PREVIEW
• Sacramento State opens the 2025 season by co-hosting the NorCal Kickoff this Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 6-9. Both the Hornets and Aggies are hosting games all four days.
• The tournament field that will play at Shea Stadium consists of Sacramento State, Boise State, Saint Mary's, San Jose State and Utah Valley.
• Sacramento State will host one game Thursday, two games on Friday, three games Saturday, and two more on Sunday. The Hornets will play five times during the tournament, including twice on Saturday.
• Thursday: Sacramento State vs. Boise State at 2 p.m. Friday: Boise State vs. Saint Mary's at noon; Sacramento State vs. Saint Mary's at 2:30 p.m. Saturday: Utah Valley vs. Boise State at 9:30 a.m.; Sacramento State vs. Utah Valley at noon; Sacramento State vs. Boise State at 2:30 p.m. Sunday: Utah Valley vs. San Jose State at 9:30 a.m.; Sacramento State vs. San Jose State at noon.
• Live stats will be available for all eight games at Shea Stadium. Sacramento State's games on Thursday, Friday and Sunday will be streamed on ESPN+ with Will Schilling calling the action. Sacramento State's games on Saturday will not stream because of a scheduling conflict.
• Non-Sacramento State games during the tournament will not have a video stream.
• Multimedia links for all games can be found on the NorCal Kickoff home page at hornetsports.com. In addition, multimedia links for all Hornet games can be found next to each game on the softball schedule at hornetsports.com.
• ESPN+ will, once again, be the home for Sacramento State home games this season. Of the team's 27 home games, 23 are scheduled to have a video stream.
• This week will mark the season-opening games for every team in the tournament.
• Sacramento State finished last season with a 28-20 overall record and 7-4 mark in the Big Sky Conference. The Hornets finished in a tie for second in the final league standings.
• Since Lori Perez became head coach in 2014, the Hornets are 112-66 in Big Sky play.
• The Hornets were selected fourth in the Big Sky preseason coaches poll. Northern Colorado, last year's regular season and tournament champion, was selected first, followed by Idaho State, Portland State, Sacramento State, Weber State and Montana.
• The fourth place preseason selection is the lowest for the Hornets since the Big Sky's first year of softball in 2013.
• The prediction comes despite the Hornets finishing first or second place in the final standings each of the last three seasons. In addition, the Hornets have been a top three team in nine of the 11 seasons the Big Sky has sponsored softball.
• Over 50 percent of the Hornets' roster is brand new - 26 players (14 newcomers). The team's roster is made up of 16 underclassmen (10 freshmen, six sophomores) with just three seniors.
• Sacramento State returns five positional starters and two pitchers from a year ago. The Hornets will have to compensate for the losses of two-time Big Sky Pitcher of the Year Marissa Bertuccio and reigning Big Sky Player of the Year Lewa Day to graduation.
• Returning all-Big Sky performers include pitcher/first baseman Caroline Evans (1st Team), shortstop Gwen Ludwig (2nd Team) and infielder Malissa George (2nd Team). Also returning are starters Andrea Lira and Katie Marsh. The Hornets' three seniors are Evans, Ludwig and Nikki Barboza (10 starts a year ago). Team captains are Evans, George, Ludwig and Marsh.
• For the eighth straight season, Perez will be joined the dugout by associate head coach Vicky Rios. New to the coaching staff are assistant coaches Marina Demore and Day. It was Day who established herself as one of the greatest players in program history over the last five years. Demore will serve as the team's pitching coach. She spent the 2024 season as the interim head coach at Nevada, guiding the Wolf Pack to a 40-17 overall record, and 14-8 mark in the Mountain West.
• The NorCal Kickoff is one of two tournaments Sacramento State will host this season, including the Capital Classic on Feb. 26-March 1.
• Sacramento State begins its 36th season as a Div. I program (1990-pres.).