Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics

Softball 3/21/2017 5:05:00 PM By DSU Athletics Media Relations

No. 13 Softball hosts Southern Utah Wednesday

No. 13 Dixie State Trailblazers (26-7, 12-4 PacWest) vs.
Southern Utah (4-15, 0-0 Big Sky)

Game Times (Mountain):
Wednesday - 6 p.m.

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

After playing its last 10 games on the road in Hawaii, the No. 13 Dixie State softball team returns to Karl Brooks Field on Wednesday to host Southern Utah at 6 p.m.

The Trailblazers (26-7, 12-4 PacWest) look to get back in the win column after dropping its final game in Hawaii on Sunday, as DSU and SUU will meet in St. George for the first time since 2013.

ALL-TIME VS. SOUTHERN UTAH: Wednesday's game marks the 24th meeting between Dixie State and Southern Utah. The teams first met on March 20, 2007, in Cedar City. The Thunderbirds won the inaugural matchup, 15-4. Dixie State recorded its first win in the series two weeks later, a 5-4 victory on April 4, 2007, in St. George. SUU held the upper hand in the series through the first two years, winning five of the first seven matchups. DSU responded by claiming victories in 12 of the next 15 matchups, dating back to 2009. The Thunderbirds own a two-game win streak in the series, but the Trailblazers hold a 14-9 series lead, including an 11-2 mark at Karl Brooks Field.

KNOW YOUR FOE: Southern Utah enters the game with a 4-15 overall record and will open Big Sky Conference play on Friday. Megan Reed leads the SUU offensive attack, hitting .340, while Morgan Leonard (.326, 13 RBI, HR) and Kendall Kapitzke (.311, 11 RBI, 4 RBI) also average above .300 at the plate. Hanna Wynn (4.45 ERA, 33.0 IP, 14 K) and Kirsten Hostetler (6.00 ERA, 32.2 IP, 6 K) lead the Thunderbirds in the pitcher's circle.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State split a PacWest doubleheader at Hawai'i Pacific on Sunday, 5-2 and 3-2, to finish its 10-game Hawaii trip with a 7-3 record.

DSU IN THE RANKINGS: DSU fell to No. 13 in the NFCA
Division II Top 25 poll, dropping one spot from No. 12 in last week's poll.

BASSETT NAMED PACWEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) was named PacWest Player of the Week on Monday. Bassett led the No. 13 Trailblazers to six wins over the final eight games of the team's Hawaiian road trip. She hit .615 (16-26) with three doubles, nine runs and three RBI. She walked four times and stole seven bases. She logged six multi-hit games and went 3-for-3 twice. She was 5-for-7 with four runs and four stolen bases in a doubleheader sweep of Chaminade. She went 4-for-6 with two runs in a doubleheader split with BYU-Hawaii. Bassett leads the PacWest in batting average (.520), on-base percentage (.604) and stolen bases (27), and is second in runs (28) and third in hits (39).

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 hosts Azusa Pacific in a pivotal PacWest series on Friday (3 p.m./5 p.m.) and Saturday (Noon/2 p.m.).

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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