PREVIEW
• With just six Big Sky Conference games left in the season, Sacramento State (23-14, 7-2) will play a huge three-game series this week on the road at Portland State (15-19, 6-3).
• The Hornets and Vikings will play a doubleheader Friday at 1 p.m., followed by a single game on Saturday at noon. All three games will air on ESPN+.
• Sacramento State and Portland State are the only two teams in the six-member Big Sky to win all three of their conference series thus far. The Vikings have gone 2-1 against Montana, Weber State and Idaho State. Sacramento State has gone 2-1 against Northern Colorado and Weber State, and 3-0 vs. Montana.
• The Hornets sit one game ahead of Portland State in the Big Sky standings, and whoever wins this weekend's series will control their own destiny to win the Big Sky's regular season title.
• Should Sacramento State go 2-1 this weekend, it would take a two-game lead over Portland State and own the tiebreaker in case of a tie. Idaho State (3-3) is still lurking in third place, and has nine conference games remaining.
• If Portland State goes 2-1, it would tie the Hornets for first in the Big Sky standings, and the Vikings would own the tiebreakers should the two teams finish tied atop the standings. PSU's final Big Sky series is next week at Northern Colorado, while the Hornets host Idaho State next week.
• Should the Hornets win three games at Portland State, it could mathematically clinch the regular season title depending on what Idaho State does this week at home vs. Montana.
• Sacramento State is 55-28 all-time against Portland State, which includes taking two of three vs. the Vikings last season at home.
• The Vikings swept the Hornets in Portland in 2021. In fact, there isn't a Hornet on the current roster that has won a game vs. the Vikings in Portland. Sacramento State's last win at Portland State came in a 4-2 outcome on May 6, 2018.
• The Hornets easily rank atop the Big Sky with a 2.74 team ERA, and a Sacramento State hurler has earned Big Sky Pitcher of the Week honors a conference-record eight consective weeks. In nine conference games, the Hornets' pitching staff owns a 1.11 ERA.
• In addition, on Monday, right-hander Marissa Bertuccio earned her Big Sky single-season record sixth Big Sky Pitcher of the Week award. She now has won 16 weekly accolades during her career, an ongoing Big Sky record.
• Speaking of Bertuccio, she is making a strong push to win her second straight Big Sky Pitcher of the Year award. She is currently 13-6 with a 1.61 ERA and a 5.62-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio. That ratio is 33rd best in the nation. In Big Sky play, she has been nearly unhitable with a 5-0 record, 0.39 ERA and .200 opponent batting average.
• Sacramento State (21 points) and Weber State (21 points) were selected as co-favorites in the Big Sky preseason coaches poll, while Portland State was picked third with 20 points.
• Portland State is the Big Sky's top scoring team (44th in the nation) with 5.47 runs per game, and the Vikings' .388 on-base percetnage is 34th in the country. In fact, the Vikings have scored double figures in runs in two straight, and three of the last six games. In addition, the team's .306 batting average is tops in the Big Sky, and 32nd in the country.
• Lewa Day (43) is one home run shy of the Sacramento State career record for most home runs - 44 set by Suzy Brookshire. Day's 43 homers are also the fourth best mark in Big Sky history. This season, Day leads the Hornets in multiple categories, incluing average (.339), slugging percentage (.615), RBIs (33), walks (15), home runs (7), doubles (7) and hits (37).
• Sacramento State is 102-59 in league play during head coach Lori Perez's tenure. That included a second place finish a year ago and an appearance in the Big Sky championship game. Perez is the second winningest coach in Big Sky history, behind Weber State's Mary Kay Amicone.
• Seven Hornet regulars are hitting .300 overall - Day (.339), Gwen Ludwig (.336), Katie Marsh (.329), Carley Morfey (.324), Rylee Gresham (.318), Leandra Coronado (.317) and Jada Walker (.306).