Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics

Softball 2/8/2016 2:59:00 PM By DSU Athletics Media Relations

No. 2 Storm Softball set for three-game series with MSUB

Dixie State Red Storm (2-2, 0-0 PacWest)
vs. Montana State-Billings (2-3)
February 9-10, 2016
Karl Brooks Field - St. George, Utah

Game Times (Mountain):
Tuesday - 3 p.m.
Wednesday (DH) - 3 p.m., 5 p.m.

Audio/Video: None
Live Stats: Dixie State Live Stats
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | #DixieSB

The No. 2 Dixie State softball team resumes play this week with a three-game midweek series with Montana State-Billings on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Red Storm and Yellowjackets will play at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, followed by a doubleheader on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Karl Brooks Field.

LAST TIME OUT: DSU opened the 2016 season with a split at its weekend tournament at Karl Brooks Field. The Storm fell 4-1 to No. 13 Humboldt State on Friday and dropped a tough 7-6 decision to No. 22 West Texas A&M on Saturday. The Storm bounced back with a 9-1 win over Colorado State-Pueblo and an 8-4 win over Fort Lewis on Sunday to end the weekend with a 2-2 record.

ALL-TIME VS. MSUB: Tuesday's game marks the 13th meeting between Dixie State and Montana State-Billings. The teams first met on Feb. 13, 2007 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Red Storm won the inaugural matchup, 8-6, and also won the next two matchups. The Yellowjackets earned their first victory in the series on Feb. 11, 2011, a 9-5 victory at the Las Vegas Desert Stinger Tournament. DSU has won the last four matchups and holds a 9-3 series lead, including a 6-1 mark in St. George.

KNOW YOUR FOE: Montana State-Billings enters the week with a 2-3 overall record with wins over No. 19 Sonoma State and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. The Yellowjackets fell in matchups with Stanislaus State, No. 20 Augustana, and No. 25 Cal State Monterey Bay. After losing seven seniors from last year's squad, MSUB will look to junior center fielder Bella Rovens for leadership. Rovens was a second team All-GNAC selection last year after batting .392 with 65 hits. The Yellowjackets finished last season with a 31-23 overall record, won the GNAC tournament, and fell in the NCAA West Regional semifinals to Sonoma State.

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 will host its second tournament in as many weeks, as Western Oregon, Western New Mexico, California Baptist, Western Washington, and Hawai'i Hilo join DSU and MSUB for games on Friday through Sunday.

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Players Mentioned

#00 Autumn Woodfall: C/OF; 5' 8"; Senior; R/R

#1 Janessa Bassett: OF; 5' 2"; Sophomore; L/R

#2 Dani Bartholf: INF; 5' 4"; Freshman; R/R

#4 Kaitlyn Delange: INF; 5' 3"; Freshman; L/R

#5 Bailey Gaffin: INF; 5' 5"; Freshman; L/R

#9 Summer Simkins: INF; 5' 9"; Freshman; R/R

#10 Taylor Godfrey: OF; 5' 5"; Freshman; L/R

#11 Brooklyn Beardshear: P/INF; 5' 8"; Junior; R/R

#12 Jessica Gonzalez: C; 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R

#16 Kristie Johnson: OF; 5' 7"; Senior; R/R

#23 Shelby Yung: OF; 5' 1"; Junior; R/R

#24 Mallory Paulson: INF; 5' 8"; Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#00 Autumn Woodfall
: 5' 8"; Senior; R/R
: C/OF

#1 Janessa Bassett
: 5' 2"; Sophomore; L/R
: OF

#2 Dani Bartholf
: 5' 4"; Freshman; R/R
: INF

#4 Kaitlyn Delange
: 5' 3"; Freshman; L/R
: INF

#5 Bailey Gaffin
: 5' 5"; Freshman; L/R
: INF

#9 Summer Simkins
: 5' 9"; Freshman; R/R
: INF

#10 Taylor Godfrey
: 5' 5"; Freshman; L/R
: OF

#11 Brooklyn Beardshear
: 5' 8"; Junior; R/R
: P/INF

#12 Jessica Gonzalez
: 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R
: C

#16 Kristie Johnson
: 5' 7"; Senior; R/R
: OF

#23 Shelby Yung
: 5' 1"; Junior; R/R
: OF

#24 Mallory Paulson
: 5' 8"; Junior; R/R
: INF