The 2025 season marks Head Coach Meadow McWhorter’s ninth season at the helm of the Portland State Softball program. She became just the fifth head coach since 1977 to lead the program after being hired on July 7, 2016. Prior to Portland State, McWhorter spent 14 years as the head coach at Mt. Hood Community College and was inducted into the NWAC Hall of Fame in July 2022.
McWhorter's overall record at Portland State is 137-214 (.390), making her the third-winningest coach in the program's history. Compiling a 57-63 (.475) record against Big Sky opponents, McWhorter has led the Vikings to six consecutive Big Sky Tournament appearances. Her teams are 15-9 at the tournament and 15-11 overall in the postseason. Most notably, McWhorter led the Vikings to its second-ever Big Sky Tournament Championship in 2021, followed by back-to-back Big Sky semifinal appearances. In 2024, she guided the Vikings to their second Big Sky Tournament Championship game appearance in four years, finishing as runners-up. In eight seasons, McWhorter has produced 24 first- and second-team All-Big Sky selections, four individual award winners (including 2023 BSC Player of the Year, Emily Johansen), four All-Pacific Region honorees, and 15 Big Sky All-Tournament selections. With McWhorter at the helm, the Vikings have excelled in the classroom as well. During her tenure, PSU softball has earned 80 Academic All-Conference honors, eight Academic All-District accolades, and over six NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes per season.
YEAR-BY-YEAR HIGHLIGHTS
2024 – McWhorter guided the Vikings to their third 20-win season under her leadership, finishing 23-24 overall and 8-6 in Big Sky play to place fourth in the regular season standings. The Vikings put together an impressive Big Sky Tournament run, bouncing back from a first-round loss with four straight wins to force a decisive second game in the championship before finishing as runners-up—her second-best finish since taking over the program. For the first time in program history, the Vikings earned two individual Big Sky Conference awards. Second-team pitcher Grace Kimball was named Newcomer of the Year, while first-team utility player Lorraine Alo secured Freshman of the Year honors. Maddie Thompson joined Alo on the first team, becoming the first player in program history to earn back-to-back first-team selections. Paetynn Lopez, Emily Johansen, and Natalia Martinez also received all-conference recognition. Alo made further history as the program’s first player to be named a top-25 finalist for the TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year. She was also selected to the NFCA All-Pacific Region second team, becoming the first freshman in program history to receive the honor.
2023 - McWhorter steered the Vikings to an 18-27 record and a second straight appearance in the Big Sky Tournament Semifinals in 2023. The Vikings finished 6-9 in Big Sky action, earning the No. 4 seed in the BSC Tournament. Their six conference wins led to three consecutive series wins against Montana, Weber State and Idaho State. The victory over WSU snapped the Wildcats' 18-series win streak and marked their first series loss since 2018. McWhorter helped the Vikings to a .301 team batting average, .387 on-base percentage and a .963 fielding percentage. All three ranked first in the Big Sky. Senior Emily Johansen became the Vikings' first-ever Big Sky Player of the Year after leading the conference in four offensive categories. Johansen was also named first-team along with Olivia Dean (SS) and Maddie Thompson (2B). Bailee Noland (UTL) and Allicitie Frost (P) both earned second-team honors. Johansen was chosen as a third-team All-Pacific Region infielder, becoming McWhorter's third All-Region player in the past two seasons. McWhorter's 100th career win at Portland State occurred on Feb. 19, 2023, when the Vikings defeated DePaul 7-6 in Phoenix, Ariz.
2022 - McWhorter led the Vikings to their winningest season since 2011, compiling a 28-18 record. The Vikings went 10-5 in conference action, finishing third with the No. 3 seed at the Big Sky Tournament. McWhorter led the Vikings to their best start in program history (4-1), two wins over Pac-12 opponents (Cal and Oregon state), and the program's first win over a ranked opponent since 2011 (6-1 over No. 23 Oregon State). Six Vikings earned All-Conference honors, including first-team selections Olivia Grey, Paetynn Lopez and Logan Riggenbach. Under the direction of McWhorter, Grey (second-team pitcher) and Riggenbach (third-team outfielder) were also named NFCA All-Pacific Region honorees.
2021 - McWhorter led Portland State to its second Big Sky Championship in program history and its first NCAA Tournament Appearance since the 2013 season. After posting a 15-26 overall record and 8-10 record in Big Sky play, the Vikings became the first team in Big Sky softball history to win the tournament championship as the five-seed. McWhorter guided eight players to all-conference honors, including First team All-Big Sky selection Marissa Bruno. They finished the season with the highest batting average in program history (.320) which was the 13th-best in the nation.
2020 - McWhorter's fourth season with the Vikings was cut short due to COVID-19. During the shortened season, the Vikings went 6-18 overall (0-0 in Big Sky action).
2019 - McWhorter built off a solid second year with a 20-win season and a repeat trip to the Big Sky tournament in 2019. The Vikings finished fifth in the Big Sky with an 8-9 record, turning things around in the second half of the conference season. In the conference tournament, they upset host Sacramento State with a 2-1 win in 11 innings, the longest game in Big Sky postseason history. She also guided Darian Lindsey to one of the best single seasons at the plate. Lindsey broke single-season records with 20 doubles and a .675 slugging percentage. She also set D-I era Portland State records in batting average (.404) and on-base percentage (.512). McWhorter led seven players to postseason honors from the Big Sky in 2019. Lindsey was named First Team All-Big Sky at shortstop while Rachel Menlove (C), Katie Schroeder (P), Tayler Gunesch (OF) and Kaela Morrow (UT) all received second-team nods. Sala Pedebone (3B) and Marissa Bruno (OF) were honorable mentions.
2018 - McWhorter and the Vikings turned a corner in her second season on the Park Blocks. Portland State went 19-34 overall and finished fourth in the Big Sky Conference with a 10-10 record, earning her first conference tournament bid. The Vikings dropped the tournament opener but picked up their first tournament win since 2013, knocking out the defending tournament champion and host Weber State. The 19 overall wins, 10 conference wins, and fourth Big Sky series wins were all the most for the program since 2013. With her first signing class, McWhorter brought in an infusion of power to the lineup. Portland State hit 28 home runs as a team, the most, again, since 2013. PSU had four players earn All-Big Sky Conference honors in 2018, including a first-team selection for Kaela Morrow (Non-P/UT). Alyssa Burk (P), Darian Lindsey (SS), and Rachel Menlove (C) all earned second-team honors. Lindsey was also named the program’s first Big Sky Newcomer of the Year.
2017 - In her first season on the Park Blocks, McWhorter began to rebuild the PSU program. She inherited just nine returners from the previous year’s roster and welcomed 11 freshmen, which made up one of the nation’s largest freshmen classes. Portland State went 9-36 overall and 7-14 in Big Sky Conference play in 2017, narrowly missing out on the Big Sky Softball Championship. McWhorter and her staff guided senior Shae Nelson a career year and her second consecutive All-Big Sky Honorable Mention honor. Nelson finished the regular season just outside the Big Sky’s top 10 with a .343 batting average.
BEFORE PORTLAND STATE
During McWhorter’s tenure leading Mt. Hood, she coached six players who went on to play for Portland State including recent PSU graduates Kristen Crawford and SheaLee Lindsey. McWhorter posted an impressive 468-146 (.762) overall record at Mt. Hood winning five Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) titles (2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2016).
McWhorter was named the NWAC Coach of the Year four times (2009, 2010, 2014, and 2016) and her staff has earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Coaching Staff of the Year honors three times (2004, 2008, 2014).
McWhorter led the MHCC program to three 40-win seasons including a program-best 43-7 record in 2007. Her teams won over 80-percent of their games in eight of her 14 seasons at MHCC. Twenty-five of her players have earned NFCA All-American honors.
McWhorter started her playing career at Mt. Hood before finishing at Jacksonville State University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Recreation Administration.
