AT A GLANCE: Portland State will play its final five road games of the regular season this week, starting with a Wednesday afternoon non-conference game at Oregon (29-22). First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m., at Howe Field in Eugene, OR. The Vikings (26-26, 9-7 Pacific Coast Softball Conference) will then travel to Santa Clara to conclude their PCSC schedule with a four-game series against the Broncos (9-47, 5-11 PCSC). The four-game set will begin with a doubleheader Saturday at noon at Marsalli Park, followed with another twinbill on Sunday at noon.
VS. OREGON
Series History: Oregon leads 96-46-1
Series Notes: Wednesday's meeting will be the fourth and final of the year ... The Ducks lead the season series 2-1 after winning 2-1 and 7-1 in a doubleheader at Erv Lind Stadium on April 16 ... The Vikings won the season's first contest, 4-0, on March 5 in Eugene ... Oregon will enter Wednesday's contest having won 18 of the last 22 meetings between the two teams.
Scouting the Lions: Loyola Marymount entered the week leading the PCSC in both team batting (.313) and ERA (1.82) ... The Lions have also hit a PCSC-high 31 HRs ... SO 3B/OF J.J. Hartung leads six regulars hitting over .300 with a .385 BA, ranking second in the PCSC ... JR C/OF Chelsie Tysdal is batting .372 and entered the week second in the PCSC in HRs, 10, and first in RBI, 42 ... JR SS/3B Megan Ackerman is tied for third in the PCSC in HRs with nine ... SR RHP Tiffany Pagano is 21-8 with a 1.33 ERA (210.1 IP, 40 ER) and 251 strikeotus to lead the conference in wins, ERA and strikeouts.
COVERAGE
Audio: None
Live Stats: www.goducks.com
VS. SANTA CLARA
Series History: Portland State leads 19-7
Series Notes: The Vikings are 3-0-2 in PCSC series against Santa Clara, going 13-5 in PCSC contests against the Broncos ... Portland State is 10-2 against Santa Clara in winning three straight series ... The Vikings won 3-of-4 the last time they visited Santa Clara in 2006.
Scouting the Broncos: Santa Clara is hitting .199 as a team, and has been outscored 361-119 this season ... JR Noelani Ho'opi'i leads the Broncos with a .297 batting average. She is also tied for the team lead in HRs (4) and RBI (20). FR IF Amanda Edmonson is hitting .265 and has recorded 20 RBI, and SR C Maggie Godfrey is batting .211 with four HRs. SR Jackie Morales is 5-20 with a 4.81 ERA (155.2 IP, 107 ER) in 37 appearances, including 24 starts.
COVERAGE
Audio: None
Live Stats: None
LAST WEEKEND: Portland State split a four-game PCSC series with Loyola Marymount last weekend at Erv Lind Stadium ... The Vikings hit only .146 for the series, but took advantage of Lions' defensive miscues to score five unearned runs in 3-0 and 2-0 victories ... SR RHP Mandy Hill (Battle Ground, WA/Battle Ground HS) went 2-1 with a 1.31 ERA (16.0 IP, 3 ER) in three starts during the series.
VIKINGS' 52-GAME TOTALS: Portland State is 14-6 (.700 winning pct.) at home, 4-9 (.308 winning pct.) and 8-11 (.421 winning pct.) at neutral sites ... Portland State is 20-5 (.800 winning pct.) when scoring first, 6-21 (.222 winning pct.) when allowing the game's first run ... The Vikings are 19-6 (.760 winning pct.) when leading after four innings, 15-2 (.882 winning pct.) when leading after five innings and 18-1 (.947 winning pct.) when leading after six ... Portland State is 3-17 (.150 winning pct.) when trailing after four innings, 4-21 (.160 winning pct.) when trailing after five and 1-23 (.042 winning pct.) when trailing after six innings ... The Vikings are 4-3 when tied after four innings, 4-2 when tied after five and 4-1 when tied after six innings ... Portland State is 8-8 (.500 winning pct.) in one-run games ... The Vikings are 5-1 in extra-inning contests.
PCSC CHAMPIONSHIP SCENARIO: Portland State will enter this weekend's series at Santa Clara, two games behind first-place Saint Mary's with four games remaining. In order to claim a second PCSC title in three seasons, the Vikings must sweep the Broncos, and have Loyola Marymount and Saint Mary's split their series in Moraga, CA, and have San Diego beat Sacramento State at least twice. That would result in a first-place tie between the Vikings and Gaels with 13-7 PCSC marks. Portland State would win the tiebreaker, to receive the conference's automatic NCAA berth, based on holding a 12-9 edge in runs scored during the team's four-game series played at Erv Lind Stadium, April 19-20. The first two tiebreakers used by the PCSC would not break the tie between the Gaels and Vikings, as 1) the two teams split the head-to-head series, and 2) Saint Mary's and Portland State would also have identical head-to-head records against the other teams in the conferece, based on ascending order of finish.
DIAMOND NOTES: Portland State will play its regular-season finale at home next Tuesday, May 6 against Oregon State at 6:00 p.m,. at Erv Lind Stadium ... The 26 wins entering Wednesday's game at Oregon is the Vikings' second-highest win total since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 1999, behind the 2006 team that went 38-20 ... The Vikings fell 1-0 to Loyola Marymount in the series finale on Sunday, marking their fifth loss in their last six one-run contests ... Portland State has twice been a season-high four games over .500 this season at 21-17 and 22-18 ... Portland State is 9-9 in the month of April.
30-WIN SEASONS: At 26-26 entering Wednesday's game at Oregon, Portland State is four wins shy ? with six games to go ? of recording the seventh 30-win season in school history. The 30-win season would be the Vikings' second under third-year head coach Amy Hayes and the program's second on the NCAA Division I level. Hayes' first Portland State team in 2006 went 38-20 en route to capturing the Vikings' first-ever PCSC title and NCAA Regional bid. The Vikings had five 30-win seasons on the NCAA Division II level, going 41-14 in 1990, 43-9 in 1991, 40-14 in 1992, 42-20 in 1996 and 37-16 in 1997.
CLASS OF 2008: Portland State has three seniors on its 2008 roster. The Vikings honored their senior trio prior to the start of last Sunday's doubleheader against Loyola Marymount ? RHP Meghan Gendron (Gresham, OR/Gresham HS/Mt. Hood CC), RHP Mandy Hill (Battle Ground, WA/Battle Ground HS) and OF/IF Shannon Stacy (Eugene, OR/Marist HS). Gendron transferred to Portland State for her senior year after playing the two previous seasons at Mt. Hood C.C. Hill and Stacy have been a part of the Viking program for the past four years, helping Portland State to 104 wins over that span, entering the weekend. The pair has also helped the Vikings to a 43-31 (.581 winning pct.) PCSC mark, including the programs' first-ever PCSC title and NCAA Division I Regional berth in 2006.
THE FRIENDLY CONFINES: Portland State's 2-0 win over Loyola Marymount in game one of last Sunday's doubleheader marked the Vikings' 14th home win of the year, to tie the school season record for home wins. The 2006 team set the record going a perfect 14-0 at Erv Lind Stadium. Under third-year head coach Amy Hayes, the Vikings are 37-12 (.755 winning pct.) at home, including 25-6 (.806 winning pct.) in PCSC home games. Overall, Portland State has posted a 40-16 (.714 winning pct.) in PCSC home games at Erv Lind Stadium, since the conference started play in 2003.
“IRON LADY”: JR 1B Jana Rae Slayton (Mt. Vernon, WA/Mt. Vernon HS) enters Wednesday's game at Oregon having started all 167 of Portland State's games during her career.
PCSC NOTES: The Vikings are one win shy of securing a fifth season with at least a .500 record in the six seasons since the PCSC started play in 2003 ... Portland State is 63-49 (.563 winning pct.) all-time in PCSC games, since the league started play in 2003 ... The Vikings are 40-16 (.714 winning pct.) in home PCSC games, and 23-33 (.411 winning pct.) on the road ... Portland State is 12-8-9 (.569 winning pct.) all-time in PCSC series ... The Vikings are 1-1-2 in PCSC series this season, sweeping San Diego, April 5-6, and losing 3-of-4 at Sacramento State, April 12-13, and splitting four-game series with Saint Mary's, April 19-20, and Loyola Marymount, April 26-27, in Portland ... The Vikings are 7-4-3 (.607 winning pct.) in PCSC series under head coach Amy Hayes.
HITTING NOTES: The Vikings' 62 doubles this season sets a new Portland State season record, surpassing the previous mark of 60 set by the 1996 and 2007 teams ... Portland State is 28 hits shy of tying the mark for the most hits in a season on the NCAA Division I level with 401, set in 2006 ... The Vikings are one run shy of reaching the 200-mark for the second time in the program's Division I era (1999-present), 44 shy of Portland State's Division I high of 243 set in 2006 ... Portland State's 55 sacrifice bunts this season is 10 shy of the program's season record of 65 set in 1996 ... The Vikings have recorded 12 10-hit games this season and are 10-2 (.833 winning pct.) when recording at least 10 hits in a game ... Portland State will enter Wednesday's game at Oregon hitting .208 (64x309) over the last 12 games ... The Vikings have hit just one HR in their last 11 contests. JR 1B Jana Rae Slayton (Mt. Vernon, WA/Mt. Vernon HS) has the team's lone HR during that span, against Saint Mary's in game one of the doubleheader on April 20.
HEIDE, RAUCH TIED FOR PCSC LEAD IN RUNS SCORED: JR CF Jackie Heide (Salem, OR/West Salem HS) and JR 2B Jamee Rauch (Keizer, OR/McNary HS) enter the week tied for first in the PCSC in runs scored with 35, along with Sacramento State SR SS Amy Tompkins.
HEIDE LOOKS TO JOIN HILL IN EXCLUSIVE COMPANY: JR CF Jackie Heide (Salem, OR/West Salem HS) enters the week one HR shy of joining SR DP Mandy Hill (Battle Ground, WA/Battle Ground HS) in becoming the only players in school history to hit 20 career HRs. Heide currently has 19 career HRs to rank second on the school's career list. Hill ranks first on the Portland State career HR list with 31.
“WALK THIS WAY”: JR CF Jackie Heide (Salem, OR/West Salem HS) enters the week currently tied for second place on the Portland State career list for walks with 59, along with Michele Hughes (1988-91). Heide is nine walks shy of tying the school career record of 68 set by Kimi Daniel (2004-07).
FOR THE GOOD OF THE TEAM: FR SS Arielle Wiser (Battle Ground, WA/Battle Ground HS) was credited with three sacrifice bunts in last weekend's series against Loyola Marymount to raise her season total to 21 and set a new school season record. Wiser's 21 sac bunts breaks the previous record of 18 set by Kira Enlow in 2004. Wiser's 21 sac bunts also leads the PCSC entering the week, four more than San Diego's Danielle Duhart.
PITCHING NOTES: JR RHP Mandy Hill (Battle Ground, WA/Battle Ground HS) entered the week having made a PCSC-leading 38 appearances in the circle ... Hill had 15 strikeouts in 16.0 IP against Loyola Marymount last weekend to raise her career total to 579, ranking second on the Portland State career chart ... FR RHP Nichole Latham (San Bernandino, CA/San Gorgonio HS) enters the week leading the PCSC for the fewest walks allowed with 41 ... The Vikings have held the opposition to less than 10 hits in 42-of-52 games this season, and are 24-18 (.571 winning pct.) when holding opponents to less than 10 hits ... Portland State has allowed less than 10 hits in eight of the last 10 games, entering the week, allowing an average of 6.8 hits per game during that span.
HILL TIES SAVE MARK: SR RHP Mandy Hill (Battle Ground, WA/Battle Ground HS) recorded her second save of the season ? and of her career ? in the 6-5 win over Saint Mary's in the series finale on April 20 (2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO). The two saves ties the Portland State season record, set 10 times previously, most recently by Michelle Hext (2003-2006) in 2006. The two saves are tied for second in the PCSC and tied for sixth on the school's career list. The Portland State career record for saves is five set by Morgan Seibert (2000-03).
FIELDING NOTES: The Vikings enter the week leading the PCSC in fielding pct., at .970, which is on pace to break the school season fielding pct., record of .968 set in 2006 ... Portland State recorded its 20th errorless game of the season in game one of last Sunday's twinbill versus Loyola Marymount, equaling the Vikings' season total in 57 games last season ... Portland State reached its 20th errorless game in the 51st game this season. Portland State is 9-11 (.450 winning pct.) when not recordng an error in a game ... Portland State had a season-long streak of four straight errroless games from March 2-7 and April 5-12.
