Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics

Softball 3/23/2017 2:11:00 PM By DSU Athletics Media Relations

No. 20 Softball hosts Azusa Pacific in pivotal PacWest series

Trailblazers look to move up in PacWest standings

No. 20 Dixie State Trailblazers (27-7, 12-4 PacWest) vs.
Azusa Pacific (19-8, 11-3 PacWest)

Game Times (Mountain):
Friday (DH) - 3 p.m., 5 p.m.
Saturday (DH) - Noon, 2 p.m.

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

After a non-conference matchup with Southern Utah on Wednesday, No. 20 Dixie State softball is set to resume Pacific West Conference play in a pivotal four-game series vs. Azusa Pacific on Friday and Saturday at Karl Brooks Field.

The Trailblazers (27-7, 12-4 PacWest) currently sit in third place in the PacWest standings, just behind Azusa Pacific (19-8, 11-3 PacWest) in second place. The series will open with a doubleheader at 3 p.m. on Friday, followed by a doubleheader at Noon on Saturday. Live coverage is scheduled for Saturday's game on television (CEC-TV – TDS Cable Channel 22) and online on the Dixie State Athletics YouTube page.

ALL-TIME VS. AZUSA PACIFIC: Friday's series-opening game will mark the 17th meeting between Dixie State and Azusa Pacific. The teams first met on April 19, 2013, in St. George. The Trailblazers won the inaugural matchup, 5-2. APU earned its first two victories in the series in 2014. DSU responded with a four-game win streak before the Cougars took three of four from DSU in Azusa last season. Dixie State holds an 11-5 lead in the all-time series, including a 9-1 mark at Karl Brooks Field.

KNOW YOUR FOE: Azusa Pacific enters the weekend with a 19-8 overall record and sits in second place in the PacWest with an 11-3 mark in conference action. The Cougars played to an 8-2 record in Hawaii, and split their most recent doubleheader with Academy of Art. Junior infielder Kayla Jimenez leads APU at the plate, batting .383 with 26 RBI and four home runs. Senior infielder Nicki Sprague, PacWest Preseason Player of the Year, is hitting .318 with a team-high 36 RBI and four home runs. Senior Carly Xepoleas (5-2) leads the Cougars in the pitcher's circle with a 1.43 ERA and 42 strikeouts, while freshman Kat Ung (4-3) holds a 1.25 ERA with 25 strikeouts, and sophomore Megan Mejia (6-1) holds a 1.77 ERA with 13 strikeouts.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State defeated Division I opponent Southern Utah, 5-4, on Wednesday. Jessica Gonzalez (Kingsburg, Calif./Kingsburg HS) hit a two-run home run to highlight a four-run fifth inning to propel the Trailblazers to the win.

LEADING THE LEAGUE: Dixie State leads the PacWest in batting average (.354), doubles (53), triples (12), RBI (222), total bases (477), stolen bases (97), overall wins (27), and shutouts (10). Additionally, Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) leads the league in individual batting average (.521), on-base percentage (.615), and stolen bases (28). Jessica Gonzalez (Kingsburg, Calif./Kingsburg HS) leads the conference in home runs, hitting her 10th of the season on Wednesday vs. Southern Utah. Brooklyn Beardshear (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro HS) currently leads the league in the pitcher's circle with 12 wins on the year.

MAKING HISTORY: Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) became Dixie State's career stolen bases leader on February 10, stealing second in the top of the first vs. UC Colorado Springs. Bassett eclipsed former DSU player Bailie Hicken's (2009-10) mark of 87 on the play, and has added 16 more stolen bases since then for a career total of 104 stolen bases on 116 attempts (.897). Bassett also currently sits atop the career triples (18), batting average (.471), and on-base percentage (.546) lists.

DSU IN THE RANKINGS: DSU fell to No. 20 in the NFCA Division II Top 25 poll, dropping seven spots from No. 13 in last week's poll.

PACWEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) was named PacWest Player of the Week on Monday. Bassett led the No. 13 Trailblazers to six wins over the final eight games of the team's Hawaiian road trip. She hit .615 (16-26) with three doubles, nine runs and three RBI. She walked four times and stole seven bases. She logged six multi-hit games and went 3-for-3 twice. She was 5-for-7 with four runs and four stolen bases in a doubleheader sweep of Chaminade. She went 4-for-6 with two runs in a doubleheader split with BYU-Hawaii. Bassett leads the PacWest in batting average (.520), on-base percentage (.604) and stolen bases (27), and is second in runs (28) and third in hits (39).

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 travels to Las Vegas for a non-conference matchup with Division I foe UNLV on Wednesday before hosting Notre Dame de Namur on Saturday, April 8.

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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