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Softball By DSU Athletics Media Relations

Softball set to host Dixie State Classic tournament

Storm ready for matchups with Western Oregon, Montana State-Billings, Western New Mexico and Western Washington

Dixie State Classic
February 12-14, 2016
Canyons Softball Complex/Karl Brooks Field - St. George, Utah
 
Dixie State Game Times (Mountain):
Friday vs. Western Oregon - 3 p.m. (Canyons Field #1)
Saturday vs. Montana State-Billings - 10 a.m. (Canyons Field #1)
Saturday vs. Western Washington (Canyons Field #1)
Sunday vs. Western New Mexico 10 a.m. (Karl Brooks Field)
Sunday vs. Western Oregon - 12:30 p.m. (Karl Brooks Field)

Click HERE to view the tournament schedule

Audio/Video: None
Live Stats: Dixie State Live Stats  (***NOTE: Live stats will be provided for all Dixie State games and all games played on Canyons Field #1)
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | #DixieSB
 
The No. 2 Dixie State softball team is set to host its second tournament in as many weeks, as the Dixie State Classic tournament gets underway Friday at the Canyons Softball Complex.

The Red Storm lead off the tournament with a 3 p.m. Friday afternoon matchup with Western Oregon, followed by a 10 a.m. tilt with Montana State-Billings and a 3 p.m. game with Western Washington on Saturday. DSU will wrap up the weekend with a 10 a.m. matchup with Western New Mexico and a rematch with Western Oregon at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State hosted MSUB in a three-game series earlier this week, defeating the Yellowjackets, 9-1, in five innings on Tuesday and earning a 11-3 five-inning win on Wednesday. MSUB won the final game on Wednesday, 4-1, at Karl Brooks Field.

PACWEST THREE-PEAT AND NATIONAL-RUNNERS UP: Dixie State won its third consecutive Pacific West Conference championship and made its second consecutive trip to the Division II College World Series in 2015. The Red Storm recorded a program-best 52-8 overall record, hosting and winning both the NCAA West and NCAA West Super Regionals and earning a trip to the Division II College World Series. DSU won its first three games at the College World Series and fell 5-0 to North Georgia in the National Championship game.

PRESEASON RANKINGS AND HONORS:  Dixie State enters the 2016 season ranked at No. 2 in the NFCA Division II Preseason Coaches Poll. The Red Storm were also the unanimous choice to repeat as PacWest champions. Senior pitcher Aryn Feickert (Lancaster, Calif./Highland HS) was named PacWest Preseason Pitcher of the Year, while sophomore outfielder Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS), junior infielder Mallory Paulson (Fruita, Colo./Fruita Monument HS), and junior utility infielder Brookyln Beardshear also received All-PacWest preseason honors. Additionally, Bassett and Feickert were named to the 2016 NFCA Schutt Sports Division II Player of the Year Watch List. Most recently, Bassett was named to the Hero Sports Division II Preseason All-America team.

THE SIMKINS FILE:  Randy Simkins enters his eighth year as the Dixie State head softball coach in 2016, after a stint as head coach at DSU while competing in the junior college ranks. He led Dixie State to a program-best 49-6 record in 2004 while the school competed as a NJCAA program. In 2015, the Red Strom squad recorded the most wins as a Division II program with 52 victories. Simkins has accumulated 302 victories to just 79 losses for a winning percentage of .793 in seven seasons as head coach. Simkins has led DSU to four PacWest championships, two West Region championships, two consecutive trips to the College World Series, and a national-runner up finish.

2016 ROSTER: Dixie State returns seven starters from last year, led by senior Pitcher Aryn Feickert (Lancaster, Calif./Highland HS). A second-team All-PacWest selection last season, Feickert posted a 20-5 record and a 2.18 ERA with 146 strikeouts, the second-most in the conference. She earned PacWest Pitcher of the Week and Daktronics All-West Region Second Team honors and threw a perfect game against Academy of Art. Two other seniors return for the 2016 season in catcher Autumn Woodfall (Kaysville, Utah/Davis HS) and outfielder Kristie Johnson (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral HS).

The Red Storm return four juniors from last year's squad, led by infielder Mallory Paulson (Fruita, Colo./Fruita Monument HS) and pitcher/infielder Brooklyn Beardshear (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro HS). Paulson earned Third Team All-PacWest honors, batting .301 with 47 hits, six home runs, and 24 RBIs, while Beardshear earned First Team All-PacWest honors, batting .356 with 36 hits, six home runs, and 40 RBIs. As a pitcher, she recorded nine strikeouts with a 2.36 ERA.

Sophomore outfielder Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) also returns to anchor the Red Storm outfield. Bassett earned PacWest Conference Freshman of the Year, PacWest First Team, All-Region First Team, All-America First Team, and NFCA Freshman of the Year honors last season, batting .449 with 83 hits and 30 RBIs.

Joining Bassett is junior outfielder Shelby Yung (Upland, Calif./Upland HS), who joins Dixie State after two seasons at Pace University in New York City. As a sophomore at Pace Yung batted .444 with 40 hits, five home runs, and 15 RBI. She earned First Team All-Conference and All-Region honors. As a freshman she batted .414 with 53 hits and seven RBI, and earned conference Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Conference, and First Team All-Region honors.

Seven freshman look to compete for playing time as Dani Bartholf (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert HS), Kaitlyn Delange (Cedar City, Utah/Canyon View HS), Bailey Gaffin (Glendale, Ariz./Mountain Ridge HS), Summer Simkins (St. George, Utah/Dixie HS), Taylor Godfrey (Buckeye, Ariz./Estrella Foothills HS), Jessica Gonzalez (Kingsburg, Calif./Kingsburg HS), and Alexandria Melendez (Moreno Valley, Calif./Valley View HS) join the team for the new season. Redshirt freshman Alexis Barkwell (San Diego, Calif./North Medford HS) also returns in 2016.

UP NEXT: The Storm hit the road for the first time this season with a doubleheader at Fort Lewis on February 22 and a doubleheader at Colorado Mesa on February 23. 
 
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Players Mentioned

Autumn Woodfall

#00 Autumn Woodfall

C/OF
5' 8"
Senior
R/R
Janessa Bassett

#1 Janessa Bassett

OF
5' 2"
Sophomore
L/R
Dani Bartholf

#2 Dani Bartholf

INF
5' 4"
Freshman
R/R
Kaitlyn Delange

#4 Kaitlyn Delange

INF
5' 3"
Freshman
L/R
Bailey Gaffin

#5 Bailey Gaffin

INF
5' 5"
Freshman
L/R
Summer Simkins

#9 Summer Simkins

INF
5' 9"
Freshman
R/R
Taylor Godfrey

#10 Taylor Godfrey

OF
5' 5"
Freshman
L/R
Brooklyn Beardshear

#11 Brooklyn Beardshear

P/INF
5' 8"
Junior
R/R
Jessica Gonzalez

#12 Jessica Gonzalez

C
5' 8"
Freshman
R/R
Kristie Johnson

#16 Kristie Johnson

OF
5' 7"
Senior
R/R
Shelby Yung

#23 Shelby Yung

OF
5' 1"
Junior
R/R
Mallory Paulson

#24 Mallory Paulson

INF
5' 8"
Junior
R/R

Players Mentioned

Autumn Woodfall

#00 Autumn Woodfall

5' 8"
Senior
R/R
C/OF
Janessa Bassett

#1 Janessa Bassett

5' 2"
Sophomore
L/R
OF
Dani Bartholf

#2 Dani Bartholf

5' 4"
Freshman
R/R
INF
Kaitlyn Delange

#4 Kaitlyn Delange

5' 3"
Freshman
L/R
INF
Bailey Gaffin

#5 Bailey Gaffin

5' 5"
Freshman
L/R
INF
Summer Simkins

#9 Summer Simkins

5' 9"
Freshman
R/R
INF
Taylor Godfrey

#10 Taylor Godfrey

5' 5"
Freshman
L/R
OF
Brooklyn Beardshear

#11 Brooklyn Beardshear

5' 8"
Junior
R/R
P/INF
Jessica Gonzalez

#12 Jessica Gonzalez

5' 8"
Freshman
R/R
C
Kristie Johnson

#16 Kristie Johnson

5' 7"
Senior
R/R
OF
Shelby Yung

#23 Shelby Yung

5' 1"
Junior
R/R
OF
Mallory Paulson

#24 Mallory Paulson

5' 8"
Junior
R/R
INF