PREVIEW
• Winners of four straight, and 13 of the last 17 games, Sacramento State (26-21, 10-5) will compete in the six-team Big Sky Conference Tournament, which takes place May 6-9 in Greeley, Colo.
• Northern Colorado is hosting this year's event by virtue of winning last year's regular season title.
• Idaho State (34-15, 13-2) is the No. 1 seed at this year's event after winning the regular season title, and joins Sacramento State (No. 2 seed) as the two teams that receive a first round bye.
• This year's tournament, which is a double elimination format, features four games on Tuesday, three on Wednesday, two more on Thursday, and the championship game on Friday. There is a chance two games are played on Friday if necessary.
• Every game of the tournament will be streamed on ESPN+. Live stats will also be provided.
• The Hornets earned the No. 2 seed at the tournament after sweeping three games at Montana in the final week to move past No. 3 seed Weber State (22-29, 8-7). Northern Colorado (16-28, 7-7) is the No. 4 seed, followed by No. 5 Portland State (12-37, 5-9) and No. 6 Montana (8-40, 1-14).
• Sacramento State will play the final game of the day on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. PT against the winner of the Weber State/Montana game (played at 12:30 p.m. PT). Should the Hornets win that 5:30 game, they would play Wednesday at 3 p.m. PT.
• All six teams in the league qualify for the Big Sky Tournament, and the winner earns the conference's automatic berth to NCAA Regionals. Sacramento State last won the Big Sky Tournament title and qualified for NCAA Regionals in 2018.
• The Hornets won this years' three-game series against Northern Colorado (3-0), Montana (3-0) and Portland State (2-1), but lost to Idaho State (1-2) and Weber State (1-2). The Hornets were one of just two teams (Portland State is the other) to knock off Idaho State in a conference game.
• This marks the 13th year of the Big Sky Tournament, and the Hornets have been the No. 3 seed or higher on 10 of those occasions (2014-18, 2021-25). Sacramento State, however, has won the Big Sky Tourney title just once (2018), with championship game appearances in 2022 and 2018.
• A win on Tuesday, and a victory on Wednesday would automatically place the Hornets into Friday's championship game where they would have to be defeated twice. That is Sacramento State's quickest route to a title. The two teams with byes (Hornets and Idaho State) could go 3-0 to win the event.
• The championship game will take place on Friday at 11 a.m. PT. There is a chance another game would need to be played, and that would take place at 1:30 p.m. PT if necessary.
• Sacramento State will be seeking its second Big Sky Tourney title (2018) since the league began sponsoring softball in 2013. The Hornets will also be attempting to secure their fifth NCAA Regional appearance since joining the Div. I ranks in 1990. The 2018, 2008, 1995 and 1993 teams all qualified.
• The tourney host has won the Big Sky Tournament just twice (Weber State did in 2016 and 2022). Big Sky Tourney championships - Northern Colorado (2024, 2023), 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, Weber State from 2021-23, and Idaho State in 2024. There was no tourney in 2020.
• Of this year's tournament field, only Idaho State has yet to win a Big Sky Tournament championship.
• Sacramento State is 13-20 at the Big Sky Tournament. SAC's tourney records vs. the league's teams: 2-6 vs. Idaho State, 4-2 vs. Montana, 1-5 vs. Weber State, 2-3 vs. Northern Colorado, 1-2 vs. Portland State.
• Sacramento State has won its first game of the tournament just twice - 2018, 2022. The Hornets are 2-9 in their opening game at the Big Sky Tourney.
• The Hornets have never won more than two games at the tournament. Sacramento State was 2-0 and crowned champions at the 2018 tournament which was shortened because of rain.
• Hornets on fire: The Hornets have won four straight, and over that stretch, are hitting .466 (55-for-118) with 14 doubles, 15 homers, 45 RBIs, a 1.000 slugging% and .511 on-base%. The pitching staff has a 2.33 ERA during that stretch while limiting the opposition to a .260 batting average.
• A number of Hornets are entering the Big Sky Tourney with hitting streaks, including Lafulafu Malepeai (9), Faith Epperson (5), Katie Marsh (5), Shannon Garcia (4), Caroline Evans (4) and Alexa Carino (4).
• Head coach Lori Perez recently won her 300th game, and currently has 304 victories.