Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics

Softball 2/16/2017 2:41:00 PM By DSU Athletics Media Relations

No. 23 Softball travels to Arizona for Cactus Classic

DSU to play games vs. Lubbock Christian, Fort Lewis, University of Mary, and West Texas A&M

2017 Cactus Classic
February 17-19, 2017
Tucson, Arizona

Dixie State Game Times (Mountain):
Friday vs. Lubbock Christian - 9:30 a.m. LIVE STATS LIVE VIDEO
Friday vs. Fort Lewis - 2 p.m.
Saturday vs. University of Mary - 9:30 a.m.
Saturday vs. West Texas A&M - 11:30 a.m. LIVE STATS
Sunday vs. West Texas A&M - 9:30 a.m. LIVE STATS

Twitter: @DixieAthletics | #DixieBlazers

The No. 23 Dixie State softball team heads to Tucson, Arizona, this week for the 2017 Cactus Classic tournament. The Trailblazers (8-1) will play five games while in Tucson, starting with a 9:30 a.m. Mountain Time matchup with Lubbock Christian on Friday. DSU will also play Fort Lewis on Friday at 2 p.m. before games vs. University of Mary (9:30 a.m.) and No. 2 West Texas A&M (11:30 a.m.) on Saturday. Dixie State will close the week with a second matchup vs. WTAMU on Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

Live stats and video will not be provided by the Cactus Classic tournament staff. However, LCU and WTAMU will have staff on hand to provide coverage for its games. DSU's games vs. LCU and WTAMU will have live stats available at www.dixiestateathletics.com. Results and final statistics for the games vs. FLC and UMARY will be posted and distributed as they are made available.

ALL-TIME VS. LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN: Friday's game marks the first meeting between Dixie State and Lubbock Christian.

ALL-TIME VS. FORT LEWIS: Friday's game marks the 12th meeting between Dixie State and Fort Lewis. The teams first met on Feb. 2, 2007, at the College Red Rock Invitational in St. George. DSU won the inaugural matchup, 5-4, and took the next two games over the next two days. FLC defeated the Trailblazers, 7-6, on the final day of the tournament, sparking a three-game win streak in the series for the Skyhawks. Dixie State has won the last five matchups and holds and 8-3 lead in the overall series.

ALL-TIME VS. UNIVERSITY OF MARY: Saturday's game marks the first meeting between Dixie State and University of Mary.

ALL-TIME VS. WEST TEXAS A&M: Saturday and Sunday's games mark the fifth and sixth meetings between Dixie State and West Texas A&M. The teams first met on Feb. 15, 2013, at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Tucson, Arizona. West Texas won the inaugural matchup, 9-3. DSU has never defeated the Buffs, falling to West Texas twice (2013 and 2015) at the NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic, once at the NCAA Division II College World Series in 2014, and at Karl Brooks Field early in the 2016 season. The Buffs hold a 4-0 series lead.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State split a doubleheader with No. 19 Colorado Mesa on Sunday at Karl Brooks Field. The Trailblazers earned a 12-4 victory in game one, but fell 6-5 in game two.

CLIMBING INTO THE RANKINGS: After an 8-1 start to the 2017 season, the Trailblazers landed at No. 23 in the latest NFCA Division II Top 25 poll.

PACWEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jessica Gonzalez (Kingsburg, Calif./Kingsburg HS) was named Pacific West Conference Softball Co-Player of the Week on Monday. Gonzalez led Dixie State to a 6-1 week, hitting .500 (8-16), with four home runs, six extra-base hits, 13 RBI, 10 runs scored, eight walks, and a 1.438 slugging percentage. She had a home run and three RBI in a doubleheader sweep of Montana State Billings on Monday. She was 4-for-7 with a triple, two home runs and seven RBI in the Easton Classic. In Dixie State's 12-4 win over No. 19 Colorado Mesa, Gonzalez was 2-for-2 with two walks, a double, a home run, 4 RBI and three runs scored. Gonzalez leads the PacWest in RBI (15), and is second in runs (12) and third in hits (11).

BASSETT NAMED TO PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH: For the second consecutive year, junior outfielder Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) has been named to the 2017 NFCA/Schutt Sports Division II Player of the Year Watch List. The Top 25 finalists will be announced on April 27, while the Top 10 will be announced on May 11. The three finalists will be announced on May 18, with the 2017 Player of the Year revealed on May 24 at the NCAA Division II Softball Championship Banquet in Salem, Virginia.

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 No. 7 Adelphi in a three-game series next weekend, with one game on Friday, Feb. 24, and a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 25.

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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