After a series of “release candidate” beta versions, the folks at Mozilla have released the final version of Firefox 3.0 today. Click the Firefox icon for the free download. For Firefox users with version 2.something, you will definitely notice the improvement in speed, as well as other enhancements.
“What’s so great about Firefox 3?”, you say?
Read on.
Young Canadian Junior National Players Ready for ISF Jr. World Championships
This is the sixth in a series of Player Profiles of Canadian National team members, who will be competing in the ISF Jr. World Championships at Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, June 20-29, 2009. Ballparkradio will be broadcasting from Whitehorse, June 26-29, 2008.
#25 Darcy Walushka
Born: April 24th, 1990
Hometown: Victoria, BC
Throws: Right
Bats: Right
Position: Center Field, Utility
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Birthdate: April 24, 1990
Birthplace: Victoria, BC Canada
Hometown: Victoria, BC Canada
Residence: Victoria, BC Canada
Languages spoken: English
Height: 172 cm / 5’8″
Weight: 68 kg / 150 lbs
Throws: Right
Bats: Right
Marital status: Single
Father: Dan
Mother: Tammy
Brothers: Kristopher
Sisters: Shelley
High School: Belmont Senior Secondary
High School Location: Victoria BC
Most Influential Person: Brother Kris.
Who most influence your softball career: My Dad and brother, i was bat boy for my brothers team and travelled with them everywhere.
Softball Goals: Win a Medal as a Member of Team Canada
Club Team: Sooke Smoke
Club Team Coach: Kevin Maycock
Canadian Championships Experience: 2007 Midget Nationals – 1st Place
Years on National Team: 1
Sports Awards: All-Star Outfield 2007 Midget Nationals
Other Sports/Hobbies/Interests: Any Other Sport.
Most Memorable Softball Experience: Winning 5 straight games at 2007 midget nationals to win the title.
Pets: 2 Cats
Favourite Movie: Field of Dreams, 61*
Favourite Food: Pizza, Shrimp
Favourite Athlete: Jose Reyes, Grady Sizemore
Favourite country visited: US
Favourite Hobby: Playing Catch
Favourite Drink: Dr. Pepper
Favourite Quote: Ya Got Good Zip
Reprinted with permission from the Times Colonist
Team Canada juniors come calling on Langford softball star
Brian Drewry, Times Colonist
Published: Tuesday, June 10, 2008He was barely out of the womb, and Darcy Walushka was already thinking softball.
Or so his mom likes to think.
“She told me when I was four days old I went to my first fastball game so she likes to take credit for my success,” laughed the 18-year-old Walushka, who was recently named one of 17 players who will represent Canada at the ISF Junior Men’s World Championship June 20-29 in Whitehorse.
Bruce Stotesbury, Times Colonist
Walushka, a Langford resident who’s just finishing up his Grade 12 at BelmontSecondary, has had plenty of reason to smile when it comes to his softball career in recent years. The upcoming trip to the world juniors is just the ultimate way to cap off an impressive year that has seen him be part of a national midget championship last season with his club team, the Sooke Smoke.
“It has been quite a year, that’s for sure,” said Walushka, who is just one of two B.C. players on the Canadian roster. Jessin Potskin of Prince George is the other.
“I’ve just been real fortunate to play on a great team which really helped me get noticed.”
The modest Walushka was named a tournament all-star at last year’s midget nationals in Saskatoon where the Smoke beat the defending champion FSIN Chiefs in the championship game. Walushka played his usual stellar defence in centre field, swung a hot bat and used his blazing speed on the base paths to generate even more offence for the Smoke. (more…)
Click here for the 2008 Rose Cup Tournament Schedule, to be held in Portland, Oregon, this weekened, June 21-22, 2008.
Thanks to Brian Ree and Kary Moore for this information.
Danish u19 National Team
For the second time Denmark will send off a team to the u19 World Championships. First time around was in 2005 in PEI, Canada.
Softball is a very small sport in Denmark, so the playerpool is not huge. This means that we will be bringing players from 19 years olds down to a couple of 15 year olds. Several players have WC-experience from 2005, and also from the European Championships in 2006 (2nd), but unfortunately high school graduations have left a couple of our more experienced players at home.
A good deal of the players play regularly in the highest Danish senior league, which is considered one of the best in Europe. Players to watch will be WC veterans: team captain Jan Weichart and pitcher Valdemar Terkelsen, who also starred on the senior national team in 2007.
Coaching the team wil beKiwi’s Israel Nukunuku and Sam Woodcock, with Jens Terkelsen as manager.
The Danish team will not be going for gold, but we are convinced that we will cause some upsets during the tournament.
Team Denmark will be arriving on June 18th and will be playing a friendly against the Czech Republic on june 20th.
The whole delegation is looking forward to the trip to Whitehorse – at least your weather and your light will be almost normal for us, compared to several other nations!
www.softball.dk
Jens Terkelsen
Team Manager
Roster after the jump.
Botswana: Under-19 Softball Team Leaves for Whitehorse
Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
5 June 2008
Mosah Mokganedi
The national Under-19 softball team will this month travel to Whitehorse Yukon, Canada, for the Junior Men’s International Softball Federation (ISF) World Championships.
The 10-day tournament starts on June 20-30. Earlier last week there was uncertainty as to whether the team would make it, as the Botswana Softball Association (BSA) did not have enough funds.
But BSA president Marumo Morule said in Gaborone yesterday that the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) has come to their rescue by giving them money for air tickets while the BSA would look for more funds to meet other expenses. Botswana, who will be making their maiden appearance at the championship, will feature in the opening game against defending champions Australia followed by a game between Canada and the Czech Republic later in the night. Organisers have announced that 12 countries will do battle in a round robin tournament with Botswana and South Africa being the only African nations participating. Other countries include three-time defending champion Australia, as well as Argentina, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the United States of America (US), and Venezuela. Canada previously earned bronze medals at the World Championships in 2005 in summer side, in 2001 in Sydney, Australia, and in 1997 in St. John’s, New Zealand. The top four countries will advance to the play-offs on June 28, as the third and fourth place teams will square off immediately followed by a second play-off game between the two top teams. The winner of the latter will advance to the Grand Final, while the losing team will meet the winner of the first play-off game to determine who reaches the Grand Final.
Joseph Moroka with Kabelo Kwape as his assistant will coach the Botswana team at the games. Others in the travelling party are Donald Ferguson, as the head of delegation, Donald Fologang (statistician), Kopanang Thekiso (manager) and Letsweletse Jonas (BISA liaison officer). The assistant coach said last week that the preparations for the team were going on well.
The BSA has also announced a 17-man final squad that will represent Botswana at the competitions as Aldrin Villander, Boikhutso Letlhomo, Edwin Gaofano, and Ene Makgetho, Eric Simwanza, Keabetswe Leagetse, Kagiso Mogale, Kealeboga Tsienyane, Moremi Moremi, Kedibonye Moseki, Bofelo Lopang, Phemelo Nyawe, Sean Ntshebe, Thata Ntau, Tiro Mazulugwa, Thabang Mokgabo, and Tshepiso Tinah. The team’s final preparation camp is scheduled for June 13. It is expected to play South Africa in international friendly games on June 14 and 15.
Editor’s Note: Where is Botswana you say? Right here:
Midland Explorers win own seventh annual Boulevard Lounge Tournament
by The Saginaw News
Sunday June 15, 2008, 11:31 PMMIDLAND — The Midland Explorers won their own seventh annual Boulevard Lounge Men’s Fastpitch Softball Tournament Sunday, finishing 3-0 at Emerson Park.
Kyle Beane, Steve Horning and Dan Skilling combined for five hits — including three home runs — and seven RBIs in a 10-1 Explorers win over Battle HBC. Brian Urquhardt gave up one runs on two hits with nine strikeouts.
Midland claimed a 2-1 win over the Waterloo River Sharks (Ontario) as Grant Patterson went all sevenn innings for the win. Patterson gave up a run on six hits and seven strikeouts while Eddy Ketelhut and Craig Crawford each had RBIs.
Trailing 4-1 against Scarbrorough in the first game, the Explorers struck for five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Bean and Calvin Miller each homered and Todd Moore hit a three-run triple down the right field line to win the game.
Mike Joseph went all seven innings for the win, which improved the Explorers record to 7-3. Midland travels to Jarvis, Ontario next weekend.
Young USA Junior Players Ready for ISF Jr. World Championships
Seventh in a series of Player Profiles of USA Jr. National team members, who will be competing in the ISF Jr. World Championships at Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, June 20-29, 2009. Ballparkradio will be broadcasting from Whitehorse, June 26-29, 2008.
#5 B.J. Hunhoff
Height: 6′ 0″
Position: Pitcher – L/L
Hometown: Harrisburg, South Dakota
2479 miles from Whitehorse
Did You Know?
• Born April 13, 1989
• Plays baseball for the University of Sioux Falls
• What inspires you to play softball? “I just love the competition and it is a game I have played since I was little.â€
• Favorite pro team: Arizona Diamondbacks
• Dream career: Opening up a softball academy in the Midwest
• Favorite Quote: “Live life to the fullest, you never know when it is going to end.”
• Hero: My dad and my grandpa
Accomplishments
2007 USA Softball Men’s National Team
• Finished second at ISF Men’s World Cup in Prague, Czech Republic
• Finished first in inaugural American Challenge Series
2007 ASA 18U Sioux Falls Rookies
• National Champions
2007 ISC 19U McDermotts of Baltimore
• National Champions
• Named league’s Most Valuable Pitcher
2007 NAFA 23U Kegel Knights of Fargo, N.D.
• National Champions
• Named division’s Most Valuable Player
Coach’s Corner
“Hard throwing left-hander who is considered one of the top young American hurlers. Won every major title in age group tournaments in 2007, including the ASA 18-under, ISC 19-under, and NAFA 23-under.â€
— Coach Gary Mullican
Editor’s Notes:
Links to other coverage of BJ Hunhoff here at Fastpitchwest:
BJ Hunhoff – Carroll Forbes Scholarship Recipient
B.J. Hunhoff makes Team USA roster
We added some Editor’s notes to this story, reprinted after the jump.
Young USA Junior Players Ready for ISF Jr. World Championships
Sixth in a series of Player Profiles of USA Jr. National team members, who will be competing in the ISF Jr. World Championships at Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, June 20-29, 2009. Ballparkradio will be broadcasting from Whitehorse, June 26-29, 2008.
#32 Michael Hayes
Height: 6′ 0″
Position: SS – R/R
Hometown: Salem, Utah
2361 miles from Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Did You Know?
• Born March 22, 1990
• Attends Spanish Fork High School
• Favorite pro team: Atlanta Braves
• Dream career: Baseball coach
• Favorite movie: 61*
• Favorite TV show: Law & Order
• Favorite Quote: “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.†— Yogi Berra
• Three people, living or dead, you would have dinner with: Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali, My Grampa
Coach’s Corner
“A quiet leader who will be the shortstop for the USA Team in 2008. A smooth fielder with a strong arm.â€
— Coach Scott Standerfer
Young New Zealand Junior Players Ready for ISF Jr. World Championships
This is the seventh in a series of Player Profiles of the New Zealand Jr. National team members, who will be competing in the ISF Jr. World Championships at Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, June 20-29, 2009. Ballparkradio will be broadcasting from Whitehorse, June 26-29, 2008.
(photo not available)
Thomas Enoka
DATE OF BIRTH: 20/02/91
CLUB TEAM: Auckland United
INFLUENCES ON PLAYING CAREER: Family, dad and Graham Gollan
HIGHLIGHT OF PLAYING CAREER: Making the team for the Junior World Series
EDUCATION/WORK DETAILS: Student at Massey High School
