POCATELLO, Idaho – After a long season on the road, the Idaho State Bengals are home for the final Big Sky Conference series of the 2024 regular season. The Bengals are hosting the Weber State Wildcats April 26-27 over a three-game series.
Saturday's game will also be senior day. After the game, the Bengals will honor six seniors who have helped to make our program great; #12 Madison Muxen, #33 Jillian Martinez, #16 Skyler Sethman, #17 Taylor Fitzgerald, #4 Emma McMurray and #11 Angelica Cano.
How to Follow
The weekend's games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and Live Stats will be available for the game.
| Links | Watch | Live Stats |
| ISU vs Weber St | ESPN+ | Live Stats |
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Series vs the Wildcats
· This will be the 70th meeting of the two programs in the Bengals' longest-running series with a Big Sky opponent.
· The first meeting of the two teams came in March of 1978 a doubleheader that the Bengals and Wildcats Split in Pocatello.
· In Pocatello, the Bengals hold a 20-13 all-time record, though the last home win for the Orange and Black game in the 2019 season.
· The previous series with the two teams, the Bengals went 2-1 in Ogden and clinched a share of the 2023 Regular Season Big Sky Championship, the Bengals first since the 2016 season.
· The Wildcats are 19-24 this year and are coming to Pocatello off of a 9-1 (6 Inn.) loss to Utah Valley in Ogden. The Wildcats are 7-5 in Big Sky play and went 2-1 against the Sacramento State Hornets in their last conference series.
· As a team, WSU is hitting .268 on the season and .281 in the conference, fourth best.
· The Wildcats have the best team ERA in conference play with a 3.74 ERA and three shutouts.
· #1 Abby Grundy leads the team with a .339 batting average. Four Wildcats have total hits in the 40s.
Bengal Bites
The Idaho State Bengals were selected as preseason No. 1 by the Big Sky Conference Coaches in 2024. The Bengals return the majority of the 2023 Regular season Big Sky champion squad headed into the 2024 season.
Tournament champion UNC was selected No.2 in the poll with the Bengals and Bears neck and neck in the points standings.
• Jenna Kearns got her first Collegiate hit against UCSD on 2/9/24, a one-run Homerun over the left field wall as the Bengals routed the Tritons 11-2.
• Ava brown hit a home run in each of the Bengals first three games of 2024. • Gracie Smith Opened the Season earning Big Sky Player of the Week. Smith hit .550 on 11-of-20 hits with 3 extra base hits including the first grand slam of the year.
• Taylor Fitzgerald was named Big Sky Pitcher of the Week after the Whataburger Invitational, Fitzgerald threw 13.1 innings with a 0.00 ERA, .049 Opp BA, 2 Hits Allowed, 10 Strikeouts and 0 Walks
• The Bengals got off to the Best Start in the DI era of the program, going 10-1 over the first 11 games.
• Taylor Fitzgerald earned her 4th win of the season, a 9-2 victory over Utah Valley University. Fitzgerald then battled Arizona State to extra innings before falling in the 8th.
• Gracie Smith hit the first walk-off home run of the 2024 season against Cal Poly on 3/1/24. Down 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh, the Bengals rallied to place two on with two outs before Smith hit the walk-off dinger.
• The Bengals dominated the UNC Bears in Greeley on 4/19. The Bengals put up 20 runs on the Bears in the win, tied for 2nd most in the modern era of the team. The 20 runs are the 10th most in the NCAA in a single game against a DI opponent.
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· The Bengals lead the Big Sky in Batting categories, hitting a team average of .293 on the year. The Bengals have 382 hits on the season, 2nd place is Weber State with 302.
· Gracie Smith leads the conference hitting .422 on the season with 57 hits and 37 runs scored. Her OB + SLG ranks No. 4 at 1.088
· Alyssa Yee is following in offensive categories. She is third in hits with 51 on the season and seventh in the Big Sky rankings with 27 RBIS
· Three Bengals are top-10 in doubles this season with Oliva Robison No. 6 with 12 Alyssa Yee at No. 7 with 11. And Angelica Cano with 10 at No. 10
· The Bengals hold five of the top-10 spots in the home run leaders category in the Big Sky. Ava Brown is third with 7, Yee is fourth with six, Cano is fifth with five, Smith is sixth with five and Robison is 9th with four.
· The Bengals have hit 30 home runs as a team, most in the Big Sky
On Deck
The Bengals stay at home for a pair of non-conference matchups. First the BYU Cougars come to Pocatello on 4/30 at 4:00 PM. The next day, The Utah Valley Wolverines are at Miller Ranch at 4:00 PM for the final regular season game of the 2024 season.