PORTLAND, Ore. – Hoping to bounce back from an 0-3 start to Big Sky play, the Portland State softball team returns to the road this weekend for a three-game series at conference preseason favorite Idaho State in Pocatello (April 3-4).

The series, set to be played at Miller Ranch Stadium, will open with a doubleheader on Friday, April 3 at 12:00 p.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. MT, followed by a single game on Saturday, April 4 at 12:00 p.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. MT.

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2026 PORTLAND STATE SOFTBALL GAME NOTES // WEEK 9

PORTLAND STATE (10-22, 0-3) at IDAHO STATE (25-14, 2-1)
Pocatello, Idaho (Direct Communications Field at Miller Ranch Stadium) 
Game 1: Friday, April 3 - 12:00 PM PT / 1:00 PM MT //  Live Stats - ESPN+
Game 2: Friday, April 3 - 2:30 PM PT / 3:30 PM MT // Live Stats - ESPN+
Game 3: Saturday, April 4 - 12:00 PM PT / 1:00 PM MT // Live Stats - ESPN+

IDAHO STATE (25-14, 2-1): The reigning regular-season Big Sky champion Bengals closed non-conference play with 23 wins. They opened conference action last weekend by taking the first two games from Weber State before dropping the finale. Idaho State leads the Big Sky in several offensive categories, including a .316 team batting average, .392 on-base percentage and 48 home runs. The Bengals' pitching staff has held opponents to a .276 average and carries a 4.06 ERA on the season.
All-time series  » PSU leads, 33-22
Home: 19-10; Away: 7-3; Neutral: 7-3
Under McWhorter: 15-11; Streak: L2; Last 10: 7-3
2025 Series result: Bengals won (LWW) - Hillsboro, OR
Notes: This weekend marks the Vikings' first true road series at Idaho State since the 2022 season. Their most recent scheduled trip to Pocatello in 2024 was moved to Nampa, Idaho due to construction on the Bengals' new stadium. Portland State won four straight series over Idaho State from 2021–24, including a sweep in Nampa in 2024. The Bengals, however, took the final two games of last year's series to secure their first series win over the Vikings in five seasons.

LAST TIME OUT: AT MONTANA

• The Vikings were swept in their opening Big Sky series at Montana over the weekend, falling 5-0, 10-5 and 5-4.
• The sweep marked their first 0-3 result against Montana since 2021 and their first series loss to the Griz since that season.
• Portland State hit .262 as a team, totaling eight extra-base hits, including two home runs. Montana finished at a .311 clip across the three games, recording 12 extra-base hits with four home runs.

KEYS TO VICTORY

• Score First: Portland State has scored first in eight of its 10 wins this season and is 2-15 when its opponent scores first, including a 2-11 mark when allowing a run in the first inning.
• Avoid Playing from Behind: The Vikings are 0-15 when trailing at the end of the fifth inning and 1-18 when entering the seventh inning behind.
• Win the Hit Battle: The Vikings are 7-4 when out-hitting their opponent and 2-17 when out-hit.
• Five-Run Mark: The Vikings are 9-4 when allowing fewer than five runs and 1-18 when allowing five or more.

NO-NO FOR NAKOA-CHUNG

• Senior right-hander Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung threw a no-hit shutout against North Dakota on Friday, March 20 in the Vikings' home opener, leading Portland State to a 1-0 win.
• It marked Portland State's first seven-inning no-hit shutout in over 20 years and the program's third no-hitter since 2023, with the other two coming against Montana.
• Nakoa-Chung recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts in the outing and was named Big Sky Co-Pitcher of the Week for her performance, the second weekly honor of her career.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

• Overall Numbers » The Vikings are hitting .252 with a .321 team on-base percentage entering the weekend
• Table-Setter » Leadoff hitter Grace Johnson has been a force at the plate, leading the Vikings with a .402 batting average and .473 on-base percentage, with her average ranking fourth in the conference. She led the Vikings statistically in all but one weekend during non-conference play, totaling a team-high 10 multi-hit games while notching a season-high nine-game hitting streak.
• Run Producer » Freshman Mia Martinez leads the Vikings with 17 RBI, recording at least one in 12 games this season. Additionally, she leads the team with five home runs and 45 total bases. 
• Who's hot? »  Martinez and Nichole Orozco paced the Vikings against Montana last weekend. Martinez went 5-for-11 at the plate (.455), which included a two-run home run in the series finale and has now reached base safely in seven straight games. Orozco hit .444 (4-for-9) with two doubles and two RBI. 
• Leading Off »The Vikings have consistently set the tone early, with their leadoff hitter reaching base in 40% of innings this season (reached in 87-of-214 leadoff opportunities). Grace Johnson has accounted for 53 of those opportunities and is hitting .528 in leadoff situations. Hitting primarily in the two spot, Breanna Lutz has led off 12 innings this season and reached base in eight of those opportunities (.667).

OFFENSIVE STREAKS

• Current hitting streaks: Mia Martinez (3), Nichole Orozco (3)
• Current reached-base streaks: Mia Martinez (7), Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung (5), Nichole Orozco (3)

LEADERS IN THE CIRCLE

• Sixth-year senior Gracie Walters leads the Vikings with a 3.88 ERA across 57.2 innings pitched
• Senior Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung (4.14 ERA) leads the conference with eight complete games while also leading the team in innings pitched (88.0), shutouts (2) and ranks second in the Big Sky with 72 strikeouts.

SOLID DEFENSE

• The Vikings defense remains atop the Big Sky, carrying a conference-best .965 fielding pct. into the weekend
• They played error-free defense in two of three games against Montana last weekend, bringing their season total to nine error-free outings. 
• The Vikings finished 2025 with a program-low .931 fielding percentage — a stark contrast to their defensive performance so far this season.

CHASING THE RECORD

• Grace Johnson leads the Big Sky with 14 stolen bases and is a perfect 14-for-14 on the season
• Johnson tied Portland State's DI-era career stolen base record on Sunday, March 22 against Santa Clara, recording the 48th steal of her career to match recent alum Olivia Dean. She is now one stolen base away from setting the DI-era record outright and sits 19 shy of the program's all-time record of 68 (including pre-DI era).

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

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