The Dixie State women's basketball team hits the road to southern California this weekend for its first Pacific West Conference road test of the season. The Trailblazers (6-3, 2-0 PacWest) open the trip on Saturday at California Baptist in Riverside. Saturday's game vs. the Lancers is set for a 5 p.m. Pacific Time (6 p.m. MT) tipoff. DSU will close the trip on Monday at 5:30 p.m. PT (6:30 p.m. MT) at Concordia-Irvine in Irvine.

Live audio coverage is scheduled on radio (Radio Dixie 91.3), with Keric Seegmiller providing play-by-play. Live video and stats will also be provided by the CBU and CUI sports information staff. Links for both can be found at DixieStateAthletics.com.

ALL-TIME VS. CALIFORNIA BAPTIST: Saturday's game marks the 15th meeting between Dixie State and California Baptist. The teams first met in Riverside, California, on Dec. 9, 2006, with the Lancers winning the inaugural matchup, 86-78. The Trailblazers recorded their first win in the series a week later in St. George, defeating CBU 81-59 at the Burns Arena. Since then, the Lancers have won 10 of the last 12 matchups. CBU owns the overall series lead at 11-3, including a 6-1 mark in Riverside.

ALL-TIME VS. CONCORDIA-IRVINE: Monday's game marks the fifth meeting between Dixie State and Concordia-Irvine. The teams first met on Dec. 7, 2007, in Irvine, California, with DSU earning a 65-57 victory. The Trailblazers and Eagles split their two games in the 2015-16 season, with the home team winning each contest. CUI responded with two wins during the 2016-17 season, including a 77-56 victory in Irvine earlier this year on January 16. The Eagles hold a 3-2 series advantage, including a 2-1 mark in Irvine.

KNOW YOUR FOE: California Baptist enters the weekend with a 4-5 overall record and a 1-1 mark in PacWest play. After a 1-4 start, the Lancers have won three of their last four games. Senior center Tori Mitchell leads the CBU scoring attack, averaging 17.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Lexy Ram (15.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) also averages double-digit scoring, while freshman guard Ane Olaeta (9.8 ppg) is on the double-digit scoring bubble.

Concordia-Irvine enters the weekend with a 5-4 overall record and a 3-1 mark in PacWest play. The Eagles recently swept their three games in Hawaii, defeating Chaminade, Hawai'i Pacific, and Hawai'i Hilo. CUI will travel to Cal State San Bernardino for a non-conference matchup on Saturday before hosting DSU on Monday. Freshman center Michaela Vanderklugt leads the Eagles offense, averaging 11.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Senior guards Sopavy Seng (10.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Portia Neale (10.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg)  also average double-digit scoring.

ON THE ROAD: Since joining the NCAA Division II ranks in 2006-07, Dixie State has recorded a 59-79 (.427) record in true-road games and has logged a winning record on the road three times (2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13). Additionally, the Trailblazers have posted a 45-44 (.506) PacWest road record and a 19-16 (.543) record in neutral-site games.

PACWEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Kristin Baldwin (Thatcher, Ariz./Thatcher HS) was named Pacific West Conference Player of the Week on Monday. Baldwin led Dixie State to a 66-62 victory over No. 13 Azusa Pacific last Saturday, marking DSU's first-ever win over the Cougars and its first win over a ranked opponent since 2011. Baldwin was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, including a game-tying 3-pointer in the third quarter, and finished with 14 points and 17 rebounds (both DSU career-high marks) to go with three blocked shots for her third double-double of the season. The award marks DSU's first Player of the Week honor since the 2015-16 season, and the third consecutive weekly honor for the Trailblazers.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Saturday's 66-62 win over No. 13 Azusa Pacific marked DSU's first-ever victory over the Cougars and the team's first win over a ranked opponent since Jan. 8, 2011. Additionally, Dixie State's 6-3 record is the program's best start since the 2012-13 season when the Trailblazers also recorded a 6-3 start.

LAST TIME OUT: Kristin Baldwin (Thatcher, Ariz./Thatcher HS) recorded her third double-double of the season with 14 points and 17 rebounds as Dixie State stunned No. 13 Azusa Pacific on Saturday with a 66-62 victory inside the Burns Arena.

Baldwin led three DSU (6-3, 2-0 PacWest) players in double figures as the Trailblazers earned their first-ever win over Azusa Pacific. The victory also marked Dixie State's first win over a ranked opponent since Jan. 8, 2011, when it defeated former Pacific West Conference foe No. 10 Grand Canyon inside the Burns Arena.

Dixie State overcame a 49-47 rebounding deficit, including 22-8 on the offensive glass, to secure the victory, liming the Cougars to 29 percent (23-of-79) from the field. The Trailblazers shot 39 percent (21-of-53) from the field, 32 percent (8-of-25) from 3-point range, and 69 percent (16-of-23) from the free throw line. Baldwin's double-double led three DSU players in double figures as Martin added 13 points and five assists and Jordan chipped in 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from distance. Moeaki contributed nine points and four rebounds, while Richardson finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.

2017-18 ROSTER: Dixie State returns five starters from the 2016-17 squad, including redshirt junior guard Tramina Jordan (Las Vegas, Nev./Centennial HS) (11.0 ppg, 3.7 apg), senior center Ashlee Burge (Riverton, Utah/Herriman HS) (9.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg), senior guard Matti Ventling (Las Vegas, Nev./Las Vegas HS) (9.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg), and sophomore guard Ali Franks (Redding, Calif./Enterprise HS) (8.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg). Senior forward Lisa VanCampen (Morgan, Utah/Morgan HS) (7.9 ppg, 8.3 rpg) will redshirt during the 2017-18 season. Senior guard Gabrielle Cabanero (Las Vegas, Nev./Valley HS) (4.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg) also returns for her final season in a DSU uniform.

The Trailblazers added two transfer players for the 2017-18 season, including senior center Kristin Baldwin (Thatcher, Ariz./Thatcher HS) and junior forward Maile Richardson (American Fork, Utah/American Fork HS).

Baldwin averaged a double-double as a junior at BYU-Hawaii during the 2016-17 season, scoring 12.0 points per game to go with 10.9 rebounds per game to land All-PacWest honorable mention honors. Prior to BYU-Hawaii, Baldwin played two seasons at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona.

Richardson played two seasons at Utah State-Eastern in Price, Utah. Richardson averaged 8.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in two seasons for the Eagles, earning All-Scenic West Athletic Conference honorable mention honors.

Five new freshmen join the ranks this year in guards Mariah Martin (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS), Tayor Moeaki, Keslee Stevenson (Willard, Utah/Box Elder HS), and Morgan Myers (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS), and forward Shandi Bastian (Sigurd, Utah/Richfield HS).

Martin averaged 16.8 points, 6.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 steals as a senior at Alta High School. Moeaki averaged 18.6 points, 3.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game as a senior at American Fork High School. Stevenson averaged 15.5 points, 2.7 steals, and 2.0 assists per game as a senior at Box Elder High School. Myers averaged 8.5 points and 3.2 steals per game as a senior at Desert Hills High School. Bastian averaged 10.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game as a senior at Richfield High School.

COACHING STAFF: Head Coach JD Gustin begins his second season at Dixie State in the 2017-18 campaign. Prior to Dixie State, Gustin served as an assistant coach at Weber State, where he helped lead the Wildcats to a 23-12 record and a runner-up finish in the 2016 Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament.

Prior to Weber State, Gustin spent four years at the University of Utah, serving as director of women's basketball operations from 2011-13 and women's basketball assistant coach from 2013-15. He helped guide the Utes to a runner-up finish in the 2013 Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT).

Before his time at Utah, he served as head women's basketball coach at Westminster College for seven seasons from 2004-11, where he compiled a 146-83 record and led the Griffins to five consecutive NAIA National Championship tournament appearances. He led Westminster to its first-ever NAIA tournament berth in 2006-07, and guided the Griffins to the quarterfinals of the NAIA championships for the first time in school history with a school-record 28 wins in 2010-11. Gustin won three Frontier Conference championships, including a perfect 14-0 conference mark in 2008-09.

Gustin is joined by second-year assistant Nicole Yazzie (Westminster, 2013), while Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation inductee Deb Bennett (BYU, 1977) joins the staff as an assistant coach.

UP NEXT: Dixie State will resume play after the Christmas holiday break on Saturday, Dec. 30, hosting Point Loma inside the Burns Arena at 1:30 p.m. The game will open a four-game homestand for the Trailblazers.