SACRAMENTO -- The Big Sky Conference announced its softball preseason all-conference team, and results from the preseason coaches poll.
Four Hornets were represented on the preseason all-league team, comprised of catcher
Katie Marsh, third baseman
Madison Evers-Lyles, outfielder
Lafulafu Malepeai, and pitcher
Alexa Ortiz. This is the first year the Big Sky has announced a preseason all-conference team for softball.
In addition, Sacramento State was selected third in the Big Sky's preseason coaches poll. Since the first year of Big Sky softball in 2013, the Hornets have now been picked third or higher in all but one season.
The Hornets are coming off a 2025 season in which the team went 27-23 overall and 10-5 in the Big Sky (2nd place). The Hornets have finished first or second place each of the last four season. The program returns 19 players from a year ago, including five pitchers and eight positional starters. The Hornets welcome five newcomers to the program.
Idaho State, which won last year's regular season title, was selected first in the poll with 25 points (five first place votes), followed by Big Sky Tournament champion Weber State with 19 points. The Hornets, who received a first place vote, were picked third with 18 points, followed by Northern Colorado (14), Portland State (9) and Montana (5) in the six-team league.
MADISON EVERS-LYLES
• Sophomore third baseman entering second season with the Hornets
• Named the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year last season - first Hornet in program history to accomplish the feat
• Also named second team all-Big Sky
• Played in 46 games, including 36 starts (35 at third base, one at designated player)
• Hit .378 (45-for-119) with 29 runs, 10 doubles, 11 home runs, 39 RBIs, a .739 slugging percentage and .402 on-base percentage
• Her .739 slugging percentage is tied for the third best single-season mark in school history
• Became just the third freshman in program history to hit 10 homers in a season (Suzy Brookshire and Mo Spieth in 2017)
• Became first player in school history to homer twice in the same inning in a win at Montana
LAFULAFU MALEPEAI
• Senior outfielder entering her third season with the Hornets
• Named the Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year last season - first Hornet in program history to accomplish the feat
• Also named second team all-Big Sky
• Started all 48 games in which she appeared (44 in left field, four in right field)
• Hit .382 (52-for-136), the highest mark among Hornet regulars
• Also had 38 runs, seven doubles, seven homers, 28 RBIs, a .603 slugging percentage, .469 on-base percentage, 1.072 ops, and was 14-for-15 in stolen base attempts
• Ranked among the Big Sky's top 10 players in seven different offensive categories
KATIE MARSH
• Senior catcher entering her fourth season with the Hornets
• A second team all-Big Sky Conference selection a year ago
• Started all 49 games in which she appeared (39 at catcher, 4 in right field, 3 in left field, 3 at designated player)
• Hit .331 (46-for-139) with 43 runs, 15 doubles, 18 walks, nine home runs, 31 RBIs, a .647 slugging percentage, .431 on-base percentage, and was 11-for-14 in stolen base attempts
• Ranked second on the team with 16 multiple-hit games, and 10 multiple-RBI games
• Named Big Sky Player of the Week twice (first week of season, and last week of the season)
ALEXA ORTIZ
• Junior pitcher entering her second season with the Hornets
• Honorable mention all-Big Sky Conference selection a year ago
• A very valuable part of the staff, Ortiz made a team-high 28 appearances in relief
• In 32 appearances (four starts), Ortiz won six games with a 3.18 ERA to go with 64 strikeouts in 72.2 innings
• Was nearly untouchable in Big Sky play, going 2-1 with two saves and a 0.36 ERA
• In 19.2 innings in league play, she allowed just one earned run while striking out 22 and yielding a .151 opponent batting average
