LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Florida teammates Kelly Barnhill and Amanda Lorenz, along with Oklahoma’s Shay Knighten were selected the three finalists for the 2016 Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award, announced the Association on Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday, May 31, the award will be presented to the winner at the 2016 NCAA Women’s College World Series banquet at the Petroleum Club in downtown Oklahoma City.

With the selections of Barnhill and Lorenz, the Southeastern Conference has been represented in the top-three by five players in the first three years of the award. It marks the first two from the two-time defending WCWS champions. Barnhill or Lorenz would join inaugural co-winners Tennessee’s Annie Aldrete and Auburn’s Kasey Cooper as recipients from the SEC. Knighten is the second straight finalist from Norman and will be looking to join teammate Paige Parker as the second consecutive Sooner to win the award.

Hailing from Marietta, Ga., Barnhill was named to the NFCA’s Southeast Region third team and to the SEC’s all-freshman squad. She holds a 15-1 record with a 1.36 ERA with 167 strikeouts in 108.1 innings pitch. The right-handed hurler has held her opposition to an SEC-best .135 batting average, while her ERA and strikeouts rank her sixth and ninth overall in the league. Barnhill is already in the UF record books, recording a single-game program-record 18 strikeouts against Winthrop on March 16. She also twirled her first collegiate no-hitter in the regular season finale versus Arkansas.

A first-team NFCA All-Southeast region selection, Lorenz ranks among the SEC leaders in hitting (.406-9th), hits (71-7th), runs scored (56-t11th), doubles (14-t9th), walks (47-4th) and on-base percentage (.531-6th). The left-handed power hitting outfielder has started all 61 games for the No. 1 Gators during her rookie campaign. Lorenz, a Moorpark, Calif. native, was named the SEC Freshman of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors. She is climbing up the UF rookie record books, ranking first in walks, tied for second in doubles, fourth in runs and fifth in hits.

The Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Knighten has been Oklahoma’s biggest power threat this year, leading the team with 11 long balls and 52 RBI, ranking fourth and tied for fourth in the Big 12, respectively. The Buena Park, Calif. native has posted a .395 batting average with a .678 slugging percentage and .450 on-base percentage. A versatile player, Knighten, who was selected to the NFCA’s All-Central Region first team, started the last 27 games at first base, but also made starts at second base, designated player, right and left field.

With the Association always searching for innovative ways to promote the sport of softball, the award was created in 2014 from an idea to honor outstanding athletic achievement among freshmen softball student-athletes throughout Division I. 

OTTAWA — Maxime Bernier claimed Wednesday that he has raised more than $90,000 for his new political venture and says the party he intends to lead will be in place by the time his political rivals return to Ottawa.

In a fundraising email to supporters, the former Conservative MP writes that he is working to complete the requisite Elections Canada forms and develop the party’s constitution and platform.

Bernier organizer Martin Masse said about 2,500 people donated to Bernier’s cause.

Bernier writes in his message that the donations are “all the more generous” because his team can’t issue tax receipts for the donations. Until his party is registered with Elections Canada, donations to Bernier’s camp aren’t subject to donation limits.

The maverick MP announced Aug. 23 that he was leaving the Conservative party and starting his own political movement, calling his former leader and colleagues “intellectually and morally corrupt” as he slammed the door on his way out.

Bernier said in his email blast that he has spent the past week on the phone with supporters and organizers across the country, calling them “the backbone of the new party’s organization.”

He also claimed to have received hundreds of letters from supporters and others interested in becoming a candidate under the Bernier banner.

Ex-Tory minister: ‘I’ve seen this movie before’

Bernier told supporters his goal is to have the new party up and running by Sept. 17 when the House of Commons returns from its summer break.

Former Conservative cabinet minister Stockwell Day said if Bernier’s comments are accurate and his party is registered in two weeks, Bernier could hand two election victories to the governing Liberals by splitting votes on the right — if his party lasts beyond the 2019 election.

Conservatives discuss the Bernier situation “hourly” and most agree that when conservative voters are presented with two options, the vote will be split between Bernier and Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, Day said.

“I know both men, consider them both to be friends, but I’ve seen this movie before,” he said.

Day said he wasn’t surprised by the amount that Bernier purportedly pulled in through donations — Bernier was considered an effective fundraiser for the Tories — and called this a “historical moment.”

Celebrity businessman Kevin O’Leary, who dropped out to back Bernier in the final days of last year’s Conservative leadership race, said he is not worried about a conservative divide because he believes Bernier will draw support from the NDP and the Liberals as well.

O’Leary said he has not donated to Bernier, whom he considers a friend, and instead has tried, on two occasions, to “pull Max back” to the Conservative party.

O’Leary said he will be putting his energy into working with and helping someone beat Trudeau and, “it’s got to be Scheer. He’s the default guy.”

“In order to get better policy, I have to choose a party who is going to get at least a majority, or maybe a minority, mandate,” O’Leary said.

“What’s the probability that Max is going to get in a situation where he will have a minority mandate? In my view, and I say this with all the respect to him, it’s zero.”

Series fans can rest easy; BioWare isn’t done with Mass Effect or Dragon Age.

According to Polygon, who sat down with the team at BioWare, Mass Effect is “very much alive.” BioWare General Manager Casey Hudson said, “In my mind, it’s very much alive. I’m thinking all the time about things that I think will be great. It’s just a matter of getting back to it as soon as we can.”

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Mark Darrah, Executive Producer on Anthem and Dragon Age, went into further detail on what a new Mass Effect might look like. “We’re definitely not done with Mass Effect. There’s a lot of stories to be told. We could pull on the threads we put down with [Mass Effect:] Andromeda; we could pull on threads from Mass Effect 3. There’s a lot of interesting space to be explored.”

While Anthem represents a significant departure from BioWare’s tradition of crafting games with a strong single-player focus, it doesn’t necessarily mean the studio will change Mass Effect or Dragon Age to fit Anthem’s model.

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“It’s not like we’ve decided, ‘Hey, all of our games are now gonna be Anthem,'” said Anthem Game Director Jon Warner. “Our other games, as we go forward, are gonna take things out of the toolbox that they need to be true to themselves. Whether that’s another bout of multiplayer – we’ll see.”

Fans will have to wait to learn more because, according to Polygon, BioWare is keeping details on upcoming Mass Effect and Dragon Age games under wraps for the time being.

For more on Dragon Age, be sure to check out what we want from Dragon Age 4, and for the latest on Anthem, be sure to check out our complete guide to Anthem’s preorder bonuses, and 6 changes we want to come to Anthem after it launches.

Brian Barnett writes news, features, and wiki guides for IGN. You can get your fix of Brian’s ridiculous antics on Twitter and Instagram @Ribnax.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The NFCA is pleased to announce six additions to the Association’s Board of Directors, including incoming President, Karen Weekly, co-head coach at Tennessee. Elected by their peers, each coach that is named to the 17-member board is slated to serve one three-year term.

The term for incoming board members and those reelected to their position begin on January 1, 2017. Additionly, the NFCA is also announcing all its new committee members for 2017. You can view all the committees HERE.

Joining Weekly as new members on the NFCA’s executive committee, made up of the President, Past President and five vice presidents, are Fourth and Fifth Vice Presidents- Hofstra’s Larissa Anderson and James Madison’s Mickey Dean. Nebraska’s Rhonda Revelle will move from her current role as President to Past President. Purdue’s Boo De Oliveira was reelected to the Second Vice President position.

St. Pius X (Festus, Mo.) High School head coach Kevin Halley and Shelli Nolte of Premier Fastpitch (Ill.) were elected to the Board as the new High School and Travel Ball representatives, respectively. Additionally, Hal Wynn (Faulkner University/NAIA), LeeAnn Taylor (San Diego City College/Cal JC) and Diane Miller (Nebraska/Assistant Coach) were reelected to their positions as division representatives.

Continuing their terms on the NFCA Board of Directors are South Carolina assistant coach Lisa Navas (First Vice President), Notre Dame assistant coach Kris Ganeff (Third Vice President), Memphis head coach Natalie Poole (DI rep), Wayne State University’s Gary Bryce (DII rep), Eastern Connecticut State head coach Diana Pepin (DIII rep), Kirkwood Community College’s Joe Yegge (NJCAA rep) and former LSU and Louisiana-Lafayette head coach Yvette Girouard (Coach Emeriti rep).

Karen Weekly (Tennessee) – President

A 20-year collegiate softball head coaching veteran boasting 977 career wins, Karen Weekly along side her husband Ralph enter their 16th season at the helm of the Tennessee softball program. Under Weekly’s watch, Tennessee advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 13th consecutive season and 14th time overall in program history in 2016, earning the No. 13 national seed. During her time in Knoxville, Weekly has amassed a staggering 754 victories and five top three national finishes (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2013) and seven appearances (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015) in the Women’s College World Series.

Rhonda Revelle (Nebraska) – Past President

Revelle has emerged as an outstanding leader for the sport of softball as a whole. She will conclude her third stint as the NFCA President (1999-2002, 2005-06, 2012-present) and has also served as the NFCA 2nd Vice President (1995-98) and as both a member (1989-92) and chair of the NFCA All-American Committee (1993-94). Entering her 25th season in 2017, Revelle, a member of the NFCA Hall of Fame, owns nearly every Nebraska coaching record- 913 wins; 20 NCAA Tournament berths; 15 top-20 national finishes; eight top-10 finishes; eight coach-of-the-year awards; seven conference titles; and three trips to the Women’s College World Series.

Larissa Anderson (Hofstra) – Fourth Vice President

Anderson, who is entering her third season as head coach, led Hofstra to the Colonial Athletic Association championship and a NCAA Tournament berth in her first season as the program’s head coach in 2015, guiding the Pride to a 38-14-1 record and a spot in the NCAA Gainesville Regional. For their efforts, Anderson and her assistants were named the NFCA Northeast Region’s Coaching Staff of the Year. Since Anderson, the sixth head coach in program history, arrived on campus, Hofstra is 542-230-2 (.700). Before taking over as the head coach, Anderson spent the previous 13 seasons on the Hofstra staff as an assistant, including the last 10 as the associate head coach. 

Mickey Dean (James Madison) – Fifth Vice President

Dean has brought JMU to new heights and in the national spotlight of collegiate softball since his arrival four years ago. He has guided the Dukes to NCAA postseason each of the past four seasons and set a single-season wins record in each year. Under his guidance, the Dukes have won more than 79 percent (185-48) of their games, including an impressive 70-7 mark in the Colonial Athletic Association. Dean’s program rewrote the record books in the 2016 season, winning JMU’s third CAA Championship and first NCAA Regional title, along with hosting a NCAA Super Regional. With a 50-6 mark, the Dukes finished the season with the best record in history (most wins and fewest losses), while producing the program’s first ever NFCA First Team All-American selections, Jailyn Ford and Megan Good.

Kevin Halley (St. Pius X High School) – High School Representative

Halley has been the head coach at St. Pius since 2004 and led the Lancers to a pair of district titles in 2011 and 2014, while also serving as St. Pius’ athletics director for four years (2011-15). Under his watch, the Lancers claimed state titles in volleyball and girl’s soccer, while the boy’s soccer and baseball programs also reached the state tournament. In 2014, St. Pius earned the recognition as the STLhighschoolsports.com small schools athletic program of the year.

Shelli Nolte (Premier Fastpitch [Ill.]) – Travel Ball Representative

Nolte has over 18 years of fastpitch coaching experience. She has coached or assisted travel teams to multiple top-five finishes at ASA and NSA USSSA Illinois “A” State Tournaments, two top-five finishes and four top-10 finishes at NSA and USFA National Tournament. Currently the head coach at Neoga High School, Nolte has served as the Executive Director of the Mattoon Girls Softball Association for 10 years, as well as a commissioner for the Illinois ASA and Illinois USSSA and a tournament director for ASA, NSA and USSSA tournament.

FX has announced that it has ordered Y, a TV adaptation of the post-apocalyptic science fiction comic Y: The Last Man, to series.

Announced by presidents of original programing at FX, Nick Grad and Eric Schrier, the series follows Y, the last man alive, as he “traverses a post-apocalyptic world in which a cataclysmic event has decimated every male save for one lone human.” The DC Comic series by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra focuses on a new world order of women and explores gender, race, class and survival.

The series stars Diane Lane, Barry Keoghan, Imogen Poots, Lashana Lynch, Juliana Canfield, Marin Ireland and Amiber Tamblyn. Michael Green (American Gods, Blade Runner 2049) and Aïda Mashaka Croal (Luke Cage, Turn) will both serve as showrunners and executive producers. Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson and Brian K. Vaughan developed the series and will also act as executive producers. Melina Matsoukas (Insecure, Master of None) directed the pilot episode.

Photo credit: FX.

“Y: The Last Man is a towering achievement among graphic novel storytelling and it’s been rewarding to work with this outstanding team,” said Grad. “Michael Green and Aïda Mashaka Croal have partnered with Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson to deliver a stunning new expression of this fascinating and timely story. Melina Matsoukas, who directed the pilot, did an incredible job bringing it to life with Diane Lane and this stellar cast.”

“Brian and Pia’s exploration of a world without men is a favorite for its depth, its humor, its insights and its monkey,” said Croal and Green. “Adapted today it offers us a cracked mirror to look at our own very cracked world. We thank them for their trust — we thank FX for their support — and we thank the casting gods for letting us work with this incredible group of actors.”

FX announced it had ordered a pilot episode back in 2018. Since then, we’ve found out why it ditched “The Last Man” title, and that Barry Keoghan will be playing the formerly-titular last man, Yorick Brown. Keoghan is best known for his role in Dunkirk as George Mills, the civilian sailor’s son.

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

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association has announced that 47 student-athletes from 19 programs have received 2016 NFCA NJCAA DII All-Region accolades.  

Click HERE for teams.

The awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association’s three regions with first-team recognition. NFCA member coaches from each respective region voted on the teams, and all the honorees now become eligible for selection to the 2016 NFCA NAIA All-American squads.

No. 4 Kirkwood Community College out of the Midwest Region led the way with five selections, while regional foe and No. 7 Des Moines Area Community College tied with No. 16 Mercyhurst North East (East) and Oakland Community College (East) with four honorees.

From the South Region 2016 National Champions, LSU-Eunice, and No. 2 Phoenix College each garnered three nods. No. 9 Kankakee Community College (Midwest) and No. 19 Lansing (East) both received three nominations. Seven other programs across three regions had two honorees.

The 2016 NFCA NAIA All-America teams will be announced on Friday, June 10, via NFCA.org.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. –  Humboldt State senior Tiffany Hollingsworth and Western Washington freshman Anna Kasner were named the Louisville/Slugger NFCA Division II National Player and Pitcher, respectively. The duo earned the first plaudit of 2017 after outstanding play during the opening week of the season.

Hollingsworth played a pivotal role for the second-ranked Jacks as they went 5-0 at the Desert Stinger Classic. Homering in each of the first three games, she hit .438 (7-for-16) with a double, three long balls, nine RBI and seven runs scored. The senior shortstop’s performance earned her tournament MVP honors.

In the season opener against Western New Mexico, she went 3-for-3 with a double, home run, three RBI and three runs scored. The San Leandro, Calif. native also added a 3-for-4 performance with a homer, two RBI and three runs versus New Mexico Highlands.

Kasner shined as she made her collegiate debut on Feb. 5 at Chaminade. The rookie hurler went 1-0 in a pair of appearances (one start), registering 19 strikeouts and allowing only one hit in 10 innings.

In her first appearance with WWU, Kasner, a native of Milton, Wash., tossed a complete-game, one-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts in the Vikings’ season opener. Kasner retired the last 12 batters she faced, while recording seven strikeouts over the final three innings. Coming out of the bullpen in game two, Kasner fanned six in three innings of perfect relief. 

The 13 strikeouts were the most by a GNAC pitcher since 2012 and tied for the sixth-most strikeouts in a the WWU annals.

Player of the Week
Feb. 8 – Tiffany Hollingsworth (Humboldt State)

Pitcher of the Week
Feb. 8 – Anna Kasner (Western Washington)

Selected Top Performances
Hannah Reppert, Armstrong State (Peach Belt Player of the Week)- .500 BA, 3 2B, 3 HR, 7R, 6 RBI; Addison Ard, Lubbock Christian (Heartland Player of the Week)- .636 (7-11), 9 RBI, 2 HR, 1.364 SLG, .667 OBP; Brandy Marlett, Angelo State (Lone Star Pitcher of the Week)- 2-1, 2.06 ERA, 21 K, 17 IP, no-hitter (9 K, 3 BB) vs. Florida Tech & 2-hit shutout of No. 3 Armstrong State; Sarah Malony, West Florida (Gulf South Pitcher of the Week)- five-inning no-hitter vs. No. 22 UMSL (9 K, 2 BB); Cailin Garmon, Chico State (CCAA Player of the Week)- .444 (8-for-18), .500 OBP, 9 R, 8-8 SB, Desert Stinger All-Tournament; Katie Klosterman, Missouri Western (MIAA Player of the Week)- .538, 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R, 1.077 SLG; Emmie Robertson, Pittsburg State (MIAA Pitcher of the Week)- 6 App/4 starts, 3-1, save, 0.91 ERA, 23 IP, 34 K, 6 BB, 3 ER, .146 opp BA; Karlie Milburn, East Central (GAC Pitcher of the Week)- 3-0, 0.56 ERA, 14 IP, 4 K, .180 opp BA; Mariah Jameyson, Texas A&M University-Commerce (Lone Star Player of the Week)- .471 (8-17), 2 HR, 7 R, 12 RBI, .822 SLG; Maggie Kadrlik, Augustana (NSIC Player of the Week)- .500 (8-16), 3 2B, 5 RBI, 4 R; Bailey Gaspar, Hawai’i Hilo (PacWest Player of the Week)- 5 XBH, 8 RBI, 8 R, 19 total bases; Chloe Collins, Shippensburg– .556 (10-18), 5 2B, 6 RBI, 6 R, 4 SB; 2-1, 3.27 ERA; Jalissa Gum, Arkansas Tech (GAC Player of the Week)- .462, 2 HR, 8 RBI; 1-1, 12. 1 IP, 26 K; Sierra Hearp, Barton (Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Week)- no-hitter in collegiate debut vs. St. Augustine’s (6K); Jeani Perrucci, Young Harris (Peach Belt Pitcher of the Week)- 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 14 IP, 22 K, 5 H, .109 opp BA, tossed a pair of two-hit shutouts against Queens (N.C.) and Albany State; Kate Kopeck, St. Cloud State (NSIC Pitcher of the Week)- 2-0, 0.50 ERA, 2 CG, 11 K, 2 BB, .191 opp BA; Courtney Medina, Lubbock Christian– .692 BA, .765 OBP, 7 SB, 10 R.