LOUISVILLE, Ky. –Barry junior Cheyanne Head and Catawba senior Carley Tysinger were named the Louisville/Slugger NFCA Division II National Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively on Wednesday afternoon. The each earned their first nod after outstanding play during the week of Feb. 15-21.

Head was nearly perfect at the plate in Barry’s three-game Sunshine State Conference (SSC) series sweep of Nova Southeastern. The Surrey, B.C. native finished 9-for-10, walked twice, recorded five doubles, eight RBI and six runs. She swiped three bags, one in each contest, and posted .1.400 slugging and .917 on base percentages.

“Our team really came together this week, demonstrating our passion and perseverance,” commented Head. “We came out, played our own game and had fun doing it, which is why we were so successful. I always play better when I’m relaxed, having fun and know that the rest of my team is there to pick me up.”

Doing her damage from the three-hole, Head went 4-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI and three runs scored in game one. The designated played followed with a perfect outing in day two’s doubleheader sweep. She went 5-for-5 with two walks, three doubles, five RBI and three runs scored.  She doubled twice in game two and knocked in three runs in the series finale. In addition, Head was selected the SSC Player of the Week.

Tysinger, hailing from Lexington, N.C., had a memorable weekend in the circle for the now seventh-ranked and undefeated Indians (10-0). The right-handed hurler not only went 4-0 with a 0.25 ERA and three shutouts, but she reached the 1,000-strikeout plateau on Sunday, Feb. 21 in the sixth inning of a one-hit shutout against Columbus State. In that contest, she took a perfect game into the seventh and finished with seven punchouts.

“I know that reaching 1,000 strikeouts is a huge accomplishment and this may sound cliché, but it’s true, I never would have come close to this goal if it wasn’t for the amazing catchers and coaching staff we have calling pitches,” said Tysinger. “I have complete trust in my teammates on the field and in the batter’s box to get the job done day in and day out.”

In her first three starts, Tysinger went the distance with 10 strikeouts per contest, two shutouts and an upset win over then-No. 9 Georgia College. Against the Bobcats, Tysinger allowed just three hits, an earned run and did not issue a free pass in a 3-2 triumph. The South Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Week twirled five and four-hit shutouts in her other two starts. For the week, she punched out 37 batters, walked just three and held her opponents to a .138 batting average.

“For Catawba, it’s an incredible accomplishment,” said head coach Nan Whitley. “Carley is a very focused, hard working and dedicated student-athlete.  She is definitely a team player despite all the individual accolades she has received.”

Images Courtesy of Barry (Joel Auerbach) and Catawba Sports Information

Player of the Week
Feb. 24 – Cheyanne Head (Barry)
Feb. 17 – Hannah Michel (St. Mary’s)
Feb. 10 – Darian Harris (Southern Arkansas)

Pitcher of the Week
Feb. 24 – Carley Tysinger (Catawba)
Feb. 17 – Hannah Perryman (UMSL)
Feb. 10 – Kaylee Garner (Southern Arkansas)

Selected Top Performances
Valdosta State’s Caitlyn Calhoun garnered Gulf South Pitcher of the Week recognition after going 3-0 with a save, 0.00 ERA, 26 strikeouts, one walk and a .097 opponent’s batting average… Pfeiffer’s Rachel Crowder was named Conference Carolinas Player of the Week after hitting .615 with three home runs, two of which were grand slams, 14 RBI and four stolen bases… Peach Belt Pitcher of the Week, North Georgia’s Courtney Poole went 5-0 with a 0.50 ERA with 49 punchouts, two walks and  .115 opponent’s batting average in 28 innings… Valdosta State’s Kylie Rusen hit .588 (10-17) with five long balls, 15 RBI and a 1.471 slugging percentage on her way to Gulf South Player of the Week honors… RMAC Player of the Week, Katie Leiker of Colorado Mines went 10-for-14 (.714) at the plate with three doubles, two homers, six RBI and five runs scored… GNAC Pitcher of the Week Alyson Boytz of Western Oregon went 2-0 in three appearances with a one-hit shutout and 15 strikeouts in 16 innings of work… North Georgia’s Meredith Heyer hit .714 (10-14) with four doubles, two homers, seven RBI, five runs and a 1.429 slugging percentage to garner Peach Belt Player of the Week plaudits… PacWest Player of the Week, Concordia’s Ryann Ferguson hit .517 with six extra base hits, including a grand slam, 11 RBI and 11 runs scored… Limestone’s Jose Weber tossed a perfect game (5 IP, 7 K) against St. Andrews and finished the week 3-1 to garner Conference Carolinas’ Pitcher of the Week award… Destiny Kuehl of Western Oregon hit .688 911-16) with three doubles, a triple, two home runs, seven RBI and six runs in earned GNAC Player of the Week honors… In earning G-MAC Pitcher of the Week recognition, Davis & Elkins’ Alexandra Lapallo went 2-1 with a pair of shutouts and 22 strikeouts in 22 innings… Chelsea Skipper of West Texas A&M tossed two shutouts and struck out eight in 10 innings to take home Lone Star Conference Pitcher of the Week accolades… Lenoir-Rhyne’s Jordin Phillips registered two doubles, three home runs, eight RBI and seven runs scored to be recognized as the SAC Player of Week.., CCAA Pitcher of the Week, Cassandra Williams of Cal State San Bernardino went undefeated (3-0) with a two shutouts, 21 strikeouts and did not allow an extra-base hit in 21 innings… Saint Leo’s Stephaine Adkin tossed a no-hitter and struck out 10 agaisnt Embry-Riddle to earn SSC Player of the Week honores… Lone Star Player of the Week, Cameron’s Chelsea DeLong hit .526 with 11 RBI and seven runs scored… Kayce Wooldridge of Northeastern State collected MIAA Pitcher of the Week honors after a 3-0 showing with two shutouts, a 0.70 ERA, 21 strikeouts, one walk in 20 innings… G-MAC Player of the Week, Katie Chriyssofos of Salem International launched four home runs, knocked in 16 and hit .500… Heartland Conference Pitcher of the Week, Lauren Slatten of St. Edward’s finished 3-0 with a 0.64 ERA and 24 punchouts in 22 innings of work… Bellarmine’s Allie Foster went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 12 innings to earn GLVC Pitcher of the Week recognition… GAC Pitcher of the Week, Kimmy Beasley of Southern Arkansas went 2-0 with two shutouts, 13 strikeouts and no walks in 14 innings of work… Winona State’s Hannah Lythberg was selected North Sun Pitcher of the Week with a 3-0 record, 1.22 ERA, 16 strikeouts and a save… Mercy College’s McKaily Cusamano went 2-0 with two shutouts and 11 strikeouts in her first two collegiate starts… CCAA Player of the Week, Maddy Lewis of UC San Diego hit .722 (13-18) with three doubles, two triples, eight RBI and five runs scored… Henderson State’s Ashlyn White took home GAC Player of the Week honors by hitting .727 with three long balls, 11 RBI and seven runs scored… In three games, Indianapolis’ Erika Goodwin hit .667 with four extra-base hits, five RBI and six runs scored and was selected GLVC Player of the Week… Heartland Player of the Week Morgan Colburn of Lubbock Christian belted five home runs, slugged 1.333, scored eight times and knocked in 13 runs.

A new Ghost in the Shell anime is headed to Netflix by studios Production I.G. and SOLA Digital Arts.

Announced by Netflix, Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 will arrive in 2020 and will be co-directed by Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex’s Kenji Kamiyama and Appleseed’s Shinji Araki.

This project was announced in 2017, the same year as the Scarlett Johansson-led film that had a underwhelming debut at the domestic box office.

In our review for the Ghost in the Shell film, we said that “as an adaptation of an iconic and beloved source material, Ghost in the Shell understands what makes this franchise special and does a good job translating that to the big screen.”

Ghost in the Shell began as a manga in 1989 written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. It has since been adapted into television series, video games, and movies, including 1995’s Ghost in the Shell which made our list of top seven essential anime every fan should watch.

Not much else is known about this new anime, but to prepare for its release be sure to check out our Ghost in the Shell primer and list of eight things you didn’t know about the popular anime.

This new Ghost in the Shell anime will be joined on Netflix by a new live-action Cowboy Bebop series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, anime series based on Pacific Rim and Altered Carbon, and much more.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN who has been meaning to watch Ghost in the Shell and this is as good a motivation as any. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst.

OTTAWA — Politics is ingrained in an era of “extreme partisanship” and unless parliamentarians tone down “anti-democratic” rivalries, public confidence in federal parties will deteriorate, warns a new report by the Samara Centre for Democracy.

The Toronto-based non-partisan charity published a report Wednesday titled “The Real House Lives,” encouraging parties adopt changes to limit the influence party leaders have over caucus members. The Samara Centre interviewed 54 former MPs from the last Parliament who were swept from office after the Liberals won a majority mandate in 2015.

Jane Hilderman, the organization’s executive editor, said it was surprising to hear MPs say they saw partisanship intensify in the last Parliament. She said several MPs claimed the relationship between MP and party leader had grown even more unequal in caucus.

“I think we’ve entered an age of leader-centric politics,” Hilderman told HuffPost Canada, adding that a new level of self-censorship is permeating Parliament, increasing partisanship.

“MPs weren’t necessarily getting heat from their leader, but that they were getting from their own colleagues if they were seen to be stepping a little out of line,” she explained.

Watch ‘Backbenchers’: Prepare for a ‘nasty’ election campaign

Samara Canada spoke to former MPs from all parties across the country: 25 from the NDP, 23 Tories, three Liberals, and three Green and independent MPs. With more than 100 hours of interviews collected, authors threaded the 50-page report with stories shared by former MPs, but didn’t attribute names to quotes.

“The Real House Lives” is the third report in a series published in concert with the organization’s ongoing exit interview project. Hilderman called its finding a “bellweather” for what might come if federal parties fail to take timely action.

“Trust in democratic institutions and facts is decreasing and I think that Canada is not immune to these things,” she said.

Frustrations flagged by the former MPs were distilled into six general issues: extreme partisanship, useless caucus deliberations, unchecked party leaders, intense peer pressure, shrinking local party associations, and the growing influence of staffers.

An atmosphere of extreme partisanship was evident for one MP who said when they arrived in Ottawa in 2011, their cohort immediately settled into cliques. And as plum party roles were awarded and reassessed, people’s competitive edges began to flare.

“People silo-ed. Like, they’d be given a role and they’d go into protectionism…. It’s territorial. You don’t keep your ministerial role or parliamentary secretarial role for long and the general assumption is that everybody wants your job.”

Acknowledging how parties and partisan politics are inherent to a healthy democracy, the report authors noted how there was a broad consensus among interviewed MPs that “partisanship was really at a toxic level during the [Stephen] Harper years.”

An MP shared an anecdote about an awkward interaction with a colleague from an another party who initially rejected a dinner invitation when they were both on the same parliamentary trip in Geneva.

“About an hour and a half later, he phoned me in my hotel room and said, ‘Are you still free for dinner?’ ‘ Absolutely’ … During the dinner it came out — he basically said, ‘We’ve been told not to have dinner with you people … We’ve been told to stay away.'”

Interim strategies and hard fixes

The creation of more informal shared spaces and cross-party travel are two of five recommendations the Samara Centre propose parliamentarians adopt in the interim to promote more collegiality, and to release “extreme partisanship” tensions on Parliament Hill.

Conservative MP Michael Chong called the report’s recommendations realistic.

On the topic of the disappearance of shared, informal spaces on Parliament Hill, Chong told HuffPost that everyone is spread out between several buildings so it’s hard to casually meet. He said before his time in Ottawa, MPs used to gather in the reading room in Centre Block before it was converted to a committee room in 1990.

“It used to be a place where MPs could congregate, read the newspapers,” he said, adding how losing a space in the House where MPs could “get to know each other and chat” could be a factor in increased polarization on the Hill. “I think that created a different dynamic.”

Chong was the Tory MP behind the Reform Act tabled as a Private Member’s Bill in 2013 to help MPs “reclaim their influence” in their own parties by reeling in the power of leaders and giving more to influence to caucus members.

A watered-down version of his bill became law (amending section 49 of the Parliament of Canada Act) before the 2015 election.

The Wellington—Halton Hills MP said his party has adopted three of four Reform Act provisions since the last election, unlike the Liberals or the New Democrats. Those parties broke the law and didn’t fulfill their requirements under the amended section 49 of the Parliament of Canada Act, he said.

“I would welcome the opportunity to have this adjudicated in a federal court.”

Chong is optimistic reviewing the Samara Centre’s report recommendations, but said there’s still an need to diminish the power of party leaders, particularly the prime minister, and to empower members of Parliament.

Creating communal spaces and more all-party road trips is one thing, but making specific rule changes to the standing orders, to the statutes and unwritten conventions governing the House of Commons is another — and a lot harder, he said.

“At the end of the day, this goes to power: who has it, who wields it, and who doesn’t.”

Related on HuffPost:

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