Dixie State Red Storm (8-4, 0-0 PacWest)
at Fort Lewis (3-8), Colorado Mesa (1-4)
February 22-23, 2016
Aztec, New Mexico*/Grand Junction, Colorado
Game Times (Mountain):
Monday vs. Fort Lewis (DH) - 10 a.m., Noon - *Games played at Aztec Tiger Sports Complex in Aztec, New Mexico
Wednesday vs. Colorado Mesa (DH) - 2 p.m., 4 p.m.
Live Stats: Fort Lewis
Live Video: Colorado MesaTwitter: @DixieAthletics | #DixieSBAfter opening the 2016 season with 12 games at home, the Dixie State softball team heads to Colorado for its first road test of the season.
The Red Storm (8-4) open the road portion of their schedule with a doubleheader at Fort Lewis on Monday and a doubleheader at Colorado Mesa on Tuesday. Monday's games with the Skyhawks are set for a 10 a.m. start and will be played at the Aztec Tiger Sports Complex in Aztec, New Mexico. Tuesday's games vs. the Mavericks will start at 2 p.m. in Grand Junction, Colorado.
ALL-TIME VS. FORT LEWIS: Monday's games mark the 10th and 11th meetings between Dixie State and Fort Lewis. The teams first met on Feb. 2, 2007, at the College Red Rock Invitational in St. George. DSU won the inaugural matchup, 5-4, and took the next two games over the next two days. FLC defeated the Red Storm, 7-6, on the final day of the tournament, sparking a three-game win streak in the series for the Skyhawks. Dixie State won the most recent matchup, 8-4, at Karl Brooks Field on February 7. DSU holds a 6-3 series lead.
ALL-TIME VS. COLORADO MESA: Tuesday's games mark the sixth and seventh meetings between Dixie State and Colorado Mesa. The teams first met on Feb. 17, 2013, at the NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic in Tucson, Arizona. DSU won the inaugural matchup, 2-1, sparking a five-game win streak in the series for the Storm. Dixie State holds a 5-0 series lead, including a 2-0 mark in Grand Junction.
KNOW YOUR FOE: Fort Lewis enters the weekend with a 3-8 overall record, having lost three consecutive games after defeating Eastern New Mexico on February 13. The Skyhawks are led by sophomore infielders Denae Fisher (.429 batting average/three RBI) and Lauren Caldwell (.414 batting average/four RBI).
Colorado Mesa enters the weekend with a 1-4 overall record. The Mavericks defeated No. 19 Sonoma State on February 7 to close a five-game slate at the Las Vegas Desert Stinger tournament and have not played since. CMU is led by freshman infielders Kellie Mrofcza (.500 batting average/one RBI) and Alexandria Dufour (.455 batting average/two RBI), while junior outfielder Sarah Phillips (.444 batting average/one RBI/HR) and sophomore catcher Zoe Pakes (.400 batting average/two RBI/HR) also contribute consistently.
LAST TIME OUT: The Red Storm finished last weekend's Dixie State Classic tournament with a 4-1 record, culminated in a 13-5 win over Western Oregon in six innings.
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.
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 open PacWest Conference play at Azusa Pacific with doubleheaders next Friday and Saturday.
