• Sacramento State (26-15, 5-4) embarks upon its biggest week of the season. The Hornets travel to Pocatello for a three-game Big Sky Conference series at Idaho State (30-16, 6-3). The teams will play a doubleheader Friday at 1 p.m. PT, followed by a single game Saturday at 11 a.m. PT.
• Only six Big Sky games remain in the regular season, and Idaho State currently sits atop the conference with its 6-3 record. Sacramento State is locked in a three-way tie for second place (all with 5-4 records), including Northern Colorado and Montana. Earlier this season, the Hornets dropped two of three at Northern Colorado, and this past week, won two of three over Montana at home.
• The winner of the Big Sky's regular season title receives the No. 1 seed at the Big Sky Tournament (May 4-7 in Pocatello), and the right to host next year's postseason event. Should the Hornets win this year's regular season title, they would not host next year's tournament as Sacramento State is joining the Big West Conference.
• Like all games played at a Big Sky venue, all three games of the series will be streamed on ESPN+.
• Idaho State is 15-4 at home, and took two of three game in home series against Portland State and Weber State earlier this year. The Bengals defeated Boise State, 5-3, at home on Tuesday.
• The Hornets are 14-7 away from home, but 5-6 when playing on an opponent's home field in a true road game. That includes taking two of three in its most recent road games at Weber State on April 3-4. With an elevation of 4,462 feet above sea level, Pocatello will be the third straight road trip where the Hornets will play at elevation (Greeley, Colo., and Ogden, Utah).
• Surprisingly, there have been zero canceled games to weather in Big Sky play this season. Only two games separate the top five teams as Weber State sits in fifth with a 4-5 record. Somehow, the Hornets were able to play all three of their home games vs. Montana despite rain on both Friday and Saturday. The teams did sit through a one hour, 27 minute rain delay in Game 1.
• Sacramento State is 15-31 all-time against Idaho State, and the Bengals have won five of the last seven matchups in the series. ISU won two of three games in Sacramento a year ago. 
• The Hornets are 7-12 when playing in Pocatello, but have won three of the last four at Miller Ranch Stadium. That includes a 6-5 win at the 2024 Big Sky Tournament, and taking two of three games in 2022. Prior to 2022, the Hornets had dropped five straight on the road at Idaho State.
• On Monday, shortstop Madi Mendoza was named the Big Sky Player of the Week after hitting .727 (8-for-11) with eight runs and four extra base hits in the Montana series. She had multiple hits, and scored multiple runs in each game.
• Sacramento State's pitching staff is 22nd in the nation with a 2.77 ERA. Of the six pitchers on staff, four have ERA's below a 3.00, and all six have a winning record. That includes Alexa Ortiz (9-7, 2.77 ERA), Kennedie Bacon (8-5, 2.91) and Danyelle Leone (4-2, 2.07). However, the Hornets have not been as good in Big Sky play as the staff has a 4.54 ERA against conference competition.
• Lafulafu Malepeai, who leads the Big Sky in slugging percentage (.835), OPS (1.354), home runs (15), RBIs (41) and walks (28), was recently selected to compete for a spot for the first-ever American Samoa National Team. She was invited to the team's training camp in late May. If selected, Malepeai and the team will compete for one of six spots at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
• Three Hornets are currently riding lengthy hitting streaks, including Malepeai (14 games), Madison Evers-Lyles (6) and Saskia Raab (14). Malepeai's career-high streak is 16 games, which she accomplished during the final 12 games of last season, and first four games this year.
• Malepeai's 15 homers are three shy of the school record (18), set by Suzy Brookshire in 2018.
• Of the season's 10 weeks, a Sacramento State pitcher has earned Big Sky Pitcher of the Week honors five times, including four from Ortiz, and one from Bacon.
• The Hornets are playing without three middle of the lineup players (injury) in catcher Katie Marsh, outfielder Andrea Lira, and first baseman Alexa Carino.
• Hornets are 14th in the nation in sacrifices with 33. Mendoza has nine of those sacrifices.
• Hornets are 24-4 when scoring at least three runs, and 18-2 when scoring first.