PORTLAND – The Portland State softball team is set to close out its regular-season schedule with a Big Sky showdown at Weber State this Friday and Saturday.
The series will begin with a 1:00 p.m. PT doubleheader on Friday and will come to a close following a 11:00 a.m. PT matchup on Saturday.
LAST TIME OUT
The Vikings improved to 10-22 on the year and 7-8 in conference action after earning three wins against Sacramento State last weekend.
In their best all-around weekend of action, PSU posted back-to-back shutouts while slamming 34 hits en route to 25 runs and two run-rule victories against the Hornets over the weekend. The Vikings earned 3-0 and 8-0 (five innings) on Friday before completing their first series sweep of the season with a 14-3 (five inning) win in game three.
OFFENSIVE LEADERS
Redshirt senior Marissa Bruno leads the Vikings with 46 hits on the year and a .397 batting average. Rachel Menlove has a team-best six doubles, seven home runs, 27 RBI, and a .656 slugging percentage.
HOT STREAK
With nine players hitting above the .300 mark, the Vikings hold an impressive .373 average in conference action. Olivia Dean (.455), Bruno (.441), and Tayler Gunesch (.409) lead the way in Big Sky action so far.
In its series last weekend, Portland State had seven players hit above the .500 mark as they slammed 34 hits, five doubles, three home runs and recorded a team batting average of .442. The potent offense has scored 70 runs over the past nine games, including a season-high 14 in game three against Sacramento State last weekend.
Gunesch led the efforts for PSU hitting .714 at the plate (5-7) with one RBI while Bruno was 6-10 with 3 RBI. Menlove and Paetynn Lopez combined for nine RBI over the three-game series.
NATIONALLY RANKED
The Vikings rank 16th in the country in overall team batting average (.328) sitting just one spot behind the University of Washington.
RECORD BREAKERS
PSU is on track to beat two single-season offensive team records as they enter the final weekend of the regular season with a program-best .328 team batting average and a .437 slugging percentage.
IN THE CIRCLE
Redshirt freshman Olivia Grey has highlighted the circle for the Vikings over the past few weeks. She has earned a complete game shutout victory in each of the last three weekends for Portland State, allowing just nine total hits in those 17 innings of work. Grey posted a career-best one-hitter in the Viking's game two win over Sacramento State on Friday.
Redshirt senior Katie Schroeder also had a stellar performance in the circle for the Vikings last weekend, allowing just three hits and striking out five in a complete-game shutout during game one against Sacramento State.
BIG SKY LEADERBOARD
- PSU leads the Big Sky in two offensive categories – batting average (.328) and stolen bases (44)
- Bruno (16) and Maddie Thompson (13) rank first and second in stolen bases while Dean is tied for third (8)
- Bruno's .397 average at the plate is the third highest in the conference while Dean sits at fifth (.389)
- The Vikings rank third in fielding percentage (.960)
- The PSU pitching staff has tallied 163 strikeouts through 32 games, ranking second in the Big Sky
- Allicitie Frost leads the conference after holding her opponents to a .247 batting average so far this season
- Grey ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 59 strikeouts
BY THE NUMBERS – SEASON TOTALS
- Team Batting Average: .328 (286-872) – Up 11 percent from last week
- Opponent Batting Average: .309 (259-837) – Down 10 percent from last week
- Errors/Fielding Percentage: 32 (.960) – Down three percent from last week
- ERA/Strikeouts/Walks: 7.62 ERA, 163 strikeouts, 103 walks
WEBER STATE WILDCATS
The Wildcats entered their 2021 campaign after being tabbed a first-place finish in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches Poll. Living up to the hype, Weber State will enter the weekend with a 21-14 overall record while sitting atop of the leader board with an 11-1 conference mark.
The Wildcats lost their first game of Big Sky action against Southern Utah last weekend. They rank first in the conference with a 3.93 ERA and second in batting average (.319). Wildcat starting pitcher Mariah Ramirez holds a conference-best 2.93 ERA entering the series.
SERIES HISTORY
The two teams last met in the 2019 Big Sky tournament. Weber State walked away with a close 3-2 10 inning win over the Vikings to cut the all-time series lead down to 21-14. In the last three-game series between the two teams, Weber State took two wins to clinch the series victory.
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April 29, 2021 at 08:07AM
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Vikings Close Out Regular Season Schedule At Weber State - Portland State Vikings
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