No. 4 Dixie State Trailblazers (15-0, 2-0 PacWest) vs.
Notre Dame de Namur (3-12, 2-2 PacWest)
March 3-4, 2018 - Karl Brooks FieldÂ
Game Times (Mountain):
Saturday (DH) - Noon, 2 p.m.
Sunday - Noon
Live Stats:Â Dixie State Live StatsÂ
Live Video: Dixie State Live Video (YouTube)
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | #BlazeForward #PacWestSB
The No. 4 Dixie State softball team is set to host Notre Dame de Namur in a three-game series on Saturday and Sunday at Karl Brooks Field. The Trailblazers and Argonauts open the series with a Pacific West Conference doubleheader at Noon on Saturday, followed by a single non-conference matchup on Sunday at Noon.
Live coverage is scheduled on television (CEC-TV – TDS Channel 22) and internet (YouTube.com/DixieStateAthletics). Live stats will also be provided at DixieStateAthletics.com.
ALUMNI WEEKEND: The Trailblazers will host their inaugural Alumni Weekend on Saturday and Sunday in conjunction with the three-game series vs. NDNU. All Dixie State Softball alumni and their families are invited to participate in festivities throughout the weekend, beginning before the doubleheader on Saturday with a tailgate party at 10:30 a.m. in the parking lot directly east of Karl Brooks Field. Participants will check in and receive their free official Alumni Weekend T-Shirt at the tailgate party.
All participants will also be introduced on the field prior to Saturday's doubleheader vs. NDNU. Immediately following the doubleheader, all alumni will receive the opportunity to take batting practice with assistant coach Doug Rogers, and participate in a home run derby. The winner of the home run derby will take home a brand-new Easton softball bat, with the runner-up receiving a Dixie State softball sweatshirt.
Dinner will be served for all participants and their families on the field at 6:15 p.m. During the dinner, an opportunity drawing will be held for two Easton softball bats and two Easton softball gloves. Tickets for the drawing can be purchased ($5 per ticket or $20 for five tickets) throughout the day.
A limited quantity of Dixie State softball shirts (long sleeve - $15; short sleeve - $10), pullovers ($15), shorts ($15), and hats ($25) will also be available for purchase throughout the day.
To register for the event, please RSVP to Alumni@Dixie.Edu. For more information, please contact Randy Simkins (rsimkins@dixie.edu), Wendi Bulkley (wendi.bulkley@dixie.edu), or the DSU Alumni Office (435-652-7535, alumni@dixie.edu).
ALL-TIME VS. NDNU: Saturday's series-opening game marks the 34th 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 nine matchups, including a doubleheader sweep in St. George last year. Dixie State holds a 29-4 lead in the series, including a 19-3 mark at Karl Brooks Field.
KNOW YOUR FOE: Notre Dame de Namur enters the weekend with a 3-12 overall record and a 2-2 mark in PacWest play. The Argonauts earned doubleheader splits with Holy Names and Dominican to open conference play. Senior outfielder Alessandra Giannavola leads NDNU at the plate, hitting .436 with 17 hits and 6 RBI. Freshman infielder Aurora Adams is also hitting .400 at the plate, with 20 hits, 19 RBI, and four home runs. Freshman pitcher Delaney Pamplin leads the Argonauts in the circle with a 3.47 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 42.1 innings pitched.
LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State opened PacWest play last week with a doubleheader sweep, 1-0 and 9-6, over No. 16 Concordia-Irvine at Karl Brooks Field.
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 February 21 and remained at No. 4 in the latest poll on Wednesday.
MAKING HISTORY: Janessa Bassett broke the DSU Softball career runs scored record on February 10 when she scored on a Riley Tyteca 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 14 runs since then for a career total of 198 runs scored.
As a team, the Trailblazers (15-0) are off to the best start in the program's Division II era, eclipsing the 8-0 starts set previously in 2009 and 2017.
CHASING HISTORY: Janessa Bassett 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 13 more hits since then to get to 246 career hits, and needs just three more hits to pass Courtney Hine (248, 2012-15) as the DSU career hits leader.
PACWEST/NFCA WEEKLY AWARDS: Janessa Bassett 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 February 19, while Cambrie Hazel earned PacWest Pitcher of the Week honors. Hazel earned her second and DSU's third consecutive PacWest weekly award on Monday, earning Freshman of the Week honors. Hazel threw a complete-game shutout against No. 16 Concordia-Irvine for her seventh win of the season. She struck out six batters and allowed just four hits and one walk. Hazel also helped close out a 9-6 victory over the Eagles in the second game of the doubleheader, logging another strikeout in 2.0 innings pitched. For the season, Hazel leads the PacWest in wins at 7-0 with 40 strikeouts, one save, and a 1.22 ERA in 34.1 innings of work.
BASSETT NAMED TO PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH:Â For the third consecutive year, Janessa Bassett 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 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 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. 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, and Kenzie Sawyer.
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 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, Cambrie Hazel, and Emma Sweet (Walla Walla, Wash./Walla Walla HS) join the team for the new season.
UP NEXT: Dixie State heads to Hawaii for games against Chaminade, Hawai'i Pacific, and Hawai'i Hilo, beginning on March 12.
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