PORTLAND -- In a perfect world for Tobin Echo-Hawk, her Portland State softball squad would repeat as Pacific Coast Softball Conference champions. But, the Vikings, and the rest of us, don't live in a perfect world, and so as they prepare to start the 2010 season, Echo-Hawk and her players are dealing with questions as to how exactly they will repeat.
The first and most obvious question is this: How does Portland State replace four first team all-conference players, and five starters that have since graduated from last year's NCAA Tournament team?
For Echo-Hawk, it all starts with pitching. The Vikings certainly boast one of the best, if not the best, pitching staffs in the PCSC. And, the other 11 head coaches in the conference seem to agree as they recently voted the Vikings as the favorites to win it all this season.
"You look at our lineup and you're like, "how do you replace the people we did lose?" We lost five really great hitters in Jackie (Heide), Jaws (Jana Rae Slayton), Jamee (Rauch), Jenna (Wilson) and KW (Kristin Wilson), and because of that people are asking me how are we going to produce runs. But our returners have gotten better and our freshmen have a lot of potential. They (the freshmen) just have to maintain their composure and know that they are going to fail a little bit. How they react to that failure is whether or not they will succeed.
"Still, though, our pitching is going to lead the way. I think our staff as a whole is looking good, that's one through four. The good thing is they are all so different in terms of their strengths. If one is starting to let up a little bit, we can bring somebody else in that's completely different."
At the forefront of the pitching staff is junior Nichole Latham, the reigning PCSC Pitcher of the Year. Also back are second team all-conference pitcher Tori Rogers, and sophomore Kendra Suhr. The newcomer is freshman Anna Bertrand, who brings an impressive resume with her from McMinnville High School 60 minutes southwest of PSU's campus.
Along with her pitching staff, Echo-Hawk also sees the Vikings' speed as another big factor this year. She says this is the quickest team she's seen in her four years on the Park Blocks.
A year ago, Portland State racked up 54 stolen bases and Echo-Hawk says the Vikings will be just as aggressive this season.
"We are going to get on base, and when we get on base we are going to make something happen. It doesn't matter who is on base, the team has to be ready because we are going to steal or we are going to do something to move the runners.
"I think I'm more aggressive than most coaches. Sometimes that gets you into trouble, but sometimes it brings in runs. Until they can stop us from running, why not do it?"
With the loss of five big bats (all were either first or second team all-conference picks in 2009), fans will see some new faces in the lineup this spring. Three freshmen potentially could start, and in some key positions.
Freshman Danielle Lynn has nailed down the center field spot, while fellow frosh Carly McEachran will play the "hot corner" at third base. In left field, freshmen Sadie Lopez and Megan Wallo are competing with sophomore Alyssa Roblez for the right to start.
"The thing that is great about those people (the freshmen class) is their intensity and their confidence in themselves is not typical of most freshman. Even when they fail they will do whatever it takes to succeed. They aren't just going to quit. They are going to find a way to get better," Echo-Hawk said.
No matter who Echo-Hawk throws out there, she will be seeing players that she has helped bring in over the past four years. After two years as an assistant, Echo-Hawk is in her second year at the helm of the program. That means every player on the roster she has either helped recruit or recruited by herself.
Said Echo-Hawk: "The seniors and I have all been here the same amount of time. It's a good feeling and I feel like it really is becoming more my era. But at the same time it's not really about me. I'm just the person that puts them on the field."
If this is becoming the Tobin Echo-Hawk era at Portland State, then Viking fans have plenty to celebrate about and look forward to. In just one season she led the team to the conference title and to the school's second-ever NCAA Division I Tournament berth.
Now, will they do it again? The pieces seem to be there, thanks to Echo-Hawk's recruiting efforts. But, again, we don't live in a perfect world.
"In a perfect world, if we do everything that we need to do and stay healthy of course I can see us winning the PCSC," she said. "It's kind of a given that we are the most experienced team as far as being at this level and playing in this conference. So most people would think that we are supposed to be there. Yet, at the same time we still need to do what we have to do and play our game."
THE PITCHING STAFF
As previously mentioned, the Vikings' pitching staff will be the strength of the team this season. Latham and Tori Rogers are back to lead the way, and will be joined by Suhr and Bertrand.
Echo-Hawk knows she has unprecedented depth this spring and she plans to use every ounce of it. Even though all four pitchers are right-handers, each brings something different to the table, which will allow Echo-Hawk to keep opposing teams off-balance.
Latham is looked at as the ace of the staff. After leading the conference in innings pitched last season, Latham might not have to shoulder so much of the load in 2010.
Her screwball is one of the reasons she was the league leader in strikeouts, batters struck out looking and wins last year. Echo-Hawk says that when Latham throws that pitch inside to a batter, it's nearly unhittable.
Rogers burst onto the scene last year after transferring from New Mexico State. In her first appearance as a Viking she went out and threw a no-hitter against McNeese State as PSU won 10-0 in five innings. Just over a week later she pitched a complete-game against No. 16 DePaul, limiting the Blue Demons to four hits and one unearned run. The Vikings picked up an 8-1 victory in the game, but Rogers got some bad news following it.
While celebrating one of the Vikings' four home runs in the contest, Rogers jumped and landed in a small hole near home plate and broke her left foot. She finished the game against DePaul, but the injury kept her out of competition for over a month. She returned, though, to earn second team All-PCSC honors.
Rogers has a vast array of pitches to choose from, which makes her so good.
Suhr didn't see much action last season, but has impressed both her teammates and coaches in practices thus far. Echo-Hawk says Suhr's go-to pitch is her dropball, which can be untouchable when she's on.
While PSU fans haven't seen Bertrand in the circle yet, they do know about her accolades in high school. She was named the Oregon Class 6A Pitcher of the Year and the Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year as a senior at McMinnville High School.
Bertrand's best pitch may be her riseball, but she is also extremely confident in her changeup. According to Echo-Hawk, Bertrand will "throw it on any count at any time and to any hitter and make them look silly."
THE CATCHERS
Senior Brandi Scoggins is back for another year behind the dish, but Viking fans will also see a new face back there this season. Sophomore Lacey Holm sat out last season after transferring from North Carolina State and is expected to share innings with Scoggins.
Both players swing a big bat, so they'll be in the lineup one way or another. When Scoggins is catching, expect to see Holm as the designated player, and vice versa. Scoggins has a career .312 batting average, while Holm was one of the best offensive players in the state of Oregon as a junior and senior at Sprague High School in Salem.
The benefit of having two very capable catchers is that Scoggins won't have to catch the majority of the innings as she did last year. That will keep both players legs fresh for the 54-game season.
THE INFIELDERS
Echo-Hawk believes she has found her four starting infielders after losing Jana Rae Slayton (1B) and Jamee Rauch (3B) to graduation. Leading the way is two-year starter Arielle Wiser, a sophomore shortstop who excels offensively and defensively.
A quiet player who leads by example, Echo-Hawk says that Wiser has "kind of come out of her shell a little bit. She has matured as a player. She has always been good, but she has just gotten better, and smoother and more confident."
Wiser is a career .317 hitter and has started all but one game at shortstop over the past two seasons.
Senior De'Chauna Skinner has moved over from third base to first and provides solid defense. Her bat came around late in the season and she finished conference play with a .323 average.
Freshman Alexa Morales could also see time at first base and has vast potential offensively. Echo-Hawk says that Skinner has the lead right now, but whoever is producing at the plate will play.
Second base will be controlled by Becca Diede, who split time between second and the outfield last year after transferring from the junior college ranks.
"I think it says a lot about her that this is just her second year and she has already been voted as a team captain," said Echo-Hawk. "She is just consistent. You know what you are going to get with her everyday."
Another freshman, Carly McEachran. is set to start at third base. McEachran can swing the stick and also is very intense defensively. Echo-Hawk says that McEachran can cover a bunt like no one else she has seen here in her four years at Portland State.
THE OUTFIELDERS
The center field and right field spots have been nailed down by freshman Danielle Lynn and junior Brandi Campos, respectively.
Lynn is a fiery player that isn't afraid of much. She's not afraid to go after a ball at the fence or make a diving catch.
"She could be one of the best outfielders that we've had here," Echo-Hawk said. "She has a great arm and reads the ball off the bat well. She's just a freshman so we are working on her managing the entire outfield and being the voice out there."
Campos is making the transition from second base to right field, and so far it has gone very smooth. Campos struggled a bit at the plate early last year, but finished strong and helped the Viks capture the PCSC title by hitting .353 in conference games. Echo-Hawk says she sees a much more confident hitter this year when Campos steps into the box.
The starting left field spot is up for grabs between three players: sophomore Alyssa Roblez, and freshmen Sadie Lopez and Megan Wallo. All three are very fast, can cover a lot of ground in the outfield, and are base-stealing threats.
THE SCHEDULE
The 2010 Portland State softball schedule is loaded with talented opponents. Echo-Hawk has said she will play any team, anywhere, and it definitely shows in the caliber of competition PSU will face during the preseason.
Said Echo-Hawk of her schedule: "I think that this is one of the most difficult schedules that we've ever had. I think it's going to prepare us not only for conference, but hopefully for the postseason. Last season we played those (ranked) teams and we did okay, but this year we are going to compete with them. The more competition that we face the better that we are going to get. The one thing I've realized about my team is that they are going to step up no matter who we are playing. I want to make sure that I challenge them as often as I can."
Echo-Hawk has gone after getting her team in some of the nation's top tournaments and for the second year in a row they will open the season at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona. The four-day event hosted by Arizona State features 26 teams and is considered one of the top tourneys nationwide.
The Vikings will play six games in Tempe from Feb. 11-14, including facing No. 5 Arizona State and No. 12 California. Two other opponents, North Dakota State (No. 26) and Purdue (No. 37), also received votes in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Preseason Poll.
From there, Portland State travels to famed Easton Stadium on the campus of UCLA. Among the Vikings opponents are the host Bruins, ranked eighth, as well as Cal Poly (No. 28) and Cal State Northridge (No. 41). PSU will play six games at the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament from Feb. 19-21.
Portland State also plays in tournaments at UNLV (Mar. 5-7), at Washington (Mar. 12-14) and at Boise State (Mar. 20-21). At the Eller Media Stadium Tournament hosted by UNLV, the Viks will again take on No. 12 California.
At the Husky Softball Classic in Seattle, PSU will take on the defending national champion Huskies on Mar. 13.
The Viks will play 25 games on the road before finally taking the field at Erv Lind Stadium against Oregon on Mar. 23 for a doubleheader.
Four days later, Portland State plays host to Washington, which is ranked No. 1 in the NFCA Poll. The Huskies will be the first defending national champion to have ever played at Erv Lind. The doubleheader starts at 1 p.m.
"We are always excited to play Washington, whether its up there or down here," Echo-Hawk said. "It's nice that they get to come down and generate some attention to our program. I'm hoping that we can compete with them and prove a little bit to the community of Portland that we are a good team and fun to watch."
Before the Vikings even start up conference action, they will have faced four teams ranked in the top 25 and four more that received votes. Additionally, 10 of the opponents played in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
On April 10, the Vikings will start up PCSC play, but it will be against a new set of opponents. The conference has expanded from six to 12 teams and split into two divisions, the Coastal and the Mountain.
The Vikings will play in the six-team Mountain Division along with Idaho State, Northern Colorado, Seattle, Utah Valley and Weber State. Each team will play a 20-game PCSC schedule against teams within its division. The winners of the two divisions will meet up May 15-16, a best-of-three series at the site of the Coastal Division regular season champion. The winner of the PCSC Championship will earn the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
"With five new teams it's going to be interesting because it's kind of the unknown," said Echo-Hawk. "Since I've been here we have played Idaho State and Northern Colorado, but that was a few years ago. I have no idea what they are like. Then you add in Utah Valley and Weber State. It's harder to prepare for teams that you've never faced."