Vikings spring game
Portland State’s football team will play their spring game this Saturday at Gresham High School. The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. and admission is free. Portland State returns 43 letterwinners from its 2005 team that finished 6-5 (4-3 Big Sky) and played games at OSU and Boise State.
Saturday’s game will have an offense vs. defense format that will consist of two halves of approximately 35 plays each. The offense will score in traditional fashion, while the defense will earn points for three-and-out stops, series stops and forcing turnovers.
The Vikings return six starters each to both offense and defense, including senior quarterback Sawyer Smith, who came on strong towards the end of the 2005 season until he was sidelined by a broken thumb for the last game. Smith has fully recovered. The spring game will also mark the first action for new offensive coordinator Jeff Hoover.
Softball team faces must-win
The softball team faces a three-game series in which they must win each game to advance to the postseason. By losing four straight games to Sacramento State last weekend the Vikings are now in the unenviable position of playing a make-up series against Loyola Marymount to determine the Pacific Coast Softball Conference champ.
The LMU Lions are 29-21 on the year, including 9-8 in the PCSC. The Vikings have 12 conference wins and are still in the lead, even though Sac State is 14-6.
The series is set to start Friday afternoon with a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. at Erv Lind Stadium. The Vikings have been dominating this year, going 34-18, including 21-7 when phenom Mandy Hill pitches. The Viks will conclude their series Saturday morning at 11 a.m.