Division I era and five shy of the record held by recent alum Olivia Dean (48)

MCWHORTER'S 150TH WIN

• 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

A NEW HOME IN 2026

• Portland State will debut a new home field in 2026, playing at Hillsboro Ballpark (Hillsboro, Ore.)
• The Vikings will host 13 home games at the new ballpark, beginning with a home-opening doubleheader next week against North Dakota (Friday, March 20)
• Admission is FREE to all Vikings softball games at Hillsboro Ballpark during the 2026 season
• Formerly known as Ron Tonkin Field, the stadium previously served as the home of minor league baseball's Hillsboro Hops. In addition to the Vikings, Hillsboro Ballpark will also be home to Portland's newest professional franchise — the AUSL's Portland Cascade, one of six professional softball teams in the country

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
• 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