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Softball By DSU Athletics Media Relations

#2 Storm Softball hosts DSU Invitational to open 2016 season

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The No. 2 Dixie State softball team opens the 2016 season this weekend by hosting the DSU Invitational at Karl Brooks Field and the Canyons Softball Complex. The Red Storm will play one game on Friday and Saturday and wrap up the weekend with two games on Sunday.

DSU will battle two nationally ranked opponents throughout the weekend, starting with No. 13 Humboldt State at 3 p.m. on Friday, followed by a matchup with No. 22 West Texas A&M at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.  The Storm will close the weekend on Sunday with games against Colorado State-Pueblo at 12:30 p.m., and against Fort Lewis at 3 p.m.

ALL-TIME VS. HUMBOLDT STATE: Friday's game marks the sixth meeting between Dixie State and Humboldt State. The teams first met on April 3, 2009, at the Tournament of Champions in Turlock, California. The Red Storm won the inaugural matchup, 4-3, and the following four games. DSU holds a 5-0 series lead. Friday's game marks the first time the teams will meet on either side's home field.

ALL-TIME VS. WEST TEXAS A&M: Saturday's game marks the fourth meeting between Dixie State and West Texas A&M. The teams first met on Feb. 15, 2013, at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Tucson, Arizona. West Texas won the inaugural matchup, 9-3. The Storm have never defeated the Buffs, falling to West Texas twice (2013 and 2015) at the NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic, and once at the NCAA Division II College World Series in 2014. Saturday's game marks the first time the teams will meet on either side's home field. The Buffs hold a 3-0 series lead.

ALL-TIME VS. CSU-PUEBLO: Sunday's game marks the third matchup between Dixie State and CSU-Pueblo. The teams first met on Feb. 7, 2014 at the Las Vegas Desert Stinger tournament. DSU won the inaugural matchup, 8-0, and defeated the Thunderwolves, 11-1, the following year at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. Sunday's game marks the first time the teams will meet on either side's home field. The Red Storm hold a 2-0 series lead.

ALL-TIME VS. FORT LEWIS: Sunday's game marks the ninth meeting 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 matchups (11-2, 7-2) in Durango, Colorado on Feb. 8, 2014. DSU holds a 5-3 series lead, including a 3-1 mark in St. George.

KNOW YOUR FOE: Humboldt State enters the season ranked nationally at No. 13 in the NFCA Division II Preseason Coaches Poll. The Lumberjacks finished the 2015 season with a 42-19 record, their third consecutive 40-win season. HSU also made its third consecutive trip to the NCAA West Regionals in 2015 and returns 10 starters for the 2016 season, led by All-American second-baseman Tiffany Hollingsworth (.361/17 HR/65 RBI in 2015). The Jacks also return All-CCAA selections Darrian Harris, Katie Obbema, Julie Pena, Hannah Holland, and Madison Williams. Humboldt opens the season on Thursday in Brisbane, California, for a doubleheader with Academy of Art before making the trip to St. George.

West Texas A&M enters the season ranked nationally at No. 22 in the NFCA Division II Preseason Coaches Poll. The Buffs won their second consecutive Lone Star Conference championship and advanced to the NCAA South Central Regional Championships, finishing the season with a 45-11 overall record. West Texas returns nine letter-winners from last year's squad, led by All-Americans in catcher Lacey Taylor (.458/12 HR/63 RBI), infielder Stacey Ramirez (.436/79 hits), and infielder Allie Smith (.393/9 HR/63 RBI).

CSU-Pueblo was picked to finish fifth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Thunderwolves are looking to building on a 28-23 record in 2015 and return key seniors in pitcher/first baseman Madison Wolfe (.353/84 K) and outfielder Dora Hernandez (.329/57 hits).

Fort Lewis enters the season with a new coach at the helm as Elle Fracker begins her first year as head coach at FLC. Fracker previously coached at Valley City State University in the NAIA ranks. The Skyhawks are looking to build on a 16-31 record in 2015 and return senior outfielder Missy Fundora to lead the way. Fundora (.409/61 hits/3 HR) was a First Team All-RMAC selection last season and was voted to the 2016 All-RMAC preseason team.

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 will host its second tournament in as many weeks, as Western Oregon, Western New Mexico, California Baptist, Western Washington, Montana State-Billings, and Hawai'i Hilo will be in town for games next Friday through Sunday. 
 
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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