PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland State softball team returns to Hillsboro Ballpark this weekend to begin an eight-game homestand, opening with a three-game series against Weber State (April 10–11).

The Vikings and Wildcats will play a doubleheader Friday (1:00 & 3:30 p.m.), followed by a single game Saturday (12:00 p.m.). The Vikings have designated this weekend as Strike Out Cancer, recognizing those affected by cancer.

All three games will stream live on ESPN+ with live stats also available (links below). Admission is free for all fans.

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2026 PORTLAND STATE SOFTBALL GAME NOTES // WEEK 10

WEBER STATE (11-31, 2-4) vs. PORTLAND STATE (11-24, 1-5) 
Hillsboro, Ore. (Hillsboro Ballpark)
Game 1: Friday, April 10 - 1:00pm  //  Live Stats - ESPN+
Game 2: Friday, April 10 - 3:30pm // Live Stats - ESPN+
Game 3: Saturday, April 11 - 12:00pm // Live Stats - ESPN+

WEBER STATE (11-31, 2-4): Coming off a Big Sky Tournament championship a year ago, the Wildcats enter the weekend with 11 wins, including two in conference play. They dropped their series to Sacramento State, 2-1, last weekend in Ogden, then fell 17-0 in five innings to Utah on Tuesday. Weber State is hitting .279 as a team, ranking fourth in the Big Sky. The Wildcats rank last in the conference in team ERA at 6.70, allowing an average of 5.90 earned runs per game.

All-time series  » Portland State leads, 30-23
Home: 14-9; Away: 12-11; Neutral: 4-3
Under McWhorter: 13-15; Streak: L1; Last 10: 5-5
2025 Series result: Wildcats won (WLW) - Ogden, Utah
Notes: This weekend marks just the second series between the teams in Hillsboro since 2019, after the 2020 season was cut short and the 2022 series was canceled due to rain. The teams have met five times at the Big Sky Tournament since 2021, with the Vikings winning four of those matchups. Portland State has won two of its last six conference series against Weber State, most recently taking two of three in 2023.

LAST TIME OUT: AT IDAHO STATE

• The Vikings dropped two of three at preseason favorite Idaho State last weekend, falling 10-7 in the opener before responding with a 9-4 win in game two. They dropped the series finale, 4-2.
• For the second straight weekend, the Vikings hit .262 as a team, totaling eight extra-base hits—four of which were home runs.

KEYS TO VICTORY

• Score First: Portland State has scored first in nine of its 11 wins this season. They're 2-17 in games they've allowed their opponent to score first. 
• Avoid Playing from Behind: The Vikings are 0-16 when trailing at the end of the fifth inning and 1-20 when entering the seventh inning behind.
• Win the Hit Battle: The Vikings are 8-4 when out-hitting their opponent and 2-19 when out-hit.
• Five-Run Mark: The Vikings are 10-5 when allowing fewer than five runs and 1-19 when allowing five or more.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

• Overall Numbers » The Vikings are hitting .253 with a .332 team on-base percentage entering the weekend
• Big Sky Numbers » The Vikings are hitting .262 with a .371 on-base percentage in conference play, scoring 27 runs across six games.
• The Long Ball » The Vikings have hit six home runs across their last six games, hitting four of those in their series-opening doubleheader at Idaho State last Friday (April 3). Sofia Peato highlighted those long balls with a pinch-hit grand slam in game one, the same game sophomore Rylee Gaustad knocked her first career home run. Sierra Llamas and Breanna Lutz each added home runs in game two.
• Table-Setter » Leadoff hitter Grace Johnson leads the Vikings with a .377 batting average after finishing non-conference action with the second-best average in the conference (.425). 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.
• Lutz locked in » Junior Breanna Lutz is off to a strong start in conference play, hitting .421 (8-for-19), including a .500 weekend against the Bengals. Through six Big Sky games, she has recorded a hit in five, with three multi-hit performances.
• Run Producer » Freshman Mia Martinez leads the Vikings in several offensive categories including: RBI (17), home runs (5) and total bases (47)
• Leading Off »The Vikings have consistently set the tone early, with their leadoff hitter reaching base in 40% of innings this season (reached in 94-of-235 leadoff opportunities). Grace Johnson has accounted for 58 of those opportunities and is hitting .483 in leadoff situations. Hitting primarily in the two spot, Breanna Lutz has led off 14 innings this season and reached base in ten of those opportunities (.714).
• Free Bases »Three Vikings rank among the top 10 in walks in the conference, led by Nichole Orozco, who is tied for third with 17. Grace Johnson and Abigail Carsley each have 16, tied for sixth. Orozco has earned six free bases during Big Sky play (5 BB, 1 HBP), drawing four walks last weekend against Idaho State

OFFENSIVE STREAKS (3+ games)

• Current hitting streaks: Breanna Lutz (5)
• Current reached-base streaks: Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung (7), Nichole Orozco (6), Breanna Lutz (5), Abigail Carsley (4), Rylee Gaustad (3), Samiya Wright (3)

LEADER IN THE CIRCLE

• Senior Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung leads the Vikings with a 4.14 ERA and a 6-8 record (1-1 BSC).
• She ranks first in the conference in complete games (9) and innings pitched (99.2), and second in strikeouts (81).
• Earlier this season, she threw a no-hit shutout against North Dakota (March 20), leading the Vikings to a 1-0 win in their home opener.It marked Portland State's first seven-inning no-hitter in over 20 years and the program's third since 2023.
• Nakoa-Chung struck out a career-high 10 in the outing and earned Big Sky Co-Pitcher of the Week honors, the second of her career.

SOLID DEFENSE

• The Vikings defense remains atop the Big Sky with a .965 fielding percentage (tied with Idaho State)
• They've played error-free defense in three of six conference games so far, bringing their season total to 10 on the season
• 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

• Despite seven-straight games without a stolen base attempt, Grace Johnson still 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

A NEW HOME

• The Vikings made their debut at Hillsboro Ballpark on March 20 against North Dakota.
• Portland State had been without an official home field since the 2024 season, its final year at Gordon Faber Field.
• Admission is free for all Vikings softball games at Hillsboro Ballpark during the 2026 season.
• Formerly known as Ron Tonkin Field, the venue was previously home to the Hillsboro Hops.
• In addition to the Vikings, Hillsboro Ballpark will host Portland's new professional team, the AUSL's Portland Cascade—one of six teams in the league.

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