No. 4 Softball opens PacWest play Saturday vs. No. 16 Concordia-Irvine

Trailblazers take 13-game undefeated streak into PacWest play

No. 4 Dixie State Trailblazers (13-0, 0-0 PacWest) vs.
No. 16 Concordia-Irvine (7-2, 0-0 PacWest)
Feb. 24, 2018 - Karl Brooks Field

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

Live Stats: Dixie State Live Stats
Live Video: Dixie State Live Video (YouTube)
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | #BlazeForward #PacWestSB

After a record-setting 13-0 start to the 2018 season, No. 4 Dixie State softball opens Pacific West Conference play on Saturday against No. 16 Concordia-Irvine with a doubleheader starting at Noon at Karl Brooks Field.

Live video coverage is scheduled for the doubleheader on the Dixie State Athletics YouTube page (YouTube.com/DixieStateAthletics). Live stats will also be provided at DixieStateAthletics.com.

ALL-TIME VS. CONCORDIA-IRVINE: Saturday's series-opening game marks the 10th meeting between Dixie State and Concordia-Irvine. The teams first met in a doubleheader on Feb. 8, 2008, in Irvine, California. The Eagles swept the doubleheader to take a two-game advantage in the series, which was resumed in 2016 during CUI's debut season in the PacWest. The teams split a four-game series in both the 2016 and 2017 season in the most recent matchups. CUI holds a 6-4 lead in the series, while the teams have split four matchups at Karl Brooks Field.

KNOW YOUR FOE: Concordia-Irvine enters the weekend with a 7-2 overall record. The Eagles recently moved into the NFCA Division II Top-25 at No. 16, marking the first Top-25 ranking in the school's Division II history. CUI boasts both strong pitching and strong bats throughout the lineup. Senior pitcher Grayson Harvey is 3-1 on the season with 28 strikeouts. Freshman pitcher Callie Nunes is 2-0 with two saves, a 0.59 ERA and 40 strikeouts. Offensively, senior center fielder Ryann Ferguson is hitting .581 with 18 hits, 14 RBI, and five home runs. Ashley Balestreri and Sarah Kretschmar are both batting .435 on the year, with eight more Eagles hitting above .350.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State went 5-0 at the 2018 Cactus Classic in Tucson, Arizona, including wins over Lubbock Christian (8-0), Western Oregon (3-2), Franklin Pierce (2-1), Fort Lewis (17-4), and Southern Nazarene (6-5).

MOVING UP IN THE RANKINGS: After landing at No. 9 in the NFCA Division II Preseason Poll, the Trailblazers moved up five spots to No. 4 on Wednesday in the latest poll.

MAKING HISTORY: Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) broke the DSU Softball career runs scored record on February 10 when she scored on a Riley Tyteca (Farmington, Utah/Viewmont HS) single in the top of the fifth inning vs. MSU Billings. The run marked her 184th career run scored, passing Courtney Hine (183, 2012-15). Bassett has scored 12 runs since then for a career total of 196 runs scored.

CHASING HISTORY: Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) started the 2018 season at No. 3 on the DSU Softball career hits list with 223 career hits. Bassett recorded her 10th hit of the season in the bottom of the fourth vs. Chadron State on February 10 for her 233rd career hit. The hit propelled her past Nicole Chavez (232, 2012-15) and into No. 2 on the career hits list. Bassett has logged 10 more hits since then to get to 243 career hits, and needs just six more hits to pass Courtney Hine (248, 2012-15) as the DSU career hits leader.

PACWEST/NFCA WEEKLY AWARDS: Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) was named PacWest Player of the Week on Monday and NFCA D2 Player of the Week on February 12 and February 14, respectively. Bassett repeated as PacWest Player of the Week on Monday, while Cambrie Hazel (Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork HS) earned PacWest Pitcher of the Week honors. Bassett recorded four multi-hit games last week to reach a total of eight multi-hit games already this year. Bassett had one double and one triple and recorded four runs and 4 RBI. She also stole four bases to improve to 10-for-10 on stolen-base attempts this year. Additionally, Bassett boasts a .476 batting average and has a league-leading 43 total bases. Hazel made three outings last week and recorded two wins and a save. She opened the week with her first collegiate no-hitter against Lubbock Christian with 12 strikeouts in seven innings on Saturday. Hazel recorded five outs against Southern Nazarene on Sunday as the Trailblazers came back for a 6-5 win. Earlier in the day, she had a four-out save against Fort Lewis for her first career save. Hazel threw a total of 10 innings with 16 strikeouts and just one hit and no runs allowed.

BASSETT NAMED TO PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH: For the third consecutive year, Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) has been named to the NFCA/Schutt Sports Division II Player of the Year Watch List. The Top 25 finalists will be announced on April 23, while the Top 10 will be announced on May 15. The 2018 Player of the Year will be revealed on June 4.

DSU PICKED SECOND IN PACWEST PRESEASON POLL: For the second consecutive season, the Trailblazers were picked to finish in second place in this year's PacWest Preseason Poll behind California Baptist. Junior outfielder Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) was named as the PacWest Preseason Player of the Year after earning NFCA/D2CCA All-America and first team All-PacWest honors last season. Bassett, along with Bailey Gaffin (Glendale, Ariz./Mountain Ridge HS) and Jessica Gonzalez (Kingsburg, Calif./Kingsburg HS), was also named to the PacWest Preseason Team.

THE SIMKINS FILE: Randy Simkins enters his 10th year as the Dixie State head softball coach in 2018, 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 380 victories to just 108 losses for a winning percentage of .779 in nine 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 in 2015.

2018 ROSTER: Dixie State returns 13 starters from the 2017 squad, led by senior outfielder Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS). A three-time first team All-PacWest honoree and three-time All-American, Bassett led Dixie State in batting average for the third consecutive season in 2017, hitting .406 with 43 runs scored, 19 RBI, and conference-best marks in on-base percentage (.519), stolen bases (42), and triples (5). She also set the new DSU career stolen bases record, stealing 42 bases on 45 attempts for a career total of 118 stolen bases. Additionally, Bassett, was named PacWest Defender of the Year, and was near-perfect defensively, logging a .983 fielding percentage with 59 putouts in 60 chances.

The Trailblazers return three other All-PacWest honorees, including Jessica Gonzalez (Kingsburg, Calif./Kingsburg HS), Bailey Gaffin (Glendale, Ariz./Mountain Ridge HS), and Kenzie Sawyer (Cedar City, Utah/Canyon View).

Gonzalez earned D2CCA All-West Region and second team PacWest honors in 2017. She finished the season in the Top-10 of six different statistical categories in the PacWest, including slugging percentage (.610), fielding percentage (.990), RBI (40), home runs (11), walks drawn (22), and caught stealing by (11).

Gaffin enjoyed a breakout season in 2017 and landed D2CAA/NFCA All-West Region honors and second team All-PacWest honors. She finished the season in the Top-10 in five different statistical categories in the PacWest, including batting average (.390), slugging percentage (.585), on-base percentage (.463), hits (62), and RBI (43). Defensively, Gaffin logged a .957 fielding percentage, recording 102 putouts and 74 assists in 184 chances.

Sawyer was named the PacWest Newcomer of the Year in 2017, as she transitioned seamlessly from the junior college ranks to the PacWest, hitting .327 with 26 RBI, eight doubles, and four home runs. She recorded nine multi-RBI games, reached base in 14 consecutive games, and earned PacWest Player of the Week honors on February 20.

Alyssa Arslanian (Tooele, Utah/Tooele HS) joins the team as the only junior college transfer addition in 2018. Arslanian hit .431 with 106 RBI, 31 doubles, and 27 home runs in two seasons at Snow College.

Four freshman look to compete for playing time in 2018 as Meagan Anders (Las Vegas, Nev./Desert Oasis HS), Malory Eldredge (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley HS), Cambrie Hazel (Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork HS), and Emma Sweet (Walla Walla, Wash./Walla Walla HS) join the team for the new season.

UP NEXT: Dixie State will host Notre Dame de Namur next week in a three-game series on Saturday and Sunday.

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Players Mentioned

#1 Janessa Bassett: OF; 5' 3"; Senior; L/R

#00 Kenzie Sawyer: OF/C; 5' 8"; Senior; R/R

#5 Bailey Gaffin: 2B/SS; 5' 6"; Junior; L/R

#12 Jessica Gonzalez: C/1B; 5' 8"; Junior; R/R

#21 Alyssa Arslanian: 3B; 5' 5"; Junior; R/R

#44 Riley Tyteca: 1B/C; 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R

#24 Meagan Anders: SS/C/OF; 5' 3"; Freshman; L/R

#11 Malory Eldredge: OF; 5' 8"; Freshman; L/R

#8 Cambrie Hazel: P; 5' 11"; Freshman; R/R

#15 Emma Sweet: 2B/SS; 5' 6"; Freshman; L/R

Players Mentioned

#1 Janessa Bassett
: 5' 3"; Senior; L/R
: OF

#00 Kenzie Sawyer
: 5' 8"; Senior; R/R
: OF/C

#5 Bailey Gaffin
: 5' 6"; Junior; L/R
: 2B/SS

#12 Jessica Gonzalez
: 5' 8"; Junior; R/R
: C/1B

#21 Alyssa Arslanian
: 5' 5"; Junior; R/R
: 3B

#44 Riley Tyteca
: 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R
: 1B/C

#24 Meagan Anders
: 5' 3"; Freshman; L/R
: SS/C/OF

#11 Malory Eldredge
: 5' 8"; Freshman; L/R
: OF

#8 Cambrie Hazel
: 5' 11"; Freshman; R/R
: P

#15 Emma Sweet
: 5' 6"; Freshman; L/R
: 2B/SS