Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics

Softball 2/21/2019 4:01:00 PM By DSU Athletics Media Relations

No. 13 Softball hosts Adams State and Colorado Christian to open RMAC play

No. 13 Dixie State Trailblazers (6-1) vs.
Adams State (0-12)
Colorado Christian (6-5)
Feb. 24-25, 2019 - Karl Brooks Field

Dixie State Game Times (Mountain):
Sunday vs. Adams State - 11 a.m.
Sunday vs. Colorado Christian - 3 p.m.
Monday vs. Colorado Christian - 11 a.m.
Monday vs. Adams State - 3 p.m.

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

No. 13 Dixie State softball is set to open Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play this weekend with two games against both Adams State and Colorado Christian at Karl Brooks Field.

The games, originally scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, have been moved to Sunday and Monday due to snow and rain in the St. George area. The Trailblazers (6-1) will open the weekend against Adams State on Sunday at 11 a.m., before taking on Colorado Christian at 3 p.m. The schedule will flip on Monday, with DSU playing CCU at 11 a.m. and ASU at 3 p.m. Live stats will be provided for all games at DixieStateAthletics.com.

ALL-TIME VS. ADAMS STATE: Sunday's game marks the first meeting between Dixie State and Adams State.

ALL-TIME VS. COLORADO CHRISTIAN: Sunday's game marks the first meeting between Dixie State and Colorado Christian.

KNOW YOUR FOE: Adams State enters the weekend with an 0-12 overall record. The Grizzlies have played three consecutive weekends away from their home field in Alamosa. Breanna Shaffer leads the ASU attack, hitting .500, while Sarah Hansen (.429, 9 Hits/2B/HR/RBI), and Angel Micciulli (.400, 6 hits/2B/RBI) are also hitting .400 or better.

Colorado Christian enters the weekend with a 6-5 overall record. The Cougars have won their last three games, including back-to-back six-inning wins. Caitlyn McCarthy leads the CCU attack, hitting .621 with 18 hits, two home runs, and 13 RBI, while Charlotte Romero is hitting .533 with 16 hits, three doubles, and 7 RBI. Three others are hitting over .400, including Stephanie Day (.485/16 hits/2 2B/14 RBI), Kendall Yasui (.441/15 hits/3B/3 RBI), and Kacie Burger (.421/8 hits/8 RBI). Kenzie Mattey leads the Cougars in the pitching circle with a 4-2 record and a 2.73 ERA with 27 strikeouts.

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY: The Trailblazers were forced to cancel four games last week when heavy rain in the area wreaked havoc on the Dixie State Classic.

DSU TABBED AS RMAC PRESEASON FAVORITE: Dixie State softball was selected as the 2019 RMAC preseason favorite by the league's 13 coaches. The Trailblazers received seven out of a possible 13 first-place votes in the RMAC coaches' poll to garner a total of 138 points, edging reigning RMAC champion Colorado Mesa, which received six first-place votes and earned 135 points in the poll. Colorado Christian landed at No. 3, while Regis and MSU Denver came in at fourth and fifth to round out the top-5. Junior outfielder Brenna Cornwall (Hinck) garnered the team's lone preseason All-RMAC honor as one of three outfielders on the preseason All-RMAC team.

IN THE RANKINGS: After landing at No. 17 in the preseason poll, the Trailblazers moved up to No. 13 on Wednesday in the latest NFCA Division II Top-25 Coaches Poll.

THE SIMKINS FILE: Randy Simkins enters his 11th year as the Dixie State head softball coach in 2019, after a stint as head coach at DSU while competing in the junior college ranks. In 10-plus seasons, Simkins has accumulated 428 victories to just 119 losses for a winning percentage of .782. 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.

2019 ROSTER: Dixie State returns nine starters from the 2018 squad, led by All-American Cambrie Hazel and All-Region honorees Bailey Gaffin and Jessica Gonzalez.

Hazel garnered third team NFCA All-America honors in 2018 and became just the second DSU freshman (Janessa Bassett, 2015) to attain All-America status. Hazel was dominant in her debut collegiate season, earning six different PacWest weekly awards to go with one national weekly award. Hazel was named PacWest Pitcher of the Week four times, while landing two Freshman of the Week honors. She was also named NFCA National Pitcher of the Week on April 11. Hazel tossed a DSU record five no-hitters and just the second perfect game (vs. NDNU; 3/3/18) in DSU history in 2018. She closed the season with a 20-4 record, a 1.79 ERA, and 142 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .162 batting average. Additionally, Hazel became the first freshman (and the third overall) DSU pitcher to win 20 or more games in a single season.

Gaffin earned first team All-West Region honors in 2018, hitting .342 with 53 hits, 45 RBI, 12 doubles, three home runs, and one triple. She also recorded 14 multi-hit and 13 multi-RBI games. Defensively, Gaffin has logged a .943 fielding percentage with 78 putouts and 88 assists in 176 chances. She also helped turn six double plays.

Gonzalez garnered second team All-West Region honors, hitting .319 with 43 hits, 41 RBI, seven home runs, and six doubles. She also recorded 11 multi-hit games to go with 11 multi-RBI games. Gonzalez belted two grand slams in 2018, including the game-winning blast over Concordia-Irvine to clinch the West 2 Regional title. Defensively, Gonzalez posted a .988 fielding percentage with 225 putouts and 23 assists on 251 chances. She also mowed down seven stolen base attempts.

The Trailblazers also return preseason All-RMAC honoree Brenna Cornwall and third team All-PacWest honoree Kori Gahn.

Cornwall helped anchor a talented DSU outfield in 2018, hitting .364 with 44 hits, 25 RBI, nine doubles, two home runs, and two triples. Additionally, she posted 10 multi-hit games and logged a team-high .506 on-base percentage. She also stole 16 bases on 18 attempts. Defensively, Cornwall recorded a .971 fielding percentage with 64 putouts and two assists in 68 total chances. Brenna also earned All-PacWest Academic honors with a 3.64 GPA.

Gahn landed her first All-PacWest honor after hitting .278 with 40 hits, 28 RBI, eight doubles, and three home runs. She also finished the regular season with eight multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games. Defensively, Gahn logged a .985 fielding percentage with 264 putouts and seven assists in 275 chances.

DSU returns four other starters from the 2018 squad, including Riley Tyteca (.300/24 RBI/5 HR/5 2B), Kaitlyn Delange, (.292/19 RBI/9 2B), Dani Bartholf (.283/27 RBI/6 2B/3 HR), and Alexandria Melendez (10-4, 4.44 ERA/51 SO).

Five new players join the 2019 squad, including Division I transfer Mikaela Thomson and freshmen Lindsay Altfillisch, Carissa Burgess, Kasey Crawford, and Ashley Jones.

UP NEXT: The Trailblazers head to Colorado for an RMAC showdown with No. 22 Colorado Mesa on next Saturday and Sunday in Grand Junction.

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Players Mentioned

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

#2 Dani Bartholf: 3B/2B; 5' 4"; Senior; R/R

#4 Kaitlyn Delange: 2B/SS; 5' 3"; Senior; L/R

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

#12 Jessica Gonzalez: C; 5' 8"; Senior; R/R

#13 Alexandria Melendez: P; 5' 4"; Senior; R/R

#22 Brenna Cornwall: OF; 5' 7"; Junior; L/R

#17 Kori Gahn: 1B/3B; 5' 8"; Junior; R/R

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

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

#00 Lindsay Altfillisch: C/3B; 5' 2"; Freshman; R/R

#6 Carissa Burgess: P; 5' 10"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

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

#2 Dani Bartholf
: 5' 4"; Senior; R/R
: 3B/2B

#4 Kaitlyn Delange
: 5' 3"; Senior; L/R
: 2B/SS

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

#12 Jessica Gonzalez
: 5' 8"; Senior; R/R
: C

#13 Alexandria Melendez
: 5' 4"; Senior; R/R
: P

#22 Brenna Cornwall
: 5' 7"; Junior; L/R
: OF

#17 Kori Gahn
: 5' 8"; Junior; R/R
: 1B/3B

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

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

#00 Lindsay Altfillisch
: 5' 2"; Freshman; R/R
: C/3B

#6 Carissa Burgess
: 5' 10"; Freshman; R/R
: P