Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics

Softball 2/1/2017 9:31:00 PM By DSU Athletics Media Relations

Softball hosts Northwest Nazarene Thursday in season opener

Dixie State Trailblazers (0-0, 0-0 PacWest) vs.
Northwest Nazarene (0-0, 0-0 GNAC)

Game Times (Mountain):
Thursday - 3 p.m., 5 p.m.

Live Stats: Dixie State
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | #DixieBlazers #PacWestSB

The Dixie State softball team is set to host Northwest Nazarene in a season-opening doubleheader on Thursday at 3 p.m., at Karl Brooks Field.

The season-opening series marks the first two games of an 11-game stretch in which the Trailblazers will play in St. George (six at Karl Brooks Field, five at the Canyons Softball Complex). DSU will play its first road games at the Cactus Classic in Tucson, Arizona, beginning on February 17.

ALL-TIME IN SEASON OPENERS: Dixie State owns a 6-4 all-time record in season openers, including a 3-4 mark at Karl Brooks Field. The Trailblazers have dropped three of their last five season openers, including a 4-1 loss to then No. 13-ranked Humboldt State last year, after winning four of their first five season openers in the NCAA Division II era.

ALL-TIME VS. NORTHWEST NAZARENE: Thursday's series-opening game will mark the fourth meeting between Dixie State and Northwest Nazarene. The teams first met on Feb. 1, 2008, at the Red Rock Invitational in St. George. The Trailblazers won the inaugural matchup, 12-0, before defeating NNU, 24-6, the next day. DSU won the most recent matchup, 4-0, on April 1, 2011, in the Mizuno Tournament of Champions in Turlock, California. Dixie State holds a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series, including a 2-0 mark at Karl Brooks Field.

KNOW YOUR FOE: Like Dixie State, Northwest Nazarene will open the 2017 season in Thursday's doubleheader at Karl Brooks Field. The Crusaders finished the 2016 season with a 17-29 overall record and an 11-17 mark in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. Sophomore infielder Kylie Orr returns to anchor the NNU lineup after the leading the team with a .393 batting average, 58 hits, and five home runs as a freshman. Senior pitcher Brooke Bonsen returns after compiling a 3.56 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 129.2 innings pitched as a junior last season.

DSU PICKED SECOND IN PACWEST PRESEASON POLL: The Trailblazers were picked to finish in second place in this year's PacWest Preseason Poll, receiving three first-place votes, but finishing behind California Baptist in the poll. Junior outfielder Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) was named to the Preseason All-PacWest team, after landing on the PacWest First Team last season. Bassett also garnered Fast Pitch News Preseason All-America honorable mention honors, after being name to both the NFCA and D2CCA All-America second teams last season.

THE SIMKINS FILE: Randy Simkins enters his ninth year as the Dixie State head softball coach in 2017, 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 an NJCAA program. In 2015, the Trailblazers recorded the most wins as a Division II program with 52 victories. Simkins has accumulated 338 victories to just 94 losses for a winning percentage of .782 in eight seasons as head coach. Simkins has led DSU to four PacWest championships, two West Region championships, two trips to the College World Series, and a national runner-up finish.

2017 ROSTER: Dixie State returns 12 starters from the 2016 squad, led by junior outfielder Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS). A first team All-PacWest selection and second team All-American, Bassett was DSU's leading hitter in 2016, batting .474 with 82 hits, 28 RBI, 29 stolen bases, and 17 doubles. She ended the regular season as the PacWest leader in batting average, on-base percentage, and hits, ranking in the Top-10 nationally in batting average and the Top-15 in hits.

The Trailblazers return five other All-PacWest selections from last season, including Jessica Gonzalez (Kingsburg, Calif./Kingsburg HS), who earned PacWest Freshman of the Year in 2016. Gonzalez hit .393 with 44 hits, 37 RBI, and six home runs. Senior outfielder Shelby Yung (Upland, Calif./Upland HS) (.365, 57 hits, 32 RBI), senior infielder Mallory Paulson (Fruita, Colo./Fruita Monument HS) (.345, 48 hits, 34 RBI), and senior catcher Arista Honey (Bothell, Wash./Bothell HS) (.343, 23 hits, 18 RBI) also return in 2017.

Senior Brooklyn Beardshear (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro HS), who earned second team All-PacWest honors at third base last season, returns as DSU's top pitcher. Beardshear recorded a 12-4 record with 38 strikeouts and a 2.30 ERA in 2016.

Junior Kenzie Sawyer (Cedar City, Utah/Canyon View) joins the team as the only junior college transfer addition in 2017. Sawyer hit .456 with 167 RBI and 48 doubles in two seasons at Western Nebraska Community College. She holds the WNCC career home run record with 49.

Six freshman look to compete for playing time as Destiny Diaz (Camarillo, Calif./Oaks Christian HS), Kori Gahn (Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle HS), Brenna Hinck (Tremonton, Utah/Bear River HS), Kaycie Jensen (Springville, Utah/Springville HS), Kirsten Quigley (Othello, Wash./Othello HS), and Riley Tyteca (Farmington, Utah/Viewmont HS) join the team for the new season.

UP NEXT: Dixie State will host Montana State-Billings in a doubleheader on Monday at 3 p.m., at Karl Brooks Field.

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Players Mentioned

#11 Brooklyn Beardshear: P/3B; 5' 9"; Senior; R/R

#8 Arista Honey: C/3B; 5' 6"; Senior; R/R

#24 Mallory Paulson: 1B/3B; 5' 8"; Senior; R/R

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

#1 Janessa Bassett: OF; 5' 3"; Junior; L/R

#12 Jessica Gonzalez: C/1B; 5' 8"; Sophomore; R/R

#3 Destiny Diaz: C/3B/OF; 5' 3"; Freshman; R/R

#17 Kori Gahn: 1B/3B; 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R

#22 Brenna Cornwall: OF; 5' 7"; Freshman; L/R

#20 Kaycie Jensen: P/1B; 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R

#7 Kirsten Quigley: SS/3B; 5' 10"; Freshman; R/R

#44 Riley Tyteca: 1B/C/3B; 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#11 Brooklyn Beardshear
: 5' 9"; Senior; R/R
: P/3B

#8 Arista Honey
: 5' 6"; Senior; R/R
: C/3B

#24 Mallory Paulson
: 5' 8"; Senior; R/R
: 1B/3B

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

#1 Janessa Bassett
: 5' 3"; Junior; L/R
: OF

#12 Jessica Gonzalez
: 5' 8"; Sophomore; R/R
: C/1B

#3 Destiny Diaz
: 5' 3"; Freshman; R/R
: C/3B/OF

#17 Kori Gahn
: 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R
: 1B/3B

#22 Brenna Cornwall
: 5' 7"; Freshman; L/R
: OF

#20 Kaycie Jensen
: 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R
: P/1B

#7 Kirsten Quigley
: 5' 10"; Freshman; R/R
: SS/3B

#44 Riley Tyteca
: 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R
: 1B/C/3B