LOUISVILLE, Ky. –  The NFCA has partnered with Diamond Kinetics to create a new technology scholarship. One fastpitch high school team, college team or training facility who has integrated technology into their respective program throughout the preceding year will be chosen to receive an honorary plaque, a $500 technology stipend and $2000 in Diamond Kinetics products for continued technology development. Scholarship announcements will be made at the 2017 NFCA Convention in Las Vegas, Dec. 6-9. To apply click HERE.

Existing NFCA scholarships include the Mary Nutter Scholarship and the Diversity Grant. Both allow for members to receive funding for the 2017 Convention, which includes registration costs as well as reimbursement towards lodging and travel (up to a certain amount).

All scholarship and award application/nominations are due by September 1st.

For all these awards, appropriate details and supporting documentation is required to be submitted and recipients must be NFCA members. Visit NFCA.org and access the application forms through your Coach’s Box.

Donna Newberry “Perseverance” Award
Recognizes an NFCA member coach who has demonstrated extraordinary strength of will and character in the fight to overcome a physical, mental, or social adversity that presented an additional challenge to the already demanding job of a coach.
 
Easton/NFCA Assistant Coach of the Year Award
Recognizes an assistant/associate head coach from each NFCA membership category for their tireless dedication to the sport of softball and to the continued education, growth, and development of young women both on and off the field.
 
Humanitarian Award
Recognizes an NFCA member coach who has selflessly dedicated his/her time toward the long-term betterment of the community and/or engaged in charitable activities in the service of others.
 
Mary Nutter Scholarship
Is an educational grant awarded to an NFCA member coach who seeks and desires educational opportunity, but who requires financial assistance to cover the NFCA Annual Convention costs.
 
Diversity Grant
Is a grant awarded to a minority NFCA member coach who is active in the fastpitch community, is service oriented, and who promotes diversity in the sport of softball.

Activision has announced the first new map for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s Blackout battle royale mode. And just to get this out of the way, no, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke in any way.

The map is called Alcatraz, and it’s based on the prison island of the same name in the San Francisco Bay. It appears to be a much smaller Blackout map than the current one, and Alcatraz’s debut trailer (which you can watch below) describes it as being “close quarters battle royale” as a result.

The trailer also features longer range fights around the outside of the map’s central prison, as well as what looks like a fair amount of verticality with a lighthouse and even a moving gondola-type thing for your team to ride to the top of the prison – which, of course, has zombies in it.

It’s unclear exactly how big Alcatraz will be, but we won’t have to wait long to find out. The new map will go live on PlayStation 4 tomorrow, April 2, and coming to other platforms sometime after that.

Blackout received a “hardcore” update last month as well, so updates don’t appear to be slowing down just yet.

Tom Marks is IGN’s Deputy Reviews Editor and resident pie maker. You can follow him on Twitter.

Canadians have banded together to raise more than $10,000 within a day after a Calgary grandmother was pushed onto the path of an oncoming CTrain on Thursday afternoon.

Rozalia Meichl, 64, had been standing on the Victoria Park/Stampede platform with a friend when a stranger shoved her onto the tracks.

Critical condition

The train managed to stop before hitting Meichl, but the incident left her in critical condition. The mother, who raised her children alone and could not work due to a disability, has no medical or disability insurance and was living in an assisted-living facility. She already suffered from a spinal disability and the attack severed her spine.

“My mother is now 100 per cent paraplegic,” Charmaine Newman said in an interview with Global News. “She will be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. She has no feeling below her chest area and she will require help around the clock.”

A $100,000 GoFundMe fundraiser was started by Kristie Rosom, a member of Meichl’s family, according to a post on her Facebook page.

“The doctors and medical team have advised the family she will require permanent medical supervision in order to live day-to-day … The family appreciates any and all assistance. We thank you in advance for helping a mother and grandmother through a very difficult time. The funds received will be utilized for rehabilitation, medical bills and long-term care,” the page says.

Her son, Allan Hein, told the Calgary Herald she may not walk again and that they were lucky she was alive at all.

“She has no idea what happened to her,” he said, adding that she is using a whiteboard to communicate. He described his mother as a selfless woman who spent a lot of time volunteering and raising money for various causes.

“She has nothing — not even two pennies to rub together and if she did, she would’ve given them to a charity,” said Hein.

Suspect allegedly linked to another attack

Calgary police said the attack was random. They have charged Stephanie Favel, 35, with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and breach of probation.

She was allegedly linked to a different attack three years ago, but the charges were withdrawn, CBC News reported.

“This person was released … She’s got an extensive history. Why was she allowed to be out to harm an innocent, elderly, disabled bystander?” Newman told Global.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – National Pro Fastpitch announced an agreement with the Olympic Channel for streaming live game action from the 2017 NPF season. As part of the agreement, the Olympic Channel will present 10 regular season games on their global digital platform. In addition, the Olympic Channel will also highlight the league’s players and teams through original features and digital content.

Launched in August 2016, the Olympic Channel is a multi-platform destination where fans can experience the power of sport and the excitement of the Olympic Games all year round, and is available worldwide via mobile apps for Android and iOS devices and at olympicchannel.com.

“We are excited to work with National Pro Fastpitch and bring additional exposure to their sport and athletes who represent many countries,” said Mark Parkman, general manager of the Olympic Channel. “The worldwide appeal of fastpitch softball is a great fit for our worldwide platform and youthful demographic as we look ahead to the sport of softball being re-introduced at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.”

“This is a terrific opportunity for the NPF to share our live 2017 competition action with a worldwide audience that is likely not familiar with the league,” commented NPF Commissioner, Cheri Kempf. “Through the games and the original content pieces, we hope to impress and inspire new softball fans from around the world. This serves our overall mission to continue to grow interest and participation in the sport of professional softball.”

The game schedule includes action from all six NPF teams and is spread throughout the span of the 2017 regular season. 

— Courtesy of NPF

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — Most residents of a northern B.C. community are being allowed back into their homes after a gas pipeline ruptured, sparking a massive blaze.

RCMP say the explosion happened at about 5:30 p.m. PT Tuesday and forced about 100 members of the nearby Lheidli T’enneh First Nation from their homes.

Officials say it was from an Enbridge natural gas pipeline in Shelley, B.C., about 15 kilometres northeast of Prince George.

Police say residences within several kilometres were evacuated as a precaution, but the evacuation zone has now been reduced to residences within a one kilometre radius of the explosion site.

They say there are no injuries and no reported damage other than to the pipeline itself.

The gas supply has been shut down and police say there is no indication of a cause at this point in time.

National Energy Board spokesman Tom Neufeld said the fire was along Enbridge’s Westcoast main line, which falls under the board’s jurisdiction.

The Westcoast Transmission System transports natural gas produced in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin to consumers in B.C. and, through interconnecting pipelines, other Canadian provinces and the United States.

“NEB inspectors have been deployed to this area. They’re going to monitor and oversee the company’s response to the incident, and they’re going to determine the impact and extent of the fire and release,” Neufeld said.

The agency will work closely with the Transportation Safety Board, which is responsible for investigating the incident, he said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Louisiana shortstop DJ Sanders and Villanova southpaw Brette Lawrence named Louisville Slugger NFCA Division I National Player and of the Week, respectively, for games played April 17-23, announced the Association on Tuesday afternoon.

Sanders was a familiar site on the base paths last week. She reached base safely in 14 of 15 plate appearances and scored all but once, totaling 13 runs. The junior from Columbus, Miss. also drew nine walks and recorded a .933 on-base percentage. When she did have a chance to swing the bat, Sanders recorded five hits (5-for-6), four of which left the park, and drove in 10 runs. She opened the scoring with a two-run first-inning homer in a 11-9 road win at then-No. 4 Texas A&M. Sanders also drew a pair of two-out walks that set up a grand slam and a base-clearing double. In the first two games of a Sun Belt doubleheader versus Georgia State, she was 4-for-4 with three dingers, seven RBI and seven runs scored. Her four long balls brought her NCAA-leading total to 27.

“We have a plan that changes for each pitcher and Coach Mike does a good job preparing us for what’s coming,” Sanders said after Saturday’s performance at the plate. “We spend all week preparing for it, so I’m not up there guessing what the pitcher is going to throw. It just so happens that when I square it, it usually goes out, but it’s only because of the preparation that Coach Mike has put in.”

Highlighted by a perfect game against St. John’s, Lawrence was 5-0 with a 0.76 ERA and 21 strikeouts to just three walks in 27.1 innings of work. While holding St. John’s offense, who owned the BIG EAST’s top batting average, scoreless in two starts, the senior from Sparks, Nev. limited her opposition to a .194 batting average. In the six-inning perfecto, Lawrence struck out four Red Storm batter in an 8-0 win. A day earlier, she surrendered four hits, struck out seven and did not walk a batter in a complete-game 2-0 triumph over St. Johns. Additionally, she earned a complete-game win over Monmouth and collected a pair of wins against Fairleigh Dickinson in which she did not allow a run and struck out five in seven innings of work.

“Everyone was energetic and ready to play well, so it made my job easy,” said Lawrence. “I knew in my mind as the game went on that it was a perfect game, but we all kept it to ourselves until it actually happened. The last inning was nerve-wracking, but I kept telling myself to throw one pitch at a time and throw my best pitch. I knew my defense would be right behind me, just like they were all game.” 

Player of the Week
April 25 – DJ Sanders (Louisiana)
April 18 – Caroline Seitz (Mississippi State)
April 11 – Jessica Warren (Florida State)
April 4 – Kaylan Jablonski (Nebraska)
March 28 – Brooke Vines (Tennessee)
March 21 – Braxton Burnside (Missouri)
March 14 – Chloe Miller (Wisconsin)
March 7 – Alex Mycek (East Carolina)
Feb. 28 – Mo Mercado (Arizona)
Feb. 21 – Bailey Landry (LSU)
Feb. 14 – Mary Stephens (Missouri State)

Pitcher of the Week
April 25 – Brette Lawrence (Villanova)
April 18 – Kelly Barnhill (Florida)
April 11 – Randi Rupp (Texas State)
April 4 – Cheyenne Baker (Missouri)
March 28 – Danielle O’Toole (Arizona)
March 21 – Sierra Hyland (Cal Poly) & Emily Watson (Tulsa)
March 14 – Alexis Osorio (Alabama)
March 7 – Kelsee Selman (Baylor)
Feb. 28 – Sam Show (Texas A&M)
Feb. 21 – Jessica Burroughs (Florida State)
Feb. 14 – Taran Alvelo (Washington)

Selected Top Performances
Katiyana Mauga, Arizona (Pac-12 Player of the Week)- .474, 9 H, 5 HR, 9 RBI, 1.316 SLG; Rachel Garcia, UCLA (Pac-12 Pitcher & Freshman of the Week)- 2-0, save, 0.00 ERA, 2 R, 0 ER, 16 K, 4 BB, 8 H, .151 opp. BA, 14 IP, .400 BA, 4 H, RBI; Taran Alvelo, Washington- 2-0 at Alabama, 12 K, SHO, 12 IP; Kelly Barnhill, Florida (SEC Pitcher of the Week)- 2-0, SHO, 0 R, 25 K, 1 BB, 12 IP; Kayli Kvistad, Florida (SEC Player of the Week)- .636, 7 H, 8 RBI; Sarah Cornell, Hofstra (CAA Pitcher of the Week)- 2-0, 1.00 ERA, SHO, 18 K, .122 opp BA, no-hitter vs. Stony Brook (9K); Megan Good, JMU (CAA Player of the Week)- 3-for-4, 2 2B, HR, 2.000 SLG, .833 OBP, 4 RBI, 1-0, 0.81 ERA, 1 R, 5 H, 4 K; 2-0, SHO, 0 R; Abby Morrow, Radford (Big South Co-Pitcher of the Week)- 4-0, 0.26 ERA, 3 SHO, 1 R, 15 K, 3 BB, 26.2 IP; Abby Stoner, Western Michigan (MAC West Player of the Week)- .545 (6-for-11), 2 HR, grand slam, 8 RBI, 4 BB, .667 OBP; Emily Watson, Tulsa (American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week)- 3-0, 0.37 ERA, 31 K, 0 BB; Jordan de los Reyes, Illinois State (MVC Player of the Week)- .692, 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 1.462 SLG; Vicky Kinney, Omaha (Summit League Player of the Week)- .667 (10-for-15), .688 OBP, 1.133 SLG, 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI; Maddie Houlihan, Minnesota (Big Ten Player of the Week)- .526, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R, .571 OBP; Sara Groenewegen, Minnesota (Big Ten Pitcher of the Week)- 3-0, 2 SHO, 0 R, 35 K, 2 BB, 25 IP; Sam Dellinger, Creighton (BIG EAST Player of the Week)- .588, 3 HR, 8 R, 7 RBI, 1.294 SLG