Idaho State Secures Big Sky Conference Regular Season Championship Repeat as Reigning Champions Deliver Under Pressure
- Idaho State secured the Big Sky Conference softball regular season championship with an 8-2 victory over Montana on Sunday, April 19, 2025.
- The win completed a three-game sweep of the Grizzlies and marked Idaho State's second straight Big Sky regular season title.
- POCATELLO — The Idaho State Bengals have never won a conference tournament championship, despite having claimed five regular season titles.
Idaho State secured the Big Sky Conference softball regular season championship with an 8-2 victory over Montana on Sunday, April 19, 2025.
The win completed a three-game sweep of the Grizzlies and marked Idaho State’s second straight Big Sky regular season title. With the victory, the Bengals improved to 32-13 overall and 11-1 in conference play, earning the top seed for the upcoming Big Sky Conference Tournament beginning May 6 at Northern Colorado.
POCATELLO — The Idaho State Bengals have never won a conference tournament championship, despite having claimed five regular season titles. But the 2025 team appears primed to end that drought.
East Idaho News
Idaho State’s offense led the Big Sky Conference in multiple categories, including batting average (.301), runs (277), hits (471), home runs (40), extra-base hits (137), RBIs (253), total bases (698), slugging percentage (.445), on-base percentage (.362), and stolen bases (78). The pitching staff, led by Boise State transfer Kasey Aguinaga (14-5, 2.85 ERA), posted a 3.91 team ERA with eight shutouts.
The championship represents the fifth Big Sky regular season crown in Idaho State program history and the first since 2023. Head Coach Andrew Rich earned his second regular season title with the Bengals. The team reached the 30-win mark for the first time in a decade, falling just three wins short of the all-time program record of 35 wins in a season.
With the regular season title secured, Idaho State positioned itself for a potential NCAA Tournament berth. A win in the conference tournament would guarantee an automatic bid, while the Bengals were in line for a potential top-half seed even without winning the tournament championship.
The victory over Montana came despite challenging conditions, as Idaho State raced past the Grizzlies to claim the conference’s top honor. Montana’s loss Sunday officially clinched Idaho State’s second consecutive Big Sky Conference regular-season title.