Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics

Softball 4/6/2017 12:00:00 PM By DSU Athletics Media Relations

No. 24 Softball hosts Notre Dame de Namur Saturday

No. 24 Dixie State Trailblazers (30-9, 15-5 PacWest) vs.
Notre Dame de Namur (8-21, 8-10 PacWest)

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

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

After a two-week break from Pacific West Conference play, the No. 24 Dixie State softball team resumes it conference schedule on Saturday, hosting Notre Dame de Namur in a doubleheader at Noon at Karl Brooks Field.

The Trailblazers (30-9, 15-5 PacWest) moved into second place in the PacWest standings after a 3-1 series win over Azusa Pacific on March 24-25. DSU looks to build on the momentum from the APU series, with crucial PacWest trips to Concordia and No. 20 California Baptist looming on the horizon.

ALL-TIME VS. NDNU: Saturday's series-opening game marks the 32nd meeting between Dixie State and Notre Dame de Namur. The teams first met on Feb. 15, 2008, at the Division II Leadoff Classic in Phoenix, Arizona. The Trailblazers won the inaugural matchup, 5-0. NDNU earned its first victory in the series later that year on April 12 in St. George, a 6-2 victory. The Argonauts strung together a three-game win streak from 2013 to 2014, but DSU has won the last seven matchups, including a four-game sweep at NDNU last year. Dixie State holds a 27-4 lead in the series, including a 17-3 mark at Karl Brooks Field.

KNOW YOUR FOE: Notre Dame de Namur enters the weekend with an 8-21 overall record and an 8-10 mark in PacWest play. The Argonauts dropped both ends of a Wednesday doubleheader at CCAA member Cal State East Bay. NDNU recorded its most recent win in a 3-2 triumph over Chaminade on March 29. Junior infielder Taylor Haynes leads the Argonauts at the plate, batting .333 with seven doubles and eight RBI, while senior infielder Cynthia Ream-Garcia is hitting .294 with 11 RBI, two doubles, and two home runs. Freshman Audree Vicory (4-9) leads NDNU in the pitcher's circle with a 4.36 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 80.2 innings pitched.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State dropped a 3-2 non-conference decision at Division I UNLV last Wednesday. The loss moved DSU to a 1-1 record vs. Division I opponents on the season.

LEADING THE LEAGUE: Dixie State leads the PacWest in batting average (.348), doubles (63), triples (12), RBI (251), total bases (525), stolen bases (101), overall wins (30), and shutouts (10). Additionally, Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) leads the league in individual batting average (.465), on-base percentage (.586), and stolen bases (30). Jessica Gonzalez (Kingsburg, Calif./Kingsburg HS) leads the conference in home runs, hitting her 10th of the season vs. Southern Utah on March 22.

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 18 more stolen bases since then for a career total of 106 stolen bases on 118 attempts (.898). Bassett also currently sits atop the career triples (18), batting average (.462), and on-base percentage (.543) lists.

DSU IN THE RANKINGS: After dropping its only game of the week to Division I foe UNLV, DSU fell to No. 24 in the NFCA Division II Top-25 poll, dropping five spots from No. 19 in last week's 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: 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 Concordia-Irvine for a four-game PacWest series with the Eagles next Friday and Saturday.

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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