LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Twenty-five student-athletes were recently named as contenders for the 2018 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division III National Player of the Year award, the Association announced.

Reigning Player of the Year Hanna Hull of Virginia Wesleyan, a sophomore, leads the way, and is joined by Marlins senior first baseman Cassetty Howerin on the list.

Texas-Tyler leads all schools with four choices — juniors Colleen Bentke (pitcher), Nicole Garcia (outfield) and Lynsey Mitchell (designated player), and freshman catcher Ashley Perez.

Two other schools have two selections each; Trine with seniors Kaylee Fox (first base) and Erica Robles (outfield), and Williams with senior catcher Lexi Curt and junior pitcher/utility player Mackenzie Murphy. Fifteen other schools have one player apiece.

The West region has the most representatives, with seven, followed by the Atlantic with five, Central with four, East and New England with three each, and Great Lakes, Midwest and Northeast with one apiece. There are 12 seniors, eight juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen being recognized.

The list, which started at 50 prior to the season, will be reduced to 10 finalists when the All-Region teams are selected later this month, with the winner chosen following the completion of the NCAA championship.

Hull also won Schutt Sports/NFCA Division III National Freshman of the Year last season. Texas-Tyler pitcher Kelsie Batten was the inaugural Player of the Year award recipient in 2016.

2018 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division III National Player of the Year Top 25

Colleen Bentke, P, Texas-Tyler

Erin Cressman, 3B, Messiah

Lexi Curt, C, Williams

Jesse DeDomenico, P/OF, Rowan

Kaylee Fox, 1B, Trine

Nicole Garcia, OF, Texas-Tyler

Kassie Howard, P, Berry

Cassetty Howerin, 1B, Virginia Wesleyan

Hanna Hull, P, Virginia Wesleyan

Mallory Klotz, OF, Wis.-Whitewater

Melissa Livermore, 2B, Texas-Dallas

Lynsey Mitchell, DP, Texas-Tyler

Renae Morton, P, Transylvania

Mackenzie Murphy, P/UTIL, Williams

Patty Maye Ohanian, DP, Christopher Newport

Ashley Perez, C, Texas-Tyler

Kaylee Powers, 2B, Montclair State

Maitlin Raycroft, P, Texas Lutheran

Erica Robles, OF, Trine

Madison Sorensen, P, George Fox

Anna Strien, SS, Luther

Lindsey Thayer, P, St. John Fisher

Lorena Ukanwa, P, Amherst

Candace Whittemore, P, Randolph-Macon

Cassie Young, OF, Saint Mary’s (Ind.)

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HUMBOLDT, Sask. — Nathan Oystrick has stepped down as head coach and general manager of the Humboldt Broncos.

The 36-year-old Regina native was hired in July, three months after 16 members of the junior hockey team — including former coach Darcy Haugan — were killed when the team’s bus and a semi-truck collided at a rural intersection on the way to a playoff game.

In a tweet, Oystrick said: “Despite the extreme stress and constant pressure of working with the organization, I gave them everything I possibly could and am proud of their performance, and mine, this season.”

Neither Oystrick or team shared reason for split

Oystrick said more information would follow.

A statement released by the Broncos Friday said the team and Oystrick have decided to “part ways.”

The organization has named Scott Barney, 39, as interim head coach for the rest of the season. Barney, a former professional hockey player from Oshawa, Ont., was working as an assistant coach alongside Oystrick.

“The Broncos’ wish to thank Nathan for his work with the organization and wish him the very best in all his future endeavours,” said the statement.

Neither Oystrick or the team have said why they have decided to part ways.

The Broncos are fourth in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League with a record of 21-13-2-1 this season.

Prior to becoming a coach, Oystrick played in the NHL with the Atlanta Thrashers, St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks.

Oystrick was one of more than 50 applicants for the Broncos’ coaching job.

“What I appreciate about Nathan in general is that he is committed to people first” former team president Kevin Garinger said when Oystrick was hired. “And through the commitment to people, comes a commitment then to an organization, a community and ultimately a hockey team.”

Garinger could not be reached for comment Friday.

The team’s 2018-19 season opener was shown across the country on TSN.

The Broncos were chosen as newsmaker of the year and news story of the year in 2018 in an annual survey by The Canadian Press.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – National Pro Fastpitch announced that Rosemont, Illinois, will be the host of the 2018 Championship Series. The Ballpark at Rosemont, home of the league’s longest running affiliate team, Chicago Bandits, will be the site of the Championship held Aug. 16-20.

The announcement marks the first time the Championship event will return to a team’s home venue since Rosemont hosted in 2013.

In addition to the venue, the NPF also announced a change in Championship Series format and qualification. In 2018, for the first time in League history, the Championship Series will feature only the top two finishers from regular season play. The two teams will face off in a best-of-five Championship Series to determine who will raise the Cowles Cup. This is a variance from year’s past where the postseason typically featured the top four finishers from regular season play.

“Our Championship Series is our hallmark event and we continue to try and create the best competitive and fan experience environment possible,” NPF commissioner Cheri Kempf said.  “This season we are trying something we haven’t done before in featuring the top two finishers in a best of five format. In addition to that, we are placing the event in an NPF team home venue that has proven to draw consistent crowds. We are looking forward to this event being the best ever in 2018.”

“The Village of Rosemont is so very excited to have the Championship Series return to the Stadium at the Ballpark at Rosemont in 2018,” Rosemont mayor Brad Stephens said. “We are already planning for the event and promise the teams and NPF fans it will be an experience to remember.”

Two of the five league teams participating in the 2018 season have captured the coveted Championship Series Cowles Cup – the Chicago Bandits with four titles (2008, 2011, 2015, 2016) and the USSSA Pride with three (2010, 2013, 2014).  Those seven combined titles represent over half the 13 awarded Cowles Cups.

As a result of the 2018 Winter Meetings held in January, league management committee representatives overturned a policy that forbade the Championship from being held in affiliate team venues, a policy voted into effect following the award of the Championship to Rosemont for 2012 and 2013. This recent policy change paved the way for the 2018 site award.

The Ballpark at Rosemont opened in 2011 and was built specifically as a home venue for a professional softball team.  Adjoining the Stadium is 140,000 square foot facility known as the Dome at the Ballpark. The combined facilities represent a state of the art venue that in addition to being the home location for the NPF’s Chicago Bandits, is host to tournaments, leagues and individual games for softball and baseball, volleyball, soccer, all sport practices and training.

Although Tuscaloosa, Alabama, holds the NPF Championship attendance record of 7,408, set in 2016, Rosemont owns the single day attendance of Day 3 and Day 4, 1,809 and 1,949 respectively, set in 2013.

The NPF Season will lead off on May 19, when the Aussie Spirit hosts the Beijing Shougang Eagles. The League will celebrate its 15th season in 2018.

— Courtesy of NPF

CALGARY — A Calgary bid for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games is destined to die after the majority of voters said ‘no’ to it.

In a plebiscite asking citizens if they want to host a Winter Games again after the 1988 Winter Olympics in the city, 56.4 per cent of those who went to the polls cast a dissenting vote Tuesday.

“I believed in what the Olympic Games could do for our community, for our province and for our country,” bid corporation chair Scott Hutcheson said.

“I’m disappointed in the outcome, but I certainly respect the democratic process.”

Out of 767,734 eligible voters, 304,774 voted and 171,750 said “no.”

“Today, I have to say, Calgarians won,” said Coun. Sean Chu, who was against a bid.

The plebiscite’s result is non-binding on city council, which has the final say on whether Calgary proceeds with a bid.

The results won’t be declared official until Friday. Council is expected to address the results Monday.

‘Funding will not be forthcoming’: No campaign

A firm ‘no’ vote paves the way for a divided and nervous council to scuttle a bid.

“I think it’s a very strong message,” said Daniel Gauld of the No Calgary Olympics organization. “I think city council is going to have to listen to that.

“The provincial and federal funding will not be forthcoming with this decision today. I think it would be political suicide if they didn’t shut down this bid, so I expect we’ll be seeing that, hopefully.”

Bid supporters and bid corporation Calgary 2026 people gathered at restaurant near the Saddledome to await the results Tuesday.

Several athletes there were devastated when the result was announced.

“I feel really heartbroken and disappointed,” said Helen Upperton, a silver medallist in bobsled. “I have a daughter who would be eight in 2026. I did this for her. My question to Calgary is now what? What is the big dream, what is the big idea?”

A bid was nearly over before the plebiscite.

Ten votes out of 15 on council were required Oct. 31 for a motion to pass on abandoning the plebiscite. Eight voted in favour of that motion which would have generated a cascade of other motions shutting down the bid.

Funding from province conditional on plebiscite

Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi voted for continuing with a bid, saying the proposed host draft plan and budget was a good deal for the city.

The Alberta government made its funding of a bid conditional on a plebiscite and provided $2 million to pay for it.

“Today was a success because Calgarians were given the opportunity to have their say on whether to proceed with an Olympic bid,” Alberta Minister of Culture and Recreation Ricardo Miranda said in a statement.

“This decision was never an easy one. Calgarians were provided the information they needed to make an informed choice and we respect their decision.”

Watch: Why Kaillie Humphries wants Calgary to host the 2026 Winter Games. Story continues below.

Calgary 2026 was led by Mary Moran, who came from Calgary Economic Development, and Hutcheson, a commercial real estate entrepreneur and former national-team skier.

The bid corporation’s mandate was “to promote a responsible bid.”

Calgary 2026 was hampered by the tardiness of what the cost-sharing agreement would be between the federal and provincial governments and the city.

An agreement that was supposed to be ready for public consumption mid-August wasn’t clear until Oct. 30.

“I have to work with city council every day and have for the last nine years and getting governments aligned is always a big challenge,” Moran said. “I wish we did it sooner, but we did the best we could with what we were dealt.”

“We always knew we had a short runway, but everybody knows we came out with a pretty solid budget on Sept. 11 and we always said a couple of numbers would change and they did. It’s just unfortunate it was complicated.”

In the estimated $5.1 billion price tag to host the games, the public investment ask was $2.875 billion and down from an initial $3 billion.

The province committed $700 million, while the Canadian government said it would provide $1.45 billion.

The city of Calgary was asked for $390 million, and was credited with the $150 million already committed to improving an area that would be a games hub.

Games revenues — tickets, merchandising, television rights, corporate sponsorships — would cover the remaining costs.

While no order of government offered to be a guarantor against debt, Calgary 2026 built $1.1 billion in contingency funds into its budget to mitigate financial risk.

“I think building a dream and articulating that with our social-media type of environment today and a populist movement makes it more challenging,” Hutcheson said.

“With the right dream and with the right city and with the right program, the Olympics should bring lasting memories to a community and we weren’t able to do it this time.”

The International Olympic Committee invited Calgary, Stockholm and a joint Italian bid from Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo to be candidate cities for 2026.

The IOC will accept bids in early January. The election of the host city is in Lausanne, Switzerland, in June.

Lauren Krugel contributed to this story.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – East Haven’s (Conn.) Jessica Stettinger, Mooresville’s (Ind.) Gabby O’Riley, Lawrence County’s (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) Maci Birdyshaw, East Carter’s (Grayson, Ky.) Montana Fouts and Payson’s (Ariz.) Kalea Smith were selected MaxPreps/NFCA National High School Players of the Week for games played the week of April 2-8.

East Region
Stettinger, a senior catcher, led East Haven to wins in its first two games of the season. She went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in a season-opening 10-5 win over Foran. Stettinger homered against, recorded four hits and five RBI against Stamford. For the week she hit .778 with a pair of home runs, nine RBI, slugged 1.444 and scored twice.

North Region
O’Riley hit .700 (7-for-10) with two doubles, two home runs, nine RBI and six runs scored. Recording multiple hits in three of four games, she slugged 1.500 and recorded a .800 on-base percentage. In both games of a doubleheader sweep of Greenwood, O’Riley was 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs scored, doubling in game one and homering in the nightcap. She left the yard and drove in two more runs in a 5-3 win over Hamilton Southeastern.

South Region
Birdyshaw went 4-0 with a save, and posted a 0.00 ERA and 42 strikeouts. She surrendered five hits and walked four in 22 innings of work. Birdyshaw registered an 11-strikeout perfect game against Shelbyville Central and a one-hit shutout with 12 punchouts in a five-inning win over Tullahoma. The junior also earned a two-inning save with four strikeouts against Lyon County.

South Central Region
Fouts was dominant in the circle for East Carter, posting a 5-0 mark with five shutouts and 71 strikeouts in 33 innings. She twirled two no-hitters, including a perfect game against LaSalle-Peru, and recorded three one-hit shutouts. Against the xx, Fouts retired all 21 batters, 13 by strikeout, in a 2-0 victory. She tallied a season-best 18 punchouts and walked one in a one-hit shutout of Chesterfield. The senior hurler’s other no-hit performance came in a five-inning win against Gaitlinburg-Pittman (11 K, 0 BB). Fouts also fanned 15 and 14 versus Carolina Forest (13-0) and Bishop Watterson (1-0).

West Region
Smith was 3-0, tossing three shutouts and striking out 43 over 20 innings of work. She scattered seven hits and walked just two batters. In her final start of the week, Smith fanned a season-high 16 and did not walk a batter as she tossed a four-hit shutout in a 2-0 victory over Northwest Christian. The senior hurler struck out 14 and walked one in a two-hit shutout of Blue Ridge. Smith held Holbrook to one hit and punched out 13 in a 10-0 six-inning victory against Holbrook. At the plate, she added a double and two RBI against Blue Ridge and Holbrook.

MaxPreps.com, the official high school statistical provider of the NFCA, provides all statistics for the NFCA High School Player of the Week award. To nominate a player for the award, the coach must enter his or her athlete’s game stats into MaxPreps.com by Sunday evening to be eligible for that week’s award.

The MaxPreps/NFCA High School Players of the Week are announced on NFCA.org every Monday during the spring season with a player from each of five separate high school regions is selected. During the fall campaign, one representative is chosen from the participating regions.

MaxPreps is a free stat tool that is available to high school coaches across the country and is one of the most recognized and respected high school athletics websites on the internet. Coaches who enter their team’s stats on Max Preps will not only be nominating their players for this award, but they will be getting their team’s information out to thousands of high school sports fans, as well as college coaches across the country.

To obtain a coach’s login, please contact: [email protected] or call (800) 329-7324 x1. To enter a team’s stats on the MaxPreps website, please click here.

2017-18 Max Preps/NFCA Players of the Week (Spring) 

April 2

East – Tayler Vitola | Appoquinimink HS (West Middletown, Del.)
North – Abbie May | St. Bede (Peru, Ill.)
South – Caitlin Griffin | North Buncombe HS (Westerville, N.C.)
South Central – Chevelle Sartin | Arkansas City (Kan.) HS
West – Raegan Breedlove \ Central Valley HS (Shasta Lake, Calif.)

March 26

East –  Yanique Spencer | Baldwin (N.Y.) HS
North – Lexi Wagner | Seton LaSalle (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
South – Alexis Kilfoyl | Academy at the Lakes (Land O’ Lakes, Fla.)
South Central – Kendall Fritz | Wakeland HS (Frisco, Texas)
West – Madie Augusto | St. Ignatius HS (San Francisco, Calif.)

March 19

East –  Janiece Robles | Cardinal Spellman (Bronx, N.Y.)
North – Maddie Peace | Regina Dominican (Wilmette, Ill.)
South – Karly Heath | North Augusta (S.C.) HS
South Central – Hallie Wacaser | Bentonville West (Centerton, Ark.)
West – Drea Schwaier | Yelm (Wash.) HS

March 13

South – Madyson Lamp | Hernando High School (Brooksville, Fla.)

South Central – Nadia Valverde | Hanks High School (El Paso, Texas)

West – Jordyn Hutchins | Woodland (Calif.) Christian

March 6

South – Anna Hood | Locust Fork (Ala.) HS

South Central – Kathryn Marshall | Brenham (Texas) High School

West – Mya Villareal | North valley Military Institute (Granada Hills, Calif.)

Feb. 28

South – Aspen Wesley | Neshoba Central HS (Philadelphia, Miss.)

South Central – Biveana Figueroa | Natlia (Texas) HS

West – Izabel Enriquez | Buena High School (Sierra Vista, Ariz.)

2017-18 Max Preps/NFCA Players of the Week (Fall)

10/23/17 – Caroline Newton | Worth County HS (Sylvester, Ga.)

10/16/17 – Madeline Vejvoda | Papillion (Neb.) La-Vista HS

10/9/17 – Alexandria Kilponen | Valor Christian HS (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)

10/2/17 – Tracy Mosley | Mundy’s Mill High School (Jonesboro, Ga.)

9/25/17 – Sevi Harden | Thomas Jefferson High School (Denver, Colo.)

9/18/17 – Brooke Huitt | Lathrop (Mo.) High School

9/11/17 – Tori Kniesche | Wayne (Neb.) High School

9/5/17 – Addison Purvis | Sullivan (Mo.) High School

8/28/17 – Adrienne Visintine | Chaparral High School (Parker, Colo.)

8/21/17 – Katherine Snavely | Brookstone School (Columbus, Ga.)

8/14/17 – Kelley Lynch | East Coweta High School (Sharpsburg, Ga.)

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The NCAA Softball Rules Committee has recommended a proposal banning defenders from blocking the plate or base before they have possession of the ball, effective for the 2018 season.

The committee, which met last week in Indianapolis, believes this possible rule change would be equitable for the base runner and the defensive team. If approved, the base runner will have a clear path to the base. Also, if the defender has possession of the ball and is in front of the plate or base, the runner can slide and have contact with the defensive player if the runner is making a legitimate attempt to touch the plate or base.

If a defender blocks the plate or base before gaining possession, the runner would be called safe. If the runner contacts the defensive player without making a legitimate attempt to slide, the runner will be called out.

All rules recommendations must be approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which is scheduled to discuss softball proposals Aug. 16.

Currently, the defender could block the plate or base in the act of catching the ball. The committee felt the language was too ambiguous.

The proposal seeks to clarify the rule and remove any gray area on those types of plays.

“As a committee, we are always looking at ways to improve the quality of the game,” said Rich Calvert, committee chair and coach at Drake. “One of the bigger proposed rules changes is obstruction. While this is always going to be a judgment call, we felt that by making the defender have possession of the ball before blocking the base, plate — or in the base path — it makes it a little clearer whether the defender is obstructing the runner.”

Runner’s lane

The committee recommended that the runner’s lane be drawn on the field down the first base line, reverting to the rule in the 2014-15 rules book.

The lane would be three feet wide and 30 feet long. If a runner is outside the lane and is hit by the ball, and in the judgment of the umpire interferes with the defensive player receiving the ball at first base, the runner will be declared out.

During the 2015 annual meeting, the committee voted to eliminate the runner’s lane as a required line on the field. However, this change inadvertently and fundamentally changed the concept of the runner’s lane.

The committee felt there is a need for the line to help umpires determine whether a runner interfered with a throw to first base and to give the runner a clear area where she can run without penalty.

Media format

Committee members recommended a two-minute time limit to resume play between each half-inning in televised games.

When using the media format, teams will be allowed only seven charged conferences per seven-inning game. Each team is allowed one charged conference per half-inning for each extra inning. If a team doesn’t use all of its seven conferences in regulation, they do not carry over into extra innings.

Several Division I conferences experimented with a time limit between innings and restricted number of conferences during the 2017 season.

Stay in the box

The committee proposed requiring hitters to have any part of both feet touching the ground inside the lines of the batter’s box when bat-ball contact is made.

A hitter who makes contact with a pitch with any part of her foot touching the ground outside the lines of the batter’s box will be declared out.

Committee members have seen a trend of many hitters being outside the box when contact is made with pitches.

Pace and flow

To increase the pace and flow of the game, the committee recommended allowing coaches to make defensive substitutions that involve only position changes and do not affect the batting lineup without reporting this change to the umpire.

Additionally, the committee recommended that coaches be allowed to make projected substitutions by notifying the plate umpire any time the ball is dead. Substitutes will not be required to enter the game at the time the substitution is reported. This will allow coaches to report more than one change at the beginning of the inning or to re-enter the designated player before her next at bat.

The committee also recommended prohibiting the defense from huddling after throwing the ball around the infield after an out. Several Division I conferences also experimented with this rule during the 2017 season.

Technology

The committee recommended allowing bats with data tracking sensors embedded into the knob to be used during the game. However, the data cannot be transmitted or accessed during the game.

— Courtesy of NCAA.com

OTTAWA — Rebuilding Canada’s relationship with Indigenous people is part of the legacy Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to leave, he told chiefs gathered at a major Assembly of First Nations meeting in Ottawa Tuesday afternoon.

“We have to help demonstrate with you that everything we do starts from recognizing the rights you already have that you shouldn’t have to take us to court to prove that you have,” said Trudeau, answering a question from Chief Wayne Christian of Splatsin First Nation in the B.C. Interior.

Trudeau said if his government is able to accomplish that, all future Canadian governments will have to follow suit.

“We will start from a place of partnership — the place we started all those centuries ago and unfortunately lost our way from. That is the legacy that I look forward to building with all of you in the coming years,” he said.

Christian had told Trudeau, in a question-and-answer session, that he had confronted Trudeau’s father Pierre in 1980 and accused him of lying to the world about what was happening in Canada to Indigenous people. The younger Trudeau’s account of Indigenous people’s experience of “humiliation, neglect and abuse” in a United Nations speech in 2017 was welcome, he said.

“I’m grateful that you actually corrected that when you went to the UN and made your statements,” Christian told him. “You let the world know the issues going on in Canada. So we really need to think about this and where are we going to go from here.”

The chiefs received Trudeau warmly, presenting him with a buckskin vest, and National Chief Perry Bellegarde shook his hand after he spoke.

Trudeau followed his own minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, Carolyn Bennett, who’d spoken earlier in the day and compared Canada’s formal way of relating to Indigenous people to “a big, leaky old colonial boat.”

“For years we’ve tried to patch this old wreck and we’ve been bailing it with a thimble. We all know that this isn’t going to work,” Bennett said.

Bennett said Canada needs to keep up with Indigenous people, their aspirations and their goals.

“I believe Canada needs to get out of that colonialist boat, run it ashore, leave it to rot or at least put it up, drydock and rebuild it. We need a vessel that can navigate the changing waters, one that can keep pace with your vision and aspiration. One that is no longer holding back the promise for your children and grandchildren and their grandchildren,” Bennett said.

Moving away from the 1876 Indian Act that largely defines relations between Canada and Indigenous Peoples is a mutual goal and repeated that the federal government will introduce legislation on Indigenous child-and-family services in the new year, written in co-operation with Indigenous groups.

“We want to work on this new ship and we want to get it in the water because we know the current is with us.”

Bellegarde told the chiefs that he wants to see a few key pieces of legislation passed before the House of Commons rises in June and an election campaign takes over federal politics, including the child-welfare legislation, the long-awaited Indigenous Languages Act, and NDP MP Romeo Saganash’s private member’s bill, which seeks to ensure Canada’s laws line up with the United Nations declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Bellegarde also spoke about climate change and asked the chiefs and delegates to support a carbon tax as one way to head it off.

He talked about putting his organization’s “Closing the Gap” document in front of each party during the last federal election. It outlined priorities on everything from the environment to Indigenous languages.

Bellegarde said First Nations voters were responsible for flipping 22 ridings in the 2015 federal election.

“You people running in federal elections, you better listen to First Nations issues now if you want to get elected,” he said.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh and Green Leader Elizabeth May are all on the program for the third day of the chiefs’ assembly, on Thursday.

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