No. 13 Dixie State Trailblazers (25-6, 11-3 PacWest) at:
Hawai'i Hilo (W, 8-0 Â L, 0-1) Sunday
Chaminade (W, 7-0, W, 8-0, W, 1-0, W, 11-0) Tuesday/Wednesday
BYU-Hawaii (L, 1-2 Â W, 9-0) Friday
Hawai'i Pacific (11-7, 4-4 PacWest) Sunday (March 19)
*Records/Rankings current as of 3/17/17
Â
Game Times (Mountain):
Sunday (DH) - W, 8-0 Â L, 0-1
Tuesday (DH) - W, 7-0 Â W, 8-0 (5 innings)
Wednesday (DH) - W, 1-0 Â W, 11-0 (5 innings)
Friday (DH) - L, 1-2 Â W, 9-0 (5 innings)
Sunday, March 19Â (DH) - 4 p.m., 6 p.m.Â
Live Stats: Hawai'i Hilo , Chaminade , BYU-Hawaii (Game 1) BYU-Hawaii (Game 2) , Hawai'i Pacific
Live Audio: Chaminade
Live Video:Â Hawai'i Pacific
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | #DixieBlazers #PacWestSB
After playing 18 of its first 23 games in St. George, the No. 12 Dixie State softball team heads to Hawaii for its first true road contests of the season.
The Trailblazers (19-4, 5-1 PacWest) open the 10-game Hawaiian Island slate on the big island with a doubleheader at Hawai'i Hilo on Sunday before a four-game series with Chaminade in Honolulu on Tuesday and Wednesday. DSU will travel to Laie for a doubleheader with BYU-Hawaii on Friday before closing the trip with a doubleheader at Hawai'i Pacific next Sunday. Â
ALL-TIME VS. HAWAI'I HILO: Sunday's series-opening game marks the 34th meeting between Dixie State and Hawai'i Hilo. The teams first met on April 18, 2007, in Hilo, Hawaii. The Vulcans won the inaugural matchup, 2-1, sparking a three-game streak for UHH in the series. DSU earned its first victory a year later in a 7-1 win in Hilo on March 10, 2008. The Trailblazers have won the last 10 matchups and hold a 24-9 series lead, but are .500 (7-7) vs. the Vulcans on the big island.
ALL-TIME VS. CHAMINADE: Tuesday's series-opening game marks the 30th meeting between Dixie State and Chaminade. The teams first met on April 15, 2007, in Honolulu. DSU won the inaugural matchup, 9-1, sparking a 20-game win streak for the Storm in the series. The Silverswords earned their first victory in the series on March 3, 2013, a 7-1 win in Honolulu. Since then, DSU has won the last eight matchups and holds a 28-1 series lead, including a 13-1 mark in Honolulu.
ALL-TIME VS. BYU-HAWAII: Friday's series-opening game marks the 33rd meeting between Dixie State and BYU-Hawaii. The teams first met on April 16, 2007, in Laie, Hawaii. Dixie State won the inaugural matchup, 11-6, and claimed victories in the next two games before BYU-Hawaii earned its first win in the series, 5-4, on March 24, 2008, in St. George. Since then, DSU has won 25 out of the last 26 matchups and owns a 21-game win streak in the series. The Trailblazers hold a 30-2 series lead, including an 18-0 mark in Laie.
ALL-TIME VS. HAWAI'I PACIFIC: Next Sunday's series-opening game marks the 36th meeting between Dixie State and Hawai'i Pacific. The teams first met on April 20, 2007, in Kaneohe, Hawaii. HPU won the inaugural matchup, 5-4, and went on to win 13 of the first 19 matchups between the teams. Since then, the Trailblazers have won the last 16 games in the series, a stretch that spans back to 2012. DSU holds a 22-13 lead in the series, including an 8-7 mark at HPU.
LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State split a PacWest doubleheader with Dominican on Tuesday. The Trailblazers earned a 14-9 victory to open the day, but dropped a 6-5 decision in the nightcap.
DSU IN THE RANKINGS: DSU maintained its spot at No. 12 in the NFCA Division II Top 25 poll.
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:Â 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 returns to Karl Brooks Field for a non-conference matchup with Southern Utah on Wednesday, March 22, before hosting Azusa Pacific in a four-game weekend series on March 24-25.
Â
