Good outing for former LSU star Paul Skenes versus the two-time defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers last night. Skenes allowed two runs in six innings and struck out seven, but the Pirates bullpen was awful, and L-A won 12 to 3. The night before, Skenes did a really cool thing by spending two hours at a Pittsburgh Little League field playing catch and signing autographs and providing the thrill of a lifetime for the kids.

WRAL News in Raleigh is reporting that North Carolina State is investigating whether LSU violated the Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act in its hiring of men’s basketball coach Will Wade. N-C State believes LSU may have worked to help Wade avoid a larger buyout fee. Wade paid a four-million dollar buyout. His contract called for him to pay a five-million dollar buyout if he left before April 1st. Wade was announced as LSU’s coach on March 26th.

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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a special black-bellied whistling duck season that will run from October third to the 11th. Hunters can target black-bellied whistling ducks during the regular duck hunting season that runs from November into January, but LDWF Waterfowl Program Manager Jason Olszak says surveys indicate there is also an opportunity to harvest black bellied whistling ducks in early October…

Cut 14 (08) “…earlier in the year”

Hunters see Black-bellied whistling ducks during the September teal season and their numbers decline in the fall because they migrate to Mexico and Central America by early to mid-fall.

Loyola University in New Orleans is moving from N-A-I-A to Division Two and will compete in the Gulf South Conference starting in the Fall of 2027. The  move to Division Two will attract better athletes. Men’s basketball won an NAIA championship in 2022 and baseball was in the NAIA World Series last spring.