No. 13 Dixie State Red Storm (27-7, 15-3 PacWest)
vs. No. 9 California Baptist (32-6, 15-3 PacWest)
April 8-9, 2016
Karl Brooks Field - St. George, Utah
Game Times (Mountain):
Friday - 3 p.m., 5 p.m. Saturday - Noon, 2 p.m. **Postponed until Monday due to rain**
Monday - 2 p.m., 4 p.m.Live Stats: Dixie State
Live Video: Dixie State ($)Twitter: @DixieAthletics | #RollStorm | #PacWestSBThe No. 13 Dixie State softball team closes out its eight-game homestand with a Pacific West Conference showdown, as it hosts No. 9 California Baptist in a four-game series on Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at Noon at Karl Brooks Field.
Live video coverage is scheduled for both days on Internet (SouthernUtahLive.com) with live stats available at DixieAthletics.com, as the Red Storm (27-7, 15-3 PacWest) battle the Lancers for first place in the PacWest and look to keep their 14-game win streak alive.
ALL-TIME VS. CALIFORNIA BAPTIST: Friday's series-opening game marks the 27th meeting between Dixie State and California Baptist. The teams first met on Feb. 2, 2007, at the Red Rock Invitational in St. George. The Lancers won the inaugural matchup, 3-2. DSU earned its first win in the series the following day with a 9-6 victory, but the Lancers responded, winning 12 of the next 17 games in the series. Since then, the Storm have won six of the last seven matchups, including four out of five in 2015. The Lancers hold a 14-12 series lead, while the teams have played to a 7-7 split at Karl Brooks Field.
KNOW YOUR FOE: The Lancers enter the weekend nationally-ranked at No. 9 and sport a 32-6 overall record with a 15-3 mark in the PacWest, earning a doubleheader sweep of Hawaii Pacific on Wednesday to pull even with Dixie State for first place in the conference standings. The Lancers bring a 16-game win streak to Karl Brooks Field, the longest current win streak in the PacWest. Senior infielder Jacque Lopez (.411/30 RBI/13 2B) leads the CBU attack, while junior catcher Erin Burkhart (.406/25 RBI/15 2B) and junior shortstop Krista Mann (.392/29 RBI/5 HR) are also big contributors. Freshman Ashley Coleman leads the way in the pitcher's circle for the Lancers, boasting a 13-2 record with a 1.05 ERA and 78 strikeouts on the season. Senior Kayla Hatch has also eclipsed the 10-win mark with a 12-2 record and a 2.32 ERA with 43 strikeouts.
DSU VS. RANKED OPPONENTS THIS SEASON: The Storm are looking for their first win over a ranked opponent of the 2016 season. DSU fell, 4-1, in its season-opener to then No. 13 Humboldt State, followed by a heartbreaking 7-6 loss the following day to then No. 22 West Texas A&M.
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 26 more strikeouts to the tally for a total of 400 career strikeouts to date, the first player in DSU history to record 400 strikeouts.
CHASING HISTORY: With 15 regular season games remaining and 120 strikeouts recorded this season, Feickert is also chasing the DSU single-season strikeout record of 162, set by Haley Schumers in 2008.
LEADING THE LEAGUE: Sophomore outfielder Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) currently leads the PacWest in batting average (.478) and on-base percentage (.531), ranking in the Top-25 nationally in both categories. Bassett also ranks second in the PacWest in stolen bases with 21. Freshman catcher Jessica Gonzalez (Kingsburg, Calif./Kingsburg HS) sits two spots behind Bassett in third in the PacWest in batting average (.447) and ranks second in slugging percentage (.763) and on-base percentage (.516). Feickert ranks second in the conference in opposing batting average (.176), strikeouts (120), and wins (15).
LAST TIME OUT: The Storm extended their win streak to 14 games with a doubleheader sweep over Hawai'i Hilo last Wednesday. DSU cruised to a 9-0 win in the first game behind a Josey Hartman (Mapleton, Utah/Maple Mountain HS) grand slam, and rallied from a 6-1 deficit, scoring four runs in the sixth and two in the seventh for a 7-6 victory in the second game on a walk-off RBI-single by Shelby Yung (Upland, Calif./Upland HS).
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 entered 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 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 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 to the Bay Area for doubleheaders at Holy Names and Academy of Art next Saturday and Sunday.
