Dixie State Red Storm (13-7, 1-3 PacWest)
vs. Hawai'i Pacific (9-11, 5-3 PacWest)
March 12-13, 2016
Karl Brooks Field - St. George, Utah
Game Times (Mountain):
Saturday - Noon, 2 p.m.
Sunday - Noon, 2 p.m.
Live Stats: Dixie StateTwitter: @DixieAthletics | #DixieSBAfter opening its Pacific West Conference schedule on the road last week, the No. 19 Dixie State softball team returns to Karl Brooks Field for a four-game weekend series with Hawai'i Pacific.
The Red Storm (13-7, 1-3 PacWest) will host the Sharks in doubleheaders starting at Noon on Saturday and Sunday.
ALL-TIME VS. HAWAI'I PACIFIC: Saturday's series-opening game marks the 32nd meeting between Dixie State and Hawai'i Pacific. The teams first met on April 20, 2007 in Kaneohe, Hawaii. HPU won the inaugural matchup, 5-4, and went on to win 13 of the first 19 matchups between the teams. Since then, the Red Storm have won the last 12 games in the series, a stretch that spans back to 2012. DSU holds an 18-13 lead in the series, including a 10-4 mark at Karl Brooks Field.
KNOW YOUR FOE: Hawai'i Pacific enters the weekend with a 9-11 overall record and 5-3 mark in the PacWest, recording wins over Holy Names (4) and Dominican. The Sharks, picked fifth in the PacWest Preseason Poll, are led by junior catcher Kayla Sanchez (.380/14 RBI/2 HR) and freshman utility infielder Dominique Walker (.356/11 RBI/HR).
LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State opened PacWest play in Azusa, California last weekend, dropping three of four games to Azusa Pacific. DSU earned its lone victory of the weekend, 6-5, on Friday.
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 head back to California for a stretch of eight games in five days. DSU will play PacWest games at Notre Dame de Namur and Dominican, followed by a non-conference doubleheader at Chico State.
