Seibert named conference Pitcher Of The Week
Portland State sophomore Morgan Seibert was named Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Pitcher of the Week Monday for her performance in last weekend’s University of San Diego Tournament.
Seibert pitched in four games, winning two, losing one and earning one save. She threw 20.2 innings, striking out 26 batters, allowing 12 hits and just one earned run for a 0.33 ERA.
The only loss came in Friday’s opener. Seibert was defeated 2-1 by Boston College, but struck out seven and allowed just one earned run. On Saturday, Seibert tossed a two-hit shutout, striking out 10 in a 1-0 win over Northern Iowa. Later that day, she picked up the final two outs in a 3-0 win over WAC opponent Tulsa to earn a save.
Seibert concluded the tournament on Sunday with a three-hit shutout of San Diego, winning 1-0. She struck out nine and walked just one. It was her second straight shutout and PSU’s third in a row – the most consecutive shutouts by the team since 1997.
For the season, Seibert is 4-7 with a 2.45 ERA. PSU is 5-12 this season, and will be off until a March 24 doubleheader at Stanford.
PSU takes fifth at Pilot Invitational
The Portland State men’s golf team climbed into fifth place in the last day of the Pilot Spring Invitational, led by sophomore Doug Nelson.
The Vikings shot 307-154-152-290 (903) in the 54-hole tournament. The first 27 holes were played at Columbia Edgewater Golf Club and the last 27 at Tri-Mountain Golf Club. Par was 71 at the 6,702-yard Edgewater and 72 at the 6,580-yard Tri-Mountain.
The University of Idaho won the tournament with a score of 882, 21 shots ahead of the Vikings. PSU outplayed Eastern Washington (7th), Idaho State (9th) and Weber State (11th) of the Big Sky Conference. Host Portland was eighth. PSU’s 290 final-round team score tied Idaho for the best of the tournament.
Nelson shot a four-over par 72-37-40-70 (219) to tie for sixth place, individually, with Erik Billinger of Denver. John Hulwick, also of Denver, shot a three-under 212 to win the tourney.
PSU’s Matt Logan tied for 14th after recording the best score of the final round. The junior from Portland shot 79-36-41-68 (224). Logan’s 68 was also a career-best round.
Also for the Vikings, Brodie Jordan placed 24th (228), Ben Guinta tied for 49th (239), and Michael O’Meara tied for 53rd (242). Portland State has had a week off heading into this weekend’s San Diego Invitational.
Viking athletics boosters announce structure change
Viking Backers pick up where the Viking Club left off. Scott Burns, president of the Portland State Athletics’ Viking Club, announced the dissolving of the Viking Club and the inception of the Viking Backers. Similar to the Viking Club, the Viking Backers consist of alumni, faculty, staff, students, fans and friends of Portland State University, with a mission to promote and further the development of men’s and women’s intercollegiate athletic programs at Portland State.
The Viking Backers will host several events for Viking fans each year and will play a key role in the Viking Athletic Fund Drive each May. The Viking Backers work directly with the Portland State Athletic Department. The former Viking Club Board voted unanimously to adopt the Viking Backer model, which was recommended by the NCAA. Scott Burns will serve as the first President of the Viking Backer Advisory Council, and they will continue providing dozens of scholarships for Portland State student-athletes each year.
“I’m excited that the new Viking Backers will be more responsive to the needs of the student-athlete and Athletic Department. We have streamlined our organization, maximizing the help that we provide to the Athletic Department through our efforts,” Burns said.