No. 5 Dixie State Trailblazers (26-4, 12-4 PacWest) at:
Cal State East Bay (15-24, 9-19 CCAA)
Holy Names (3-23, 3-11 PacWest)
Dominican (14-26, 5-15 PacWest)
April 4/6/7, 2018
Game Times (Mountain):
at CSUEB - Wednesday (DH) - 1 p.m., 3 p.m.
at HNU - Friday (DH) - 1 p.m., 3 p.m.
at DUC - Saturday (DH) - 1 p.m., 3 p.m.
Live Stats: Cal State East Bay , Holy Names , Dominican
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | #BlazeForward #PacWestSB
The No. 5 Dixie State softball team heads to northern California this week for six games in four days. The Trailblazers (26-4, 12-4 PacWest) will open the trip with a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday at Cal State East Bay in Hayward, California. DSU will return to Pacific West Conference play with a doubleheader against Holy Names on Friday in Moraga, followed by a doubleheader at Dominican on Saturday in San Rafael.
First pitch is set for Noon Pacific Time (1 p.m. MT) on each day. Live stats will be provided by each school's sports information staff. Links can be found at DixieStateAthletics.com. However, there are currently no plans for any of the games to be streamed.
ALL-TIME VS. CAL STATE EAST BAY: Wednesday's series-opening game marks the second meeting between Dixie State and Cal State East Bay. The teams first met on April 1, 2012, at the Tournament of Champions in Turlock. The Pioneers claimed a 3-2 victory in nine innings to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Wednesday's doubleheader marks the first time the teams have met on either side's home field.
ALL-TIME VS. HOLY NAMES: Friday's series-opening game marks the 15th meeting between Dixie State and Holy Names. The teams first met on April 13, 2013, in St. George. Dixie State won the inaugural matchup, 7-5, sparking a 14-game win streak in the series. The Trailblazers hold a 14-0 series lead, including a 6-0 mark away from Karl Brooks Field.
ALL-TIME VS. DOMINICAN: Saturday's series-opening game marks the 25th meeting between Dixie State and Dominican. The teams first met on April 21, 2010, in San Rafael, California. DSU won the inaugural matchup, 21-0, and won the first 23 matchups in the series. The Penguins stole a 6-5 win at Karl Brooks Field last season for their first win over DSU. The Trailblazers hold a 23-1 series lead, including 12-0 mark in San Rafael.
KNOW YOUR FOE: Cal State East Bay enters the week with a 15-24 record, including a 9-19 mark in CCAA play. The Pioneers split a four-game series with nationally-ranked Sonoma State last week. Three CSUEB players are currently hitting .300 or better, including Jennifer Palmares (.331, 46 hits, 15 2B, 9 RBI), Sarah Fukushima (.301, 34 hits, 23 RBI, 8 2B), and Bailee Aguigui (.301, 22 hits, 8 RBI). Abby Greer leads the Pioneers in the pitcher's circle with a 2.85 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 100.2 innings pitched.
Holy Names enters the week with a 3-23 overall record and a 3-11 mark in PacWest play. The Hawks swept a doubleheader from Chaminade on Friday in their last outing before the matchup with DSU. Two HNU players are hitting .300 or better, including Kiana Evans (.305, 18 hits, 6 RBI, 5 2B) and Tailor Goods (21 hits, 3 2B). Haighley Kissee leads the Hawks in the pitching circle with a 5.02 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 68.1 innings pitched.
Dominican enters the week with a 14-26 overall record and a 5-15 mark in PacWest play. The Penguins split a doubleheader with Hawai'i Hilo and Notre Dame de Namur before Saturday's showdown with Dixie State. Two Dominican players are hitting .300 or better, including McKenzie Schumacher (.315, 39 hits, 18 RBI) and Vanessa Porto (.315, 23 hits, 6 RBI). Gaby Katafias leads Dominican in the pitcher's circle with a 5.25 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 101.1 innings pitched.
LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State played to a 4-2 record in in a four-game homestand at Karl Brooks Field.
IN THE RANKINGS: After a week off before the 4-2 record during the homestand, the Trailblazers moved up one spot from No. 6 to No. 5 in last week's NFCA Division II Top-25 poll.
MAKING HISTORY: Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) became the DSU Softball career hits leader with a leadoff single in the first inning at Chaminade on March 12 for her 249th career hit, passing Courtney Hine (248, 2012-15). Bassett has recorded 13 more hits since then for a current career total of 262 hits. Additionally, Bassett 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 38 runs since then for a career total of 222 runs scored.
Cambrie Hazel (Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork HS) earned her 10th win of the season on Thursday vs. Azusa Pacific to become just the second freshman (Lauren Folta, 2009; 15-6) in the DSU softball NCAA era to notch 10 wins in a season. Hazel earned another win on Saturday over Biola to improve to 11-2 on the season.
As a team, the Trailblazers recorded their best start in program history, winning 22 consecutive games to start the 2018 season, before falling at Hawai'i Pacific on March 14.
400-WIN CLUB: Head coach Randy Simkins recorded his 400th career win when the Trailblazers swept Chaminade in a doubleheader on March 12. Simkins currently holds a 406-112 (.784) record in his 10th season at Dixie State.
PACWEST WEEKLY AWARDS: Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) was named PacWest Player of the Week on Monday, while Cambrie Hazel (Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork HS) landed PacWest Pitcher of the Week honors. Bassett lands her third PacWest Player of the Week award, hitting .625 (10-of-16) with 8 RBI, three doubles, two triples, and a home run, to lead the Trailblazers to a 4-2 record in last week's six-game homestand. She also recorded a .750 on-base percentage, logging 20 total bases and 14 runs scored. Bassett was also successful on 5-of-6 stolen base attempts. Bassett currently leads the PacWest in triples (6) and runs scored (48), and ranks second in slugging percentage (.875), on-base percentage (.554), and stolen bases (21).
Hazel, who has also garnered Freshman of the Week honors this season, earns her third PacWest Pitcher of the Week award. Hazel went 3-0 last week with a 0.41 ERA, allowing just one earned run in 17 innings pitched. She logged 11 strikeouts and held opposing batters to a .145 batting average. Hazel also tossed her third no-hitter of the season in the series-opener against Azusa Pacific on Wednesday.
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 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 returns home for a critical four-game series vs. No. 24 California Baptist on Friday and Saturday at Karl Brooks Field.
