Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics

Softball 2/23/2017 3:46:00 PM By DSU Athletics Media Relations

No. 20 Softball set for 3-game series with No. 9 Adelphi

No. 20 Dixie State Trailblazers (12-2, 0-0 PacWest) vs.
No. 9 Adelphi Panthers (1-4-1, 0-0 NE-10)

Game Times (Mountain):
Friday - 3 p.m
Saturday (DH) - Noon, 2 p.m.

Live Stats: Dixie State
Live Video (Friday Only): Dixie State ($)
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | #DixieBlazers #PacWestSB

The No. 20 Dixie State softball team welcomes No. 9 Adelphi to Karl Brooks Field this week for a three-game series starting on Friday. The Trailblazers (12-2) will host the Panthers in a single game on Friday at 3 p.m., before wrapping up the series with a doubleheader starting at noon on Saturday.

ALL-TIME VS. ADELPHI: Friday's series-opening game marks the second meeting between Dixie State and Adelphi. The Trailblazers earned a 2-0 victory in the first meeting between the teams on May 22, 2015, at the Division II Softball Championships in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Four current DSU players took part in the 2015 matchup, including Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS), Brooklyn Beardshear (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro HS), Mallory Paulson (Fruita, Colo./Fruita Monument HS), and Josey Hartman (Mapleton, Utah/Maple Mountain HS).

KNOW YOUR FOE: Adelphi enters the weekend ranked at No. 9 in the latest NFCA Division II Top 25 poll. The Panthers have played to 1-4-1 record in their first six games of the season, splitting a doubleheader with Azusa Pacific, dropping two games to California Baptist, and falling short in three of four games at Concordia-Irvine. Adelphi and CUI played to a 2-2 tie in the final game of their series after the game was called due to darkness in the seventh inning. Junior infielder Brenna Martini leads Adelphi at the plate, batting .400 with three home runs and 5 RBI. Sophomore Jessica Vadala holds the lone win in the pitcher's circle for the Panthers and owns a 2.00 ERA with four strikeouts.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State defeated No. 2 West Texas A&M, 7-6, on Sunday in the final day of the Cactus Classic in Tucson, Arizona. The win came just one day after DSU earned its first-ever victory over the Buffs on Saturday and capped a 4-1 week in Tucson for the Trailblazers.

MOVING UP IN THE RANKINGS: Dixie State moved up to No. 20 in the NFCA Division II Top 25 poll after making its debut at No. 23 in last week's poll.

PACWEST PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Kenzie Sawyer (Cedar City, Utah/Canyon View) was named PacWest Player of the Week, and Brooklyn Beardshear (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro HS) was named PacWest Pitcher of the Week after their performances in Tucson. Sawyer hit .571 (8-14) in the five games with two extra-base hits, six RBI and four runs scored. She had three-hit games against Fort Lewis and Mary, driving in a pair of runs in each game. She hit a solo home run against No. 2 West Texas A&M. Beardshear was on the wrong end of a 2-1 loss to Lubbock Christian, allowing two runs (one earned) on eight hits in six innings. She then threw a complete game in Dixie State's first-ever win over No. 2 West Texas A&M, striking out a career-high 10. The award marks the second consecutive Player of the Week honor for the Trailblazers after Jessica Gonzalez (Kingsburg, Calif./Kingsburg HS) was named PacWest Co-Player of the Week on February 13.

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 opens PacWest Conference play with doubleheaders on Saturday, March 4, and Sunday, March 5, at Karl Brooks Field.

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Players Mentioned

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

#15 Josey Hartman: SS; 5' 7"; 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

Players Mentioned

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

#15 Josey Hartman
: 5' 7"; Senior; R/R
: SS

#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