PREVIEW
• After 28 non-league games, Sacramento State (13-15) will finally begin Big Sky Conference play this week when its hosts Idaho State (19-12, 0-0). The Hornets and Bengals will play a three-game series on Friday and Saturday at Shea Stadium. The teams will play a doubleheader on Friday at noon, followed by a single game on Saturday at noon.
• Idaho State was selected second in the Big Sky preseason coaches poll while the Hornets were picked fourth. Thus far, the Bengals and Hornets have been the top two teams in the league as their overall records are easily the best in the six-member Big Sky.
• Sacramento State is 6-8 at home this season, a rare sight to see the Hornets below the .500 mark at Shea Stadium. The team was swept in a three-game home series by Loyola Marymount last weekend.
• Idaho State has been a thorn in the side of the Hornets over the years, as the Bengals own a 29-14 record in the all-time series. That included a sweep of Sacramento State at Shea Stadium to close the 2023 Big Sky regular season. The teams did not play last season (rain).
• All three games of the series, and every Big Sky Conference game this season, will stream on ESPN+. Will Schilling, the Hornets' longtime play-by-play voice, will be on this week's call.
• The Hornets are a combined 112-66 in Big Sky Conference play during
Lori Perez's head coaching tenure. That includes conference championships in 2018 and 2023. In 2023, the Hornets and Idaho State shared the Big Sky regular season title.
• Each team in the Big Sky plays five three-game series in conference play. Sacramento State will play three of those series at home (Idaho State, Northern Colorado, Weber State), and two series on the road (Portland State, Montana). The Big Sky Tournament is May 6-9 in Greeley, Colo.
• This week's matchup features the top hitting team in the Big Sky (Sacramento State) vs. the top pitching team (Idaho State).
• Sacramento State easily leads the Big Sky in batting average (.313), but Idaho State has pop. The Hornet' 35 home runs rank 38th in the nation, but Idaho State is just one homer behind with 34 round trippers (41st in the nation).
• Idaho State's 3.96 ERA is the top mark in the Big Sky, and the team has a staff of four starters. The top two pitchers have been Kasey Aguinaga (9-5, 3.13) and Lizzy Tommasini (4-4, 3.32).
• Hornet staff ace
Caroline Evans (4-4, 3.26) has been limited to 58.0 innings as she has been battling a nagging injury the last few weeks. She currently has a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (61 strikeouts, 20 walks). What will be interesting is who the Hornets will use as their No. 2 starter.
• Sacramento State has four players ranking among the Big Sky's top 10 in home runs, comprised of
Madison Evers-Lyles (T-3rd, 6),
Andrea Lira (T-3rd, 6),
Katie Marsh (T-8th, 5) and
Nikki Barboza (T-8th, 5). Idaho State's Ava Brown easily leads all players with 12 home runs.
• Evers-Lyles had her 13-game hitting streak snapped in Sunday's loss to Loyola Marymount. That was the longest by a Hornet this season. Lira currently has a nine-game hitting streak (also had an eight-gamer to begin the season), and has hit safely in 23 of 28 games.
• Players in their first active seasons with the Hornets who are currently starting include Evers-Lyles (.396, 6 HR),
Lafulafu Malepeai (.348, 9 SB),
Shannon Garcia (.317, 9 XBH) and
Alexa Carino (.297, 10 RBI in 37 at-bats).
Addy Buckley (.286) has also started games recently.
• When Carino isn't starting, she has been the team's best pinch hitter, batting .385 (5-for-13) in pinch hit situations with a double, homer and eight RBIs.
• Sacramento State is 41-for-47 in stolen base attempts, and is inching closer to the program record of 53 stolen bases, set in 2019.
• Speaking of stolen bases,
Gwen Ludwig needs one stolen base to become the program's all-time leader in career steals. She is tied with
Haley Hanson (2020-24) with 43 career bags.
• The Hornets are hitting .326 with runners in scoring position, led by Evans (.471), Marsh (.462), Carino (.462), Lira (.455) and Evers-Lyles (.438).
