PREVIEW
• Sacramento State opens the 2026 season with a Thursday matchup at UC Davis (2 p.m.), followed by co-hosting the NorCal Kickoff Friday through Sunday. Both the Hornets and Aggies are hosting games each of the three days.
• The tournament field that will play at Shea Stadium consists of Sacramento State, Colorado State, Cal Poly, Saint Mary's and San Diego.
• Sacramento State will host three games on both Friday and Saturday, and two games on Sunday. The Hornets play four times during the tournament, including twice on Saturday, and once on both Friday and Sunday.
• This week marks the season openers for every team in the NCAA Div. I ranks.
• Friday: Colorado State vs. Cal Poly at 9:30 a.m.; Colorado State vs. Saint Mary's at noon; Hornets vs. Saint Mary's at 2:30 p.m. Saturday: Cal Poly vs. Saint Mary's at 9:30 a.m.; Hornets vs. Saint Mary's at noon; Hornets vs. Cal Poly at 2:30 p.m. Sunday: Hornets vs. Colorado State at 9:30 a.m.; San Diego vs. Cal Poly at noon.
• Live stats will be available for all eight games at Shea Stadium. Three games will stream on ESPN+ with eighth-year play-by-play voice Will Schilling on the call, including the Hornets' games vs. Saint Mary's on Friday and Saturday, and their game Sunday vs. Colorado State. The game against Cal Poly 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 23 home games, 20 are scheduled to have a video stream. 
• Sacramento State finished last season with a 27-23 overall record and 10-5 mark in the Big Sky Conference. The Hornets finished in second place in the league standings.
• The Hornets were picked to finish third in this year's Big Sky preseason coaches poll, and four players - third baseman Madison Evers-Lyles, outfielder Lafulafu Malepeai, catcher Katie Marsh, and pitcher Alexa Ortiz - were named to the preseason all-conference team.
• Since Lori Perez became head coach in 2014, the Hornets are 122-71 in Big Sky play.
• In the Big Sky preseason coaches poll, last year's regular season champion Idaho State was selected first, followed by defending Big Sky Tournament champion Weber State in second, Sacramento State, Northern Colorado, Portland State and Montana, respectively.
• Since the first year of Big Sky softball in 2013, the Hornets have been picked third or higher in the preseason coaches poll all but one season.
• Sacramento State returns 19 players from a year ago, including five pitchers and eight positional starters. The Hornets welcome five newcomers to the program.
• The team's roster is made up of seven seniors, five juniors, nine sophomores and three freshmen.
• The Hornets have finished first or second in the Big Sky standings each of the last four seasons, and have been a top three team in 10 of the 12 seasons the Big Sky has sponsored softball.
• Sacramento State's coaching staff remains the same from a season ago - head coach Lori Perez, associate head coach Vicky Rios, and assistant coaches Marina Demore and Lewa Day.
• Returning all-Big Sky performers include Madison Evers-Lyles (2nd Team, Big Sky Freshman of the Year), Lafulafu Malepeai (2nd Team, Big Sky Newcomer of the Year), Shannon Garcia (2nd Team), Andrea Lira (2nd Team), Kennedie Bacon (2nd Team), Katie Marsh (2nd Team), Jenna Birch (Honorable Mention), Alexa Carino (Honorable Mention) and Alexa Ortiz (2nd Team).
• Three Hornets will carry lengthy hitting streaks into the season in Lafulafu Malepeai (12 games), Katie Marsh (8 games) and Andrea Lira (6 games).
• Sacramento State begins its 37th season as a Div. I program (1990-pres.), and final season in the Big Sky. The Hornets will join the Big West next season.