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Softball By DSU Athletics Media Relations

Softball heads to Bay Area for four-game swing

Dixie State Trailblazers (28-10, 16-6 PacWest) at:
Holy Names (12-26-1, 5-13 PacWest) Saturday
Academy of Art (15-24-1, 11-9 PacWest) Sunday


 
 
Game Times (Mountain):
Saturday - Noon, 2 p.m. (Holy Names)
Sunday - 1 p.m., 3 p.m. (Academy of Art)

Live Stats: Holy Names , Academy of Art 
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | #DixieBlazers #PacWestSB


After wrapping up an eight-game homestand, the Dixie State softball team heads back to California for two doubleheaders in the Bay Area on Saturday and Sunday.

The Trailblazers (28-10, 16-6 PacWest) travel first to Oakland for a doubleheader at Holy Names on Saturday at noon Mountain time. DSU will wrap up the four-game trip with a 1 p.m. MT doubleheader the following day at Academy of Art in San Francisco.

ALL-TIME VS. HOLY NAMES: Saturday's series-opening game marks the ninth meeting between Dixie State and Holy Names. The teams first met on April 13, 2013, in St. George. Dixie State won the inaugural matchup, 7-5, as well as the next seven games in the series. The Trailblazers hold an 8-0 series lead, including a 4-0 mark at Holy Names.

ALL-TIME VS. ACADEMY OF ART: Sunday's series-opening game marks the 26th meeting between Dixie State and Academy of Art. The teams first met on Feb. 6, 2009, in St. George. DSU won the first five games of the series, before the Urban Knights earned their first victory, 12-2, on April 25, 2010, in San Francisco. The Trailblazers currently own an 11-game win streak in the series, dating back to 2012. DSU holds a 21-4 series lead, including a 7-3 mark in San Francisco.

KNOW YOUR FOE: Holy Names enters the weekend with a 12-26-1 overall record and a 5-13 mark in PacWest play. HNU will travel to Dominican for a doubleheader on Friday before the matchup with Dixie State on Saturday. The Hawks are led by senior infielder Geena Garabedian (.330/19 RBI/3 HR) and freshman outfielder Sharona Mataele (.321/11 RBI/HR).

Academy of Art enters the weekend with a 15-24-1 overall record and an 11-9 mark in the PacWest. ART-U will host Concordia in a doubleheader on Saturday before Sunday's matchup with Dixie State. The Urban Knights are led by junior outfielder Jessica West (.349/16 RBI/7 2B/HR), freshman infielder Brenna Youngquist (.346/35 RBI/11 2B/5 HR), and sophomore pitcher (.330/17 RBI/4 HR).

MAKING HISTORY: Senior pitcher Aryn Feickert (Lancaster, Calif./Highland HS) became the DSU Softball All-Time strikeout leader on March 16 at Notre Dame de Namur, striking out NDNU sophomore Taylor Haynes for her 374th career strikeout to open the bottom of the sixth inning. Feickert eclipsed the previous mark of 373, set by Lauren Folta (2009-12), and has added 43 more strikeouts to the tally for a total of 417 career strikeouts to date, the first player in DSU history to record 400 strikeouts.

CHASING HISTORY: With 11 regular season games remaining and 137 strikeouts recorded this season, Feickert is also chasing the DSU single-season strikeout record of 162, set by Haley Schumers in 2008.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State dropped three out of four games to No. 9 California Baptist last Friday and Monday. The Trailblazers earned their lone victory of the weekend on Monday, a 3-0 shutout win over the Lancers.

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 Trailblazers
 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 entered the 2016 season ranked at No. 2 in the NFCA Division II Preseason Coaches Poll. The Trailblazers 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 is in 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 Trailblazers 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 Trailblazers 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 Trailblazer 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 Trailblazers head to Cedar City, Utah, for a non-conference matchup with Southern Utah on Wednesday at 3 p.m. 



 
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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