LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Tampa Catholic’s (Fla.) Hera Varmah, Pangburn’s (Ark.) Tylar Vernon and Sunnyslope’s (Ariz.) Shaye Bowden have been named MaxPreps/NFCA National High School Players of the Week for contests played Feb. 29 through March 6.

South Region – Hera Varma (Tampa Catholic HS – Tampa, Fla.)

Varma, a junior third baseman and catcher, launched four home runs, hit .800 (8-10) and knocked in 11 helping Tampa Catholic to a 3-0 week. She connected on three of those long balls with six RBI and three runs scored in a 12-2 win over city rival Tampa Prep. In another city matchup, Varma went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in a 12-0 triumph over Berkeley Prep. For the week, Varma also doubled, scored five times, slugged 2.100 and recorded a .818 on base percentage.

South Central Region – Tylar Vernon (Pangburn HS – Ark.)
Vernon powered her way to the weekly honor by crushing four home runs and registering 15 RBI over four games for Pangburn. The sophomore catcher’s week was highlighted by a two-home run, seven-RBI outing against Des Arc in which she went 3-for-3 and scored three times. Vernon clocked two homers, knocked in three and scored twice versus White County Central. Hitting .667 (8-12), Vernon also doubled in four of the five contests, scored eight times and slugged 2.000.

West Region – Shaye Bowden (Sunnyslope HS – Ariz.)
Bowden slugged a whopping 2.200, hit .900 (9-10) and knocked in 12 in four games. On her way to that slugging percentage, she doubled four times and sent three balls over the fence. Bowden capped off her week by going 4-for-4 with a double, three homers, six RBI and four runs scored versus Copper Canyon. The sophomore slugger opened the season, 3-for-3 with two doubles and four RBI in a victory over Northwest Christian. Bowden also added a double and two RBI against Bradshaw Mountain.

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 one representative chosen from each of five separate high school regions. During the fall campaign, just a single player will be selected representing all participating regions.

Please note, in order for a school to have multiple player(s) recognized during the course of a season, a coach from that institution must be an NFCA member. To become an NFCA member, please click HERE or call 502-409-4600.

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.

2015-16 Max Preps/NFCA Players of the Week
3/7 –     Hera Varma | Tampa Catholic (Fla.) HS | South
            Tylar Vernon | Pangburn (Ark.) HS | South Central
            Shaye Bowden | Sunnyslope (Ariz.) HS | West

 
2/29 –   Sarah Dugan | Oak Grove (La.) HS | South
            Jordan Llinas | Cypress Woods (Texas) HS | South Central
            Aurora Adams | Santiago (Calif.) HS | West

Fall
10/13 – Jessie Briley | Bishop Neuman (Neb.) HS | South Central
10/6 –   Victoria Haugsness | North Platte (Mo.) HS | South Central
9/28 –   Taylor Parham | Wilber-Clatonia (Neb.) HS | South Central
9/21 –   Savannah Chalfant | Gilmer (Ga.) HS | South
9/14 –   Madison Ingram | Bowling Green (Mo.) HS | South Central
9/7 –     Riley Craig | Mountain Range (Colo.) HS | West
8/31 –   Sieara Price | Eaton (Colo.) HS | West
8/24 –   Callyn Carter | Charlton County (Ga.) HS | South

After “Crazy Rich Asians” hit theatres in August, plenty of people took to social media to announce they’ve never felt prouder to be Asian until now.

That’s because, for many, this was the first time they saw themselves (and their culture) represented on screen.

“Crazy Rich Asians” made major headlines for not only being the first Hollywood film in 25 years to star an all-Asian cast, but for breaking traditional stereotypes and bringing visibility to the Asian community. The movie was also a reminder to the world that Asian stories matter.

As American playwright David Henry Hwang put it:

Asians are finally having their moment in the spotlight, but it’s been a long time coming.

Study after study has shown that Asians in the media are underrepresented and/or tokenized, which is problematic, according to Jenny J. Lee, a PhD student at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“As much as we may want to dismiss TV as simple entertainment, it undeniably contributes to our cultural landscape and our understanding of the world,” Lee, who helped conduct a 2017 study on Asian representation on TV, said to Deadline. “What does it mean when AAPIs [a person of Asian or Pacific Islander heritage] are missing or tokenized in this landscape? It reinforces the idea that we don’t belong.”

The cover of Kore Asian Media’s December issue, which celebrates “a truly transformative year for Asian-American entertainment.”

The thirst for proper Asian representation in the media has been building for years, which is one of the reasons “Crazy Rich Asians” blew up in such a big way in 2018, and acted as a catalyst for so many other Asian wins this year.

While there is always more work to be done when it comes to diversity on screen, we’re taking a moment to look back at the top Asian representation moments of 2018 that made us say, “Hell yeah!”

1. #AsianAugust celebrated the success of Asian-led films

“Crazy Rich Asians” became the highest-grossing romantic comedy in a decade after its release in August, but it wasn’t the only Asian-led film to do well at the box office. “Searching,” a thriller starring John Cho, was also a hit, and Netflix’s “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” became one of the platform’s “most viewed original films ever with strong repeat viewing,” Variety reported.

With so much praise for these films, fans started using the hashtag #AsianAugust on social media. The movies later went on to inspire plenty of amazing Halloween costumes (finally, Asians had more outfit choices other than Lucy Liu and Bruce Lee!), and “To All the Boys I Loved Before” contributed to the sudden popularity of the Korean yogurt drink, Yakult.

2. Sandra Oh became the first Asian woman to be Emmy nominated for lead actress

And it’s about damn time! Earlier this year, the Canadian actress wrote a heartfelt Instagram post about making her immigrant parents proud after finally landing the lead role in the TV series, “Killing Eve.”

Three months later, Oh became the first Asian woman to receive an Emmy nomination for lead actress in a drama series. (The Emmys have been airing for 69 years, so let that sink in.)

Although the 47-year-old didn’t win, she’s still ending her stellar year with a bang. She was named one of EW’s Entertainers of the Year, and will go on to host the 2019 Golden Globes, alongside Andy Samberg, in January.

3. Lilly Singh, Rupi Kaur, and Priyanka Chopra empowered women for Cosmo India

Cosmopolitan India’s 22^nd anniversary issue focused on the theme of sisterhood and snagged three South Asian beauties to share the cover: Scarborough, Ont., YouTuber Lilly Singh; Brampton, Ont.-born Instagram poet Rupi Kaur; and Indian-American actress Priyanka Chopra.

The mag couldn’t have picked better role models for their inspiring issue about supporting other women. “We need to chase our dreams not just to succeed and create a space for ourselves in the world, but also to build a community that helps our sisters around the world who really need the help,” Singh wrote in her open letter for the mag.

4. Steve Aoki and BTS released the star-studded music video of our dreams

If you haven’t watched Steve Aoki and BTS’s music video for “Waste It On Me” yet, prepare yourself for one fabulous treat. In the clip, the hilarious Ken Jeong plays a waiter who’s desperately in love with a celebrity (model Devon Aoki). Throughout the three-minute video, a ton of Asian stars can be seen, including Ross Butler, Jamie Chung, and Leonardo Nam.

It’s been a particularly phenomenal year for BTS, who had the top fandom community on Instagram in 2018. Considering their outspokenness on topics like mental health and LGBTQ rights (as well as their catchy tunes), this comes as no surprise.

This year, the band also made history by becoming the first K-pop group to top the charts in the U.S., with their latest album “Love Yourself: Tear,” which earned BTS their first Grammy nomination ever.

5. Henry Golding becomes first Asian cover star for GQ’s Men of the Year issue

The leading man of “Crazy Rich Asians” is having a breakthrough year — literally. The 31-year-old made The Associated Press’ annual Breakthrough Entertainers list for 2018, alongside his co-star Awkwafina.

Golding can thank his luck and pure talent for his success, as he had no prior acting experience before landing the role of Nick Young. Now, the actor making waves in the media. In August, he helped the film “Searching” have a gold open by buying out a Los Angeles theatre, and in November, he became the first Asian cover star for GQ’s Men of the Year issue. The latter carries particular significance, as Asian men are not often portrayed as charming, sexy, leading men, and GQ and Golding are helping to change that.

6. Indian celebrity weddings were a big deal

Sure, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle threw the royal wedding of the year, but there was just as much hype surrounding Priyanka Chopra’s nuptials to Nick Jonas in December. The celebrity couple had several traditional pre-wedding events before tying the knot in two separate ceremonies — one Hindu and one Christian. Naturally, the photos and videos are stunning.

But Chopra and Jonas weren’t the only high-profile couple to throw a lavish Indian wedding. The daughter of the richest man in India, Isha Ambani, wed Anand Piramal on Dec. 12, and their multi-million dollar wedding included a private concert by Beyonce.

7. Awkwafina became the second Asian woman to host “Saturday Night Live”

Lucy Liu was the first back in 2000, and the significance was not lost on Awkwafina. While hosting the show in October, the 29-year-old actress took a moment to pay tribute to her “idol.”

“I remember how important that episode [with Liu] was for me, and how it totally it changed what I thought was possible for an Asian-American woman,” Awkwafina said in her speech.

Fans went wild when the actress got the gig, as many had previously tweeted that she should host. The actress’s “Crazy Rich Asians” co-stars were so excited, too, that they even had their own “Awkwafina party” when the show finally aired.

8. “Asian Bachelorette 2” broke stereotypes in hilarious fashion

Wong Fu Productions blessed us with a second season of “Asian Bachelorette” this year. The spoof on ABC’s “The Bachelorette” tackled plenty of stereotypes — such as “yellow fever” and the idea that all Filipinos are amazing singers — using humour and plenty of hunky Asian men.

The follow-up to “Asian Bachelorette” did not disappoint, and included big stars like Daniel Dae Kim and Randall Park, as well as “Kim’s Convenience” star Simu Liu and Australia actor Desmond Chiam.

Here’s hoping there’s a Season 3 in store for 2019.

9. Hasan Minhaj became the first Indian-American to have a weekly comedy show

Netflix’s “Patriot Act” is a described by Vox as a “TV news-meets-comedy show” and is hosted by Hasan Minhaj. This is a big deal, not only because the platform ordered 32 episodes before the show made its debut in October, but because the 33-year-old comedian is making history as the first Indian-American to host a weekly talk show.

Minhaj has always been a champion of diversity and representation. Before he was a correspondent on “The Daily Show” and released a Netflix special called “Homecoming King,” he had a YouTube series called “The Truth with Hasan Minhaj” that called out racism in pop culture, CBC reported.

10. Constance Wu gets historic Golden Globes nomination

Constance Wu’s outstanding performance in “Crazy Rich Asians” earned her a Golden Globes nomination for best lead actress. It’s been 44 years since an Asian woman has received a lead role nomination at the awards show, making this feat so significant. Yvonne Elliman was the last Asian woman to receive a Golden Globes nom in 1974 for her starring role in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” according to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

“I didn’t [think this would happen] because I’d never seen it happen to an Asian American woman before,” Wu told Entertainment Tonight in response to the nomination.

11. Miss Philippines was crowned Miss Universe 2018

Catriona Gray, a.k.a. Miss Philippines, beat 93 women and snagged the 2018 Miss Universe crown, making her the fourth Filipina Miss Universe in pageant history, CNN reported. The last Filipina winner was Pia Wurtzbach, who earned the crown in 2015.

12. Claudia Kishi, from The Baby-Sitters Club, is getting a documentary

For some, Claudia Kishi from The Baby-Sitters Club was the first time they saw an Asian character free of stereotypes. In fact, she defied them. She wasn’t good at math, she was boy-crazy and she loved art.

Now, a new documentary called “The Claudia Kishi Club” will explore the legacy this Japanese-American character has left, and the impact she had on Asians growing up in North America.

“Claudia was definitely one of the first times I saw myself in a story ― especially centred in a story,” author Sarah Kuhn said in the trailer.

Bonus: We launched a new podcast called “Born & Raised: Food” to explore how food shapes second-gen Canadian identities

“Born & Raised: Food,” tells stories of food and family from second-gen Canadians. Episode 3, Lost in Translation, particularly focuses on Asians stories and the connection between food and language. It tackles the correct way to pronounce “pho” (the popular noodle soup) and why stinky tofu deserves a more positive description.

Subscribe to “Born & Raised: Food” on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.

SALEM, Ore. – Champions were crowned at each of the 16-Under and 18-Under Fast Pitch GOLD National Championships, in Salem and Hillsboro, Ore. on late Saturday evening. Nebraska Gold (pictured), out of Region 12, defeated Originals-Self to win the 16U GOLD. At the 18U in Hillsboro, the Beverly Bandits, out of Region 9 and Ohio ASA/USA Softball, beat the Marucci Patriots 3-2 in a closely contested National Championship.

16U GOLD

The Championship featured the Originals Self, from Kansas City ASA/USA Softball, against Nebraska Gold. Originals Self had battled their way back into the National Championship by winning seven straight games, including three earlier in the day on Championship Saturday. Originals-Self was coached by Jerry Self. Nebraska Gold won the winners’ bracket, after steamrolling opponents. They entered the Championship matchup after going 5-0, while outscoring teams 23-4. With a tied score late and needing a win to force a ‘winner-take-all’ Championship game, the Originals-Self exploded in the bottom of the sixth inning to get a 10-6 win. Sydney Gardner racked up three RBIs on three hits for Originals-Self. A pitching change in the third inning changed the game for the Originals-Self, as Abby Atkin was solid, allowing only two runs over five innings and getting out of numerous tricky situations.

However, game two was different. Strong pitching by Olivia Ferrell held Originals Self scoreless for seven innings to boost Nebraska Gold to a 3-0 victory, which earned them the 16U GOLD National Championship. Coutney Sandell was 1-3 and scored one run.

“I’m just really proud of our team and how we came together this year,” said Sandell. “We’ve had our rough patches and we pushed through it this tournament. I just couldn’t be happier with how we performed. I just love this family and they mean everything to me.”

In total, Nebraska Gold went 9-1 throughout the entire tournament. They dominated not only the bracket, but also pool play, outscoring opponents 21-4 while going 3-0. Their only loss was in the first game of the National Championship.

“I’m very proud of how the team handled themselves all week,” said Nebraska Gold head coach Mike Heard. “I’m also proud of how we bounced back and handled the adversity of losing the first game of the Championship. Something we’ve talked about all year was building on the positive and not the negative. Courtney Sandell had a great tournament and was one of the key players to our success this week. I’d also like to thank the Salem and the tournament directors for this tournament. It was an amazing experience out here.”

18U GOLD

The 18U Championship featured the Beverly Bandits and Marucci Patriots, from Louisiana ASA/USA Softball. Earlier in the day, both of these teams played one another in the winners’ bracket finals, as Beverly Bandits won easily 15-3. The Marucci Patriots beat Washington Explosion Gold 5-1 to force a Championship rematch with the Bandits.

The National Championship game was tightly contested, as the Beverly Bandits jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Haley Dominique got on base with a single, before she showed off her base running abilities. Dominique stole home on a wild pitch. A couple of runs for the Marucci Patriots late tied up the score at two as the game entered the seventh inning. Fans were in store for an exciting finish, as Caitlyn Robinson tagged up to score the game-winning run on a Dominique fly ball to deep center field. Dominique went 3-4, brought in two RBI and scored once herself. The Beverly Bandits won the National Championship game 3-2.

“It was a privilege and an honor to play in the 18 GOLD against awesome teams and in these exceptional facilities in Hillsboro,” said Beverly Bandits head coach Rona Dorsey. “Our team fought hard together and it was an amazing experience. Thanks to everyone who put this tournament together.”

The Beverly Bandits went 2-0-1 in pool play, before winning six straight en route to the National Championship. They outscored opponents 46-10 in bracket play.

To relive moments from the 16U GOLD click here, and from the 18U GOLD, click here. For complete schedules and brackets from each of the GOLD National Championships, click here.

— Courtesy of ASA/USA Softball

Forget Bitcoin, verified social media accounts, or a numberless user name — the most enviable thing on the internet is access to Meghan Markle’s now-defunct blog.

Before she was the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan wrote about her life as a working actress in Toronto on a lifestyle blog called The Tig that she tragically had to delete due to The Monarchy. But the people and news organizations who had the foresight to archive the blog before it was deleted in 2017 made a great move, because there truly is a blog post for every occasion.

One such outlet, People magazine, made note of an entry from January 2016 where Meghan takes a healthy and sensible attitude towards New Year’s resolutions.

She decided to change her approach after several years where she kept setting the same resolutions and failing, the future Duchess wrote at the time.

“Run a marathon. Stop biting my nails. Stop swearing. Re-learn French. These make my New Year’s resolution list nearly (AKA actually every) single year,” she wrote, according to both People and The Mirror.

“The marathon hasn’t happened. The swearing comes in lulls triggered by being overworked or feeling mighty cheeky after a couple drinks,” she continues. “Then there’s the French — a language I studied through high school and then lost as I immersed myself in speaking Spanish with the Argentinians during my stint in Buenos Aires. I have put my little Rosetta Stone headset in my eager ears every year, resolving to do interviews en français, but much to my chagrin, it hasn’t stuck.

“And when it comes to the biting of the nails — well, it still happens with a turbulent flight or a stressful day. It’s unladylike. But then again, so is the swearing. Dammit.” (No wonder The Monarchy made her delete this blog!)

And so she finally decided to change her approach, she said.

“This year, I resolve not to have a resolution,” she wrote. “For this new year, the only thing I aim to do is to approach life playfully. To laugh and enjoy, to keep my standards high but my level of self-acceptance higher.

“My New Year’s resolution is to leave room for magic. To make my plans, and be okay if they sometimes break. To set my goals, but to be open to change.”

That feels like a refreshingly realistic approach to something that can often feel like an undue amount of pressure. Setting goals but not breaking down if you don’t achieve them makes a lot more sense than trying to do something nearly impossible.

And we don’t want to suggest that that non-resolution resolution got her where she is, but you can draw your own conclusions about how 2016 is the year Meghan met Prince Harry.

DC Comics has officially given us our first look at the Arkham Knight in Detective Comics #1000.

Reported by CBR, this marks the Arkham Knight’s latest foray into the world of comics after being introduced as the titular antagonist in Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Knight. The first image of the Detective Comics version of the character differs a bit from his initial portrayal, featuring larger shoulder pads, an augmented chest emblem and what appears to be an overall lower-tech suit.

This version of the Arkham Knight wields both a gun and a sword, suggesting he is still a violent character capable of killing his victims as he was in the video game. He strikes a familiar pose atop a building with Gotham and flashing lightning in the background.

In Batman: Arkham Knight, the character was (SPOILERS) really Jason Todd, aka Robin, all along. He had been kidnapped, tortured and brainwashed in an abandoned wing of Arkham Asylum by the Joker, and became hellbent on killing his former mentor as a result. After coming to his senses, Todd hung up the Arkham Knight persona and became the vigilante Red Hood.

However, it’s possible that Todd won’t be the man behind the mask in Detective Comics #1000, as in the current comics timeline, Todd has been operating under the name “The Outlaw” outside of Gotham City. This means the identity of the Arkham Knight in the comics could be entirely different, or Todd could have found his way back to Gotham as the character.

It was announced that the Arkham Knight would be introduced in Detective Comics #1000 back in November. At that time, it was revealed that the issue would be 96-pages long with a lineup of DC creators collaborating on various stories. This includes regular series writer Peter Tomasi and artist Doug Mahnke, along with Geoff Johns, Brian Michael Bendis, Paul Dini, Christopher Priest, Denny O’Neil, Neal Adams, Kelley Jones, Dustin Nguyen, Alex Maleev and more.

Detective Comics #1000 is scheduled to drop in March 2019.

This isn’t, however, the first time the Arkham Knight has appeared in a comic, as he received a prequel to the game in 2015. In our review of Arkham Knight #1, we called it “Great” saying “Despite a few storytelling problems, DC’s Arkham Knight prequel enjoys a solid, well-rounded debut.”

For more on Arkham Knight, check out our review of the game, which we called “Amazing” calling it “an impressive game on almost every level, with non-stop variety and great action.”

Colin Stevens is a news writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — University of Florida head coach Tim Walton, assistant coaches Jennifer Rocha and Kenny Gajewski, and volunteer assistant coach Stacie Pestrak of the back-to-back Division I National Champion Gators were named the 2015 NFCA DI National Coaching Staff of the Year, announced on Wednesday. 

It was another season to remember for Florida as Walton and his staff led the Gators to their second straight Division I national championship after topping Michigan in a competitive and thrilling three-game WCWS finals. Recording a 60-7 mark, UF posted its second 60-win season in program history. They also took home the third national championship in four year for the Southeastern Conference.

Florida finished the season strong posting a 28-3 record after April 1^st.  The Gators claimed the SEC regular season title and defeated 19 ranked teams during their run to the championship. Florida only dropped one game (0-1 to Michigan in WCWS finals) during the entirety of NCAA post-season play, sweeping through regionals, super regionals and the bracket portion of the WCWS.

Walton, who tallied his 500^th career win at Florida at the beginning of the season, is now 552-121 through his ten years as Florida’s skipper and 675-185 all time as a head coach.

NFCA Division I Region Coaching Staffs of the Year

Central – University of Oklahoma 

Final Rank: No. 9 – Overall: 49-9 – Big 12: 14-12

Head Coach: Patty Gasso

Associate Head Coach: Melyssa Lombardi 

Assistant Coaches: Tripp MacKay

Volunteer Assistant Coach: Nicole Bishop

The Sooners came out of the gates on fire, winning nine straight games and took this momentum into conference play, dropping just two conference games all year to earn the Big 12 Conference title. As the 11^th overall national seed, Oklahoma would sweep through the Norman regional topping Central Arkansas and Texas A&M (twice), before dropping a tough three-game Super Regional at No. 6 Alabama. It is the program’s second straight NFCA Region CSOY award.

Great Lakes Region – University of Michigan

Final Rank: No. 2 – Overall Record: 60-8 – Big 10: 21-2

Head Coach: Carol Hutchins

Associate Head Coach: Bonnie Tholl

Assistant Coach: Jenifer Brundage

Volunteer Coach: Nikki Nemitz

National Runner-up Michigan reached 60 wins for the second time in school history. The Wolverines won their eighth straight Big Ten Conference Championship and also took home the conference tournament title. Michigan swept through the NCAA Regional and Super Regional defeating Oakland, California, Pittsburgh, and Georgia (Supers) on the way to its 11th WCWS appearance in school history. The Wolverines had their 28-game winning streak snapped in game of the WCWS finals … They would bounce back with a game-two victory (1-0) before falling to Florida (4-1) in the winner-take-all final. Second straight NFCA Region CSOY award.

Mid-Atlantic Region – University of Pittsburgh

Overall Record: 37-22 – ACC: 11-13

Head Coach: Holly Aprile 

Assistant Coaches: Gina Fuchs and Lauren Cognigni

Selected to finish 10th out of 11 teams in the ACC, Pitt came into conference play sporting a 20-4 record and ended up finishing sixth in the ACC regular season. The Panthers reached the conference tournament championship before falling to the No. 9 overall seed Florida State. Pitt made its first-ever postseason appearance as it travelled to Ann Arbor, Michigan. After falling to Cal in its regional opener, Pitt defeated Oakland and the Bears to reach to the regional final, falling to National Runner-up and host Michigan.

Co-Mideast Region – University of Central Florida

Final Rank: No. 16 – Overall Record: 50-9 – AAC: 16-2

Head Coach: Renee Luers-Gillispie

Assistant Coaches: Tiffany Patteson and Hillary Barrow

Volunteer Assistant Coach: Jeff Conrad

The Knights set a program record with 50 wins. They won the American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships, while boasting a school record 16-2 conference mark. As a team, they held the lowest ERA in the country and had eight players selected all-conference. The Knights earned the No. 2 seed in the Tallahassee Regional, and would end up falling to the top-seeded Florida State in the regional final.

Co-Mideast Region – Western Kentucky University

Overall Record: 36-14 – Conference USA: 16-5

Head Coach: Amy Tudor

Assistant Coaches: K.C. Boldt and Aja Paculba

Western Kentucky met adversity throughout the season having 16 games cancelled, but was able to rally and win the Conference USA regular-season and conference tournament in its first year in the league. Recorded the highest winning percentage in school history (.720). Earned second NCAA post season bid in three years. In the Athens Regional, the Hilltoppers won their first two games, including a thrilling walk-off 14-inning triumph over host and 14^th overall seed Georgia. However their season came to an end after dropping a pair of games to the Bulldogs in the regional final.

Midwest Region- North Dakota State University

Final Rank: No. 25 – Overall Record: 45-11 – Summit League: 16-2

Head Coaches: Darren Mueller, Jamie Trachsel

Assistant Coach: Brynne Dordel

Graduate Assistant Manager: Kendall Grimm

The Bison finished their season off strong winning 26 out of 29 regular season games. They tallied the most wins in program history since 2002. Summit League regular season and tournament champions… Earned their sixth NCAA tournament appearance and the reached the regional final for the second time in program history. They picked up victories over Fresno State (4-0) and Brigham Young (7-0), but dropped both contests to host and No. 2 overall seed Oregon (3-4 / 1-6).

Northeast Region- Hofstra University

Overall Record: 38-14-1 – CAA: 17-3

Head Coach: Larissa Anderson

Assistant Coaches: Julie Meyer, Caitlin Dent, and Brittany Garvey

Secretary: Harriet Teitle

Hofstra won the CAA title for the third time in the last four years and the 19^th time in school history. After losing three of their first four games of the season, the Pride turned their season around and won nine straight to end the regular season. Finished second in the CAA regular season and made its 16^th NCAA tournament appearance in school history at the Gainesville Regional.

Pacific Region – University of Oregon

Final Rank: No. 7 – Overall Record: 51-8 – PAC-12: 21-3

Head Coach: Mike White

Assistant Coaches: James Kolaitis and Chelsea Spencer

Volunteer Assistant Coach: Damian Williams

Oregon started the season very strong winning 14 games before suffering its first lost. The Ducks claimed their third straight PAC-12 title and won their third Super Regional in four years. They swept through regional and super regionals, defeating BYU, North Dakota State (twice), and North Carolina State (twice). They entered the Women’s College World Series as one of the top teams, but would fall to UCLA and Alabama. Second straight NFCA Region CSOY award.

South Region – Louisiana State University 

Final Rank: No. 4 – Overall Record: 52-14 – SEC: 15-9

Head Coach: Beth Torina

Assistant Coaches: Howard Dobson and Lindsay Leftwich

Student Coach: Tammy Wray

Volunteer Assistant: Kara Dill

WCWS semifinalist LSU was strong throughout the season, only suffering losses to nationally-ranked programs. After falling to Arizona State, LSU, in three straight elimination games, topped Nebraska and the Sun Devils (twice) to win the regional. They followed that with a sweep of No. 16 Arizona in the Super Regionals to advance the Women’s College World Series. The Tigers went 2-2 at the WCWS defeating Auburn and Alabama with their two defeats coming at the hands of national champion Florida and runner-up Michigan.

Southeast Region- Auburn University 

Final Rank: No. 3 – Overall Record: 56-11 – SEC: 18-6

Head Coach: Clint Myers

Assistant Coaches: Scott Woodard and Corey Myers

Volunteer Assistant Coach: Casey Myers 

Reached WCWS semifinals in first-ever appearance. The Tigers accomplished many firsts in program history, which included a school-record 56 wins. Picked seventh in the SEC preseason poll, the Tigers finished second in the regular season, a half game behind Florida. Claimed first SEC Tournament title in first finals appearance. Auburn swept through the NCAA Regional and Super Regionals defeating Tennessee Tech, No. 22 South Alabama (twice) and No. 11 Louisiana-Lafayette (twice). After dropping its WCWS opener, Auburn won two straight elimination games over Tennessee and UCLA before falling to eventual national champion Florida in nine innings. 

West Region- University of California, Los Angeles 

Final Rank: No. 5 – Overall Record: 51-12 – PAC 12: 19-5 –

Head Coach: Kelly Inouye-Perez

Assistant Coaches: Lisa Fernandez and Kirk Walker

Volunteer Assistant Coach: Hayden Maurice

Collected 50-plus wins for the second straight season and came into the NCAA tournament as the No. 7 overall seed. The Bruins finished second the PAC-12 regular season and swept through their NCAA Regional and Super Regional, picking up victories over Cal State Northridge, Texas, San Diego State and No. 10 Missouri (twice). UCLA won its WCWS opener over No. 2 seed Oregon (7-1), before falling to national runner-up Michigan (4-10) and Auburn (10-11 in 10 inn.).

Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, writers on 2008’s Iron Man, are in finals talks to write a new draft for the upcoming He-Man and Masters of the Universe movie.

As reported by Deadline, Marcum and Holloway are set to join director Adam Aaron Nee on the film that is based on the famous He-Man toyline that began in the 1980s.

The toys were only the beginning, as he He-Man made his television debut in a series of the same name as the upcoming film from 1983-1985, and then again from 2002-2004.

He-Man also appeared in theaters in 1987 in Masters of the Universe and Dolph Lundgren played the role as The Most Powerful Man in the Universe.

The new Masters of the Universe film currently has a release date of December 20, 2019, but considering the constant changing of crew, like the Dark Knight’s David Goyer moving from director to executive producer, the film may be pushed back until 2020 at the earliest.

He-Man, which is a Mattel property, isn’t the only film based on the toy maker’s creations, as Barbie is set to also hit the big screen with Margot Robbie playing the iconic role.

Goyer had previously written a draft for Masters of the Universe and Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch, as well as DeVon Franklin are assigned to the film as producers.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN could definitely take on He-Man in a fight. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst.