Bliss comes home to Portland State

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Oregon native Lauran Bliss was a high school student with a dream of going to college anywhere but in the state, but after a quick stint at Texas Tech University the catcher quickly decided that home was where she wanted to be, after all. Now midway through her first season with the Vikings, the freshman has come into her own, already among the Big Sky leaders in several catching categories and a regular starter for the team this year.

Bliss grew up in Keizer, Ore., where she got an early start on the field. Though she was interested in other sports as a child, Bliss ultimately settled on softball. It took some effort to convince her father, but she has never looked back.

“When I was younger, I tried every sport that there is,” Bliss said. “Then, when I was in third grade, I told my dad I wanted to play softball…he didn’t believe me because I had quit every other sport, but he said OK, and I have been playing ever since.”

Starting out as a pitcher, Bliss laughs when she remembers telling her father that it was too difficult and that catching seemed easier. She certainly makes the position look easy.

Bliss is currently ranked second in the Big Sky for players caught stealing, with nine so far this year. She has started in all nine of Portland State’s conference games in 2013, consistently coming through with crucial defensive plays for the Vikings. Her success hasn’t just come behind the plate, either—Bliss is third on the team with a .292 batting average.

In the first two games against the Weber State University Wildcats on March 29, Bliss showcased her ability on offense and defense, throwing out two Weber State runners in the first game and slamming her third home run of the season in the second. Head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk is thrilled with her early progress.

“[Bliss] has come on strong for us,” Echo-Hawk said. “She’s added a different element to our team that we haven’t had in the past, and she’s capable of changing the game both behind the plate and up to bat.”

Aside from the hard work she puts in, Bliss says that her development as a player has been sparked by the chance to play with teammates who truly embody the team spirit and who support one other.

“I didn’t think I would adjust as quickly,” she said. “I thought it would be a little bit of a bigger struggle. At Texas Tech I would be afraid to make mistakes, so I wouldn’t take a lot of chances, but on this team I can be myself and they have confidence in me.”

Bliss also attributes her success at Portland State to the respect and understanding between the coaching staff and the team. Because PSU is a smaller Division I program, the coaches get to know their players better, establishing relationships and earning the players’ respect.

Off the field, Bliss is very close to her family, which was part of the reason for her decision to return to Oregon. She says that her father is her biggest motivator, and that he and her grandmother have attended nearly all of her games.

The freshman also has high aspirations academically, with plans to attend law school after her time at Portland State. For now, she focuses on balancing the demands of being a student athlete and working on her degree in criminal justice. Though Oregon wasn’t where she expected to end up, Bliss says that she couldn’t be happier with her decision to return to her home state, and that it’s her teammates who have made the transition possible.

“This is the most fun I have had playing on a softball team,” she said. “I love this team—I tell people that all the time. Immediately when I came in my teammates were welcoming. We have such great team chemistry, and the way the girls treat you is—for me—the best feeling ever.”