Krogh controls Vikings’ offense

Senior softball player Jenna Krogh transferred to Portland State looking to rediscover her passion for softball, and after two years in the green and white she has done just that. After breaking out in her junior season, the center fielder slipped out of her star performance in the start of her senior year. But Krogh is a player that knows how to overcome obstacles, and now at the end of her career the center fielder is back on top after helping her team to a Pacific Coast Softball Conference Division title. Krogh will take her playing abilities to the field this weekend for the championship game.

“We wouldn’t be in the position we are in without her performance this year,” head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk said.

Krogh currently leads the Vikings with 14 runs and ranks second in batting average with .344. After some games without runs early in the season, the center fielder completed an impressive six runs in her final regular series against Weber State. As a lead-off hitter, Krogh has the job of starting the offense off to a successful inning.

“I definitely got off to a not-so-great start in the beginning,” Krogh said. “I struggled a lot at the plate, so I think building confidence back up in myself and taking what I did last year and using that to build my confidence has been great…it’s good to get to where I was and to keep performing at a high end.”

Echo-Hawk said that coaches are always looking to see how players will overcome challenges and that the extra time and effort Krogh has put in is exactly how any coach hopes a player will address obstacles.

“I think she came in with such high expectations for herself, it was like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, and I think sometimes she would get frustrated when she couldn’t live up to those expectations,” Echo-Hawk said. “But in the past few weeks she relaxed and just really relied on her abilities and she has really come out and performed at the high standard we know she is able.”

Last year, in her junior season, Krogh was named All-PCSC Mountain Division First Team and was the MVP of the PCSC Championship games. The center fielder also dominated in batting average with .398, the leading average for Vikings in their NCAA Division I legacy.

After transferring from Colorado State after her sophomore season, Krogh said Portland State has been a much better fit for her.

In every single way it has been beneficial for me…Coming here, the coaches are great the coaches believe in you as a person and they want you to succeed as a person,” Krogh said. “I have grown a lot as a person taking a negative experience and coming here and making it a positive experience and definitely kind of re-finding my passion for softball and completing something when there were many times I wanted to quit.”

The senior said she started softball after her parents signed her up for tee-ball as a young child. Krogh grew up with athletic parents and sticking with sports was always important. She said the combination of the individual and team sides of softball are what have kept her involved with the sport.

I like softball because it’s such a team sport; you need your team to win games, but it is also extremely individual,” Krogh said. “Taking that ground ball, catching that fly ball, going up to the plate, that’s all on you, but having a chance to get that win and to celebrate with your teammates and kind of leaning on your teammates when you’re not doing very well is why I like softball.”

Off the field, Krogh will complete her communication degree in the summer term and is open to career opportunities, possibly for an athletic company. She is also engaged to be married after she graduates.

Krogh said as a senior that the team making it to another championship series is huge, and she is excited to see how far the team can go this year.

Echo-Hawk said her expectations for Krogh this weekend are to keep pushing herself as a player.

I just want her to do what she has done all season for us, to be a strong lead-off hitter and to relax and get some runs in,” Echo-Hawk said.

Krogh and the rest of the Vikings head on the road for the four-game PCSC Championship Series against Coastal Division winner St. Marys. Details for the series can be found at goviks.com.