PREVIEW
• Sacramento State (27-18, 10-5) will compete in the six-team Big Sky Conference Tournament. The postseason event will take place May 10-13 at Wildcat Softball Field in Ogden, Utah.
• The tournament, which is a double elimination format, features four games on Wednesday, three on Thursday, two more on Friday, and the championship game on Saturday. There is a chance two games are played on Saturday if necessary.
• Every game of the tournament will be streamed on ESPN+. Live stats will also be provided.
• The Hornets, who finished the regular season as Big Sky co-champions with Idaho State, earned the No. 2 seed and a first round bye. Sacramento State will play in the second round on Wednesday at 4 p.m. PT against the winner of No. 3 Northern Colorado/No. 6 Montana.
• All six teams in the league qualify for the Big Sky Tournament, and the winner will earn the conference's automatic berth to NCAA Regionals. Sacramento State last won the Big Sky Tournament title and qualified for NCAA Regionals in 2018.
• Seeds for this year's tournament are as follows with conference records: No. 1 Idaho State (10-5), No. 2 Sacramento State (10-5), No. 3 Northern Colorado (9-6), No. 4 Portland State (6-9), No. 5 Weber State (6-9) and No. 6 Montana (4-11).
• The Hornets were 10-2 in league, and needed to win just one home game during their three-game set with Idaho State to close the Big Sky regular season. However, the Bengals swept the series, and would later take two of three at Weber State, to tie Sacramento State in the conference standings.
• Sacramento State remains the only team in the conference that has qualified for every Big Sky Tournament since the league began sponsoring softball in 2013. And the Hornets have been the No. 3 seed or higher eight times (2014-18, 2021-23).
• The Hornets played five Big Sky three-game series this season, and won four of them. The only series they did not win came against Idaho State.
• Hornets' records this year against the tourney field: Idaho State (0-3), Portland State (3-0), Northern Colorado (2-1), Montana (3-0) and Weber State (2-1).
• Should Sacramento State win its game on Wednesday, it would play again on Thursday at 4 p.m. PT against Idaho State, Portland State or Weber State. A loss on Wednesday, and the Hornets would play Thursday at 1:30 p.m. PT.
• The quickest way for the Hornets to win the Big Sky Tournament would be to win three straight games, which would mean one game on Wednesday, one on Thursday, and one on Saturday. Only the top two seeds (Idaho State and Sacramento State) have that potential three-game title route.
• The championship game will take place on Saturday at noon PT. There is a chance another game would need to be played, and that would take place at 2:30 p.m. PT if necessary.
• Sacramento State will be seeking its second Big Sky title (2018) since the league began sponsoring softball in 2013. The Hornets will also be attempting to secure their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance since joining the Div. I ranks in 1990. The 2018, 2008, 1995 and 1993 teams all qualified.
• Amazingly, the host of the tournament has won the Big Sky's postseason event just twice (Weber State did in 2016 and 2022). Big Sky Tourney championships - Weber State (2022, 2019, 2016, 2015), Portland State (2021, 2013), Sacramento State (2018), Montana (2017), and Southern Utah (2014).
• Idaho State hosted the first three years (2013-15), Weber State hosted the next three (2016-18), Sacramento State in 2019, and Weber State from 2021-23. The Big Sky Tournament was not played in 2020 because of the pandemic.
• Of this year's tournament field, only Northern Colorado and Idaho State have yet to win a Big Sky Tournament championship. Each of the other four teams have claimed at least one title.
• Sacramento State is 13-16 all-time in Big Sky Tournament play, including 2-2 at the 2022 tourney.
• Hornets' all-time Big Sky Tournament records vs. the league's teams: 2-6 vs. Idaho State, 4-2 vs. Montana, 1-4 vs. Weber State, 2-1 vs. Northern Colorado, and 1-1 vs. Portland State.
• Big Sky awards - Marissa Bertuccio was named Big Sky Pitcher of the Year for the 2nd straight season. Bertuccio, Lewa Day and Caroline Evans named to the first team. Gwen Ludwig, Carley Morfey and Jada Walker named second team. Leandra Coronado, Katie Marsh and Samantha Parish honorable mention.