Braxton Gregory
Sports Editor
Behind an explosive offense and steady pitching staff, the Bengals secured the Big Sky Conference regular season championship with a three-game sweep of Montana this past weekend at Miller Ranch Stadium.
It’s the second regular-season crown in three years under head coach Andy Rich and the fifth in program history. This one comes with a new sense of urgency: Idaho State (32-12, 11-1 Big Sky) is seeking its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, and this team looks built to break through.
“We’ve still got a lot of work to do,” Rich said Saturday as his players celebrated behind him. “But we got the first one. Now we’ve got to go out and get the next one.”
The “next one” is the Big Sky Tournament, which begins May 6 in Greeley, Colorado. As the league’s top seed, Idaho State will need to win the double-elimination tournament to punch its ticket to the NCAA postseason. In years past, that final step has eluded the Bengals. But this team, powered by veteran bats and battle-tested by a tough non-conference slate, appears different.
“We challenged ourselves early,” Rich said. “I think that’s when we realized we could be a championship team.”
He pointed to the Texas A&M Invitational in late February as the turning point. The Bengals stunned No. 15 Texas Tech with a walk-off home run by Gracie Smith, then rolled through George Washington, Princeton, and Texas State before falling 4-1 to fifth-ranked Texas.
That momentum carried straight into conference play, where ISU overwhelmed opponents with depth, discipline, and a relentless offensive attack. The only blemish on an otherwise perfect Big Sky record was a narrow 2-1 loss at Sacramento State.
Montana had no such luck.
In Friday’s opener, Idaho State set the tone early and never looked back, piling on 17 runs — tying the most ever allowed by the Grizzlies in a single game. The Bengals belted six home runs, matching their own single-game program record. Catcher Jenna Kearns tied a school mark with seven RBIs, including a grand slam and a three-run blast, as ISU coasted to a 17-8 win — the 100th career victory for Rich as head coach.
The nightcap brought more of the same. Ava Brown hit two home runs — three on the day — bringing her season total to 20. That mark leads the Big Sky and places her second all-time in program history, behind only Vicky Galasso’s 62. With one season still to play, Brown may well chase down that record.
Idaho State’s dominance continued into Saturday’s finale. The Bengals scored three runs in the first inning and six more in the second, enforcing the mercy rule in an 11-1 victory that closed out the sweep. Smith, playing in her final home game, launched two home runs and made a highlight-reel defensive grab — reaching over the fence in right center to rob Montana of a would-be two-run shot.
“She’s everything you hope for in a senior,” Rich said of Smith. “She trusted the process, worked hard, and became one of the best players in the Big Sky.”
Smith, who led the conference in batting average last season, is one of four seniors on the roster, but the only everyday starter whose eligibility ends this year. Her experience, paired with a returning core, gives ISU staying power beyond 2025 — but right now, the focus is on finishing this season strong.
The team’s success has echoed something sophomore Olivia Robison said after a win earlier this season against Northern Colorado. The moment didn’t grab headlines at the time, but the words have aged well.
“We’ve been talking about passing the bat and trusting each other,” Robison said. “You have to go up there, trusting the person in front of you and trusting the person behind you and trusting the bat.”
That trust has shown up in every box score since.
Idaho State will close out the regular season with four road games: a midweek tilt at Boise State, followed by a weekend series at Portland State. Despite having the league’s top seed locked up, Rich doesn’t plan on easing off the gas.
“No, nothing changes,” he said. “There’s still too much time between now and the tournament. We’ve got to stay sharp.”
The Bengals have won 11 straight and are peaking at the right time, but history looms. ISU won three straight regular-season titles from 2013 to 2015 but fell short in the conference tournament each time. The same fate met Rich’s 2022 squad.
Breaking through in Greeley would mark a program-first — a trip to the NCAA tournament that’s eluded them for decades. That quest begins in a few short weeks, but for now, the Bengals are champs once again.
And this time, they’re aiming higher.
