I’m Jeanne Burns and this sportscast on the Louisiana Radio Network is brought to you by the Louisiana Department of Health, when gambling is more than a game, no one wins…

The ping pong ball did not bounce the Pelicans way last night. Despite having the fourth best odds to get the number one pick in the June 25 NBA draft, New Orleans will pick seventh. The Dallas Mavericks won the draft lottery and they’ll pick first and likely select Duke’s Cooper Flagg.

LSU football has scheduled a home and home series with SMU. The Tigers will kick off the 2028 season by hosting the Mustangs and in 2029 LSU will travel to Dallas to play SMU in the season opener. It’s possible that game will be played in the Dallas Cowboys home stadium.

Former LSU running back John Emery is headed to Texas. Emery has signed with UTSA. This will be Emery’s seventh and final season of college football. The former five-star recruit started at LSU in 2019 but has suffered two major injuries and missed a year because of academics.

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The LSU Tigers are ranked number one in all of the major college baseball polls. The Tigers are 40-12 overall, 17-10 in the SEC. They have a chance at winning 20 league games, with a sweep of South Carolina. The Gamecocks are really struggling with first year coach Paul Mainieri. The Gamecocks are 5-22 in the SEC and have lost six in a row.  That series starts on Thursday.

Tonight, Louisiana Tech hosts ULM. The Bulldogs lost to the Warhawks three to two earlier this season. ULM has lost nine in a row.

The state high school baseball tournament begins today with semi-final action for the small schools On the LHSAA Network at 11 AM Pitkin plays Hicks in a Class B semifinal. At 2 PM, Ouachita Christian will take on Covenant Christian at 3 PM. And at 5:30 PM. Oak Grove faces Mangham at 5:30.

The Saints have signed receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. Jones caught 61 passes for the Browns in 2022, but hasn’t done much since then.