LSU will begin play in the SEC Tournament tomorrow morning. The real goal is to win the NCAA Tournament, which begins next week. But Coach Jay Johnson says they want to win an SEC tournament title first…

Cut 18 (22) “…execute”

The Tigers will face sixth-seeded South Carolina after their 9-0 win over Georgia earlier today.

Defending Conference USA champs Louisiana Tech will begin their tournament run against 3-seeded Charlotte tomorrow at 9 A.M.

The 4th-seeded Ragin Cajuns will kick off their campaign to repeat as Sun Belt champs tomorrow at 7:30 against Texas St. The Cajuns were able to win the conference tournament as the 4-seed in a shortened single elimination tournament last year.

The Saints began OTA’s today with new quarterback Derek Carr at the helm. Over the next three weeks players and coaches will have the opportunity to build chemistry in a locker room with some new key additions and familiarize themselves with the system. Carr said today felt like a Day 1 with some mistakes and growing pains but a promising future..

Cut 30 (16) “…keep climbing.”

McNeese starting pitcher Grant rogers was named Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year for the second year in a row. He also earned first team All-SLC honors and was named to the All-Defensive team along with left fielder Cooper Hext.. 2nd Baseman Brad Burckel was named to the all-conference second team. The 6th-seeded Cowboys will begin the Southland tournament tonight at 6:00 in a single-elimination game against A&M Corpus-Christi.

LSU has signed transfer running back Logan Diggs from Notre Dame. The Boutte, Louisiana native started eight games as a sophomore, rushing for 822 yards and four touchdowns for the Fighting Irish last season. After averaging 5 yards a carry as a feature back in the Notre Dame offense, Diggs will reunite with his former coach this summer as perhaps the most talented Tiger running back, but The Advocate’s Wilson Alexander says he won’t take over the role…

Cut 18 (19) “…these guys.”

The LSU Baseball team will begin their final regular season series in Georgia tomorrow night. In an essential series for the 4th-ranked Tigers looking to secure a top 8 national seed before the SEC tournament, the team announced sophomore left hander Javen Coleman will get the start on the mound for game 3. Coleman is 1-1 on the season with a 6.00 ERA.

The tenth-seeded LSU softball team will host the Baton Rouge Regional this weekend featuring the Sun-Belt Champion UL-Lafayette Cajuns, Summit League Champs Omaha, and SWAC Champion Prairie View A&M. The Tigers could possibly play the 46-13 Cajuns multiple times after splitting the two-game regular season series. Cajuns senior Karly Heath says her team felt slighted by the seeding…

Cut 19 (19) “….easier draw.” 

The Saints finalized their preseason schedule today. They’ll kickoff week one against the Chiefs at noon August 13 followed by their annual trip to San Diego before returning back home to face the Texans.

McNeese has signed Director of Athletics Heath Schroyer to a new five year contract. The school’s athletics department has been the fastest growing in the Southland conference both financially and staffing under Schroyer.

The Saints signed former Steelers wide receiver James Washington to a one year deal. The former 2018 second round pick spent 4 productive years in Pittsburgh before missing most of last year with the Cowboys due to a foot injury. His best season came in 2019  when he had 735 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Head Coach Dennis Allen says Washington gives them a deep threat…

Cut 19 (16) “….defense” 

Former Rummel running back Logan Diggs has signed with LSU after spending the last two seasons at Notre Dame. The Boutte, Louisiana native started eight games as a sophomore, rushing for 822 yards and four touchdowns for the Fighting Irish last season and 230 yards and a touchdown in 2021 as a freshman under Brian Kelly. He’ll reunite with his former coach in Baton Rouge this Summer.

Lafayette Christian star Ju’Juan Johnson committed to LSU less than a month after decommitting from Colorado. The 4-star recruit quarterbacked the Knights to it’s sixth consecutive championship game as a junior, and was named the Acadiana Advocate’s Star of Stars Athlete of the year last week. The 5-foot-11 standout is listed as an “athlete” on 247sports and will likely play cornerback in college.

The NBA Draft Lottery is tonight in one of the most highly anticipated drafts in recent decades thanks to top overall prospect Victor Wembenyama. The 7-foot-5 19 year old is rumored to be one of the top prospects to enter the draft in NBA history and his fate will most likely be decided by which team comes out with the top overall pick in tonight’s lottery. The Pelicans sit at 14th overall and the worst odds to land the number one pick after finishing 42-40 and losing in the first round of the play-in tournament. They’ll have a 0.5% chance at the top pick and a 2.4% chance of moving up to the top four with no way of ending in spots 5-through-13.

Alabama Baseball Coach Brad Bohannon was fired Thursday morning following reports of suspicious betting activity before last Friday’s game against LSU that suspended sports betting on Alabama baseball in Ohio, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The University released a statement saying Bohannon violated University standards duties and responsibilities, but Tiger Rag Editor Todd Horne said promise of further investigation makes him believe there’s a connection to the gambling.

Cut 12 (09) “…firing him.”

Bohannon named a new starting pitcher for Friday’s game less than an hour before first pitch. US integrity notified Ohio betting officials of two suspicious bets including one worth over six figures for Alabama to lose which caused the closures, but Horne says LSU was a heavy favorite anyway…

Cut 13 (12) “…the case.” 

LSU will continue the final month of the season with the first game of a three-game SEC series in Auburn tomorrow night. With three conference series left in the regular season, the Tigers will hope to close out strong and secure the top seeds in the NCAA and SEC tournaments. LSU is currently half a game behind Vanderbilt for the top spot in the SEC due to the cancellation of game 3 of the South Carolina series in early April. The Tigers have been the consensus number one ranked team in the country all season and are favorites to win the College World Series, but former LSU Baseball star and SEC Network analyst Todd Walker says it’s baseball, and the best team doesn’t always win the national championship…

Cut 18 (12) “…on there.”

Only one top national seed has ever won the College World Series and that was Miami back in 1999, the first year of the current tournament format. The Tigers will hope to end the drought and win their seventh national title in program history

Nicholls shocked the no. 1 ranked Tigers baseball team with a 6-5 victory in Alex Box. LSU got off to a slow start thanks to a stifling Colonel’s defense, but took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth and were tied heading into the ninth. With bases loaded, Nicholls pinch hitter Brayden Kuriger broke the tie with a single to right and a second run scored off an LSU error. Kuriiger said he stayed ready for his opportunity…

Cut 30 (11) “…go through.”

The Tigers will look to bounce back Friday vs Alabama while the colonels will hope to carry this momentum into conference play with a series at Northwestern St. this weekend

The Pelicans announced guard CJ McCollum underwent successful surgery yesterday to repair a torn UCL in his right thumb. He will not require surgery for a torn labrum in his right shoulder and will undergo an offseason rehabilitation program. He is expected to make a full recovery before training camp.

The Louisiana Tech baseball team will return to action tonight against Southern miss. Tech was picked to win Conference USA in the preseason, but they find themselves in fifth place in the league with 12 more conference games left. Coach Lane Burroughs says a lack of effort is not why this team has not performed to expectations…

Cut 18 (18) “…the case.”

First pitch in Hattiesburg is at 6:00

All-Sothland second team forward Christian Shumate announced he will return to McNeese for his junior season. The cowboy’s leading scorer and rebounder was second the conference in boards and averaged 15 points and almost 10 rebounds a game. He helped lead McNeese to the conference tournament semifinals and broke a 33 year old record for most rebounds in the tournament.  First year head coach Will Wade says he’s excited to see what they can do together next season.

Former LSU basketball player Wayne Sims has died at the age of 54. Sims was a four-year standout for the Tigers from 1987 to 1991 and made the NCAA tournament all four years. He played with former LSU greats Shaquille O Neal and Chris Jackson. Former coach Dale Brown says he’s crushed to hear about Sims’ passing…

Cut 10 (08) “…loved guy.” 

Sources say Sims collapsed at work yesterday and died from natural causes this morning.

The Pelicans will host the Thunder in the first round of the play-in tournament tonight. The youngest squad in the NBA, many thought the Thunder were in the midst of a rebuild, but thanks to the effort of All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, went 40-42 on the season to earn the last play-in spot. Coach Willie Green says if the Pels want to advance, they’ll need to slow down SGA…

Cut 20 (13)  “…for a reason.”  

The LSU football team lost defensive line coach and run game coordinator Jamar Cain to Sean Payton’s Denver coaching staff a few weeks ago. Defensive analyst Gerald Chatman took over as interim D-line coach and coach Brian Kelly says will be a candidate for the full-time position. Kelly said he’s looking for someone who can recruit in the SEC and develop players and should have a decision soon…

Cut 17 (16) “…or so.” 

The top-ranked LSU Baseball team got an 11-5 midweek win over Tulane last night. Rightfielder Brayden Jobert and third baseman Tommy White each drove in 3 runs as the tigers improved to 27-5 on the year. The Bayou Bengals will return to action Thursday night as they play host to 12^th-ranked Kentucky

The UL-Lafayette baseball team won its sixth straight last night defeating in-state rival Louisiana tech 10-5. The Cajuns improve to 24-9 on the season. They’ll look to earn win 25 tonight in Hammond against Southeastern. First pitch is at 6:00

The top-ranked LSU baseball team will visit Tulane tonight. LSU has several relief pitchers out with injuries. No timetable has been given on when Chase Shores, Garret Edwards, or Nate Ackenhause will return, but coach Jay Johnson says left-hander Javen Coleman will pitch this season after undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery 13 months ago…

Cut 20 (20) “…he’s doing.” 

First Pitch at Turchin Stadium is at 6:00

The UL-Lafayette appeared in Collegiate Baseball’s National Poll for the first time this season. The  No. 28 Cajuns are 23-9 on the season and 9-3 in the Sun Belt. They’ll open a 5-game week tonight as they host 16-16 Louisiana Tech

The Pelicans announced guard Jose Alvarado has been cleared to resume on-court basketball activities after suffering a stress reaction to his right Tibia in late February. He has been ruled out for tomorrow’s play-in game against the Thunder and is not expected to play for at least another week. Forward Larry Nance did participate in practice today and his status will be monitored for tomorrow’s play-in matchup. 

Zion Williamson spoke to the media for the first time since re-aggravating his hamstring. He said his experience dealing with injury last year has helped but not being able to play still “sucks…”

Cut 18 (17) “…basketball for real.”

Buccaneers Pro-Bowl linebacker and former first-round pick out of LSU Devin White has requested a trade. White is in the fifth year of his rookie contract worth $11.7 million with a multiyear deal the next step, but sources say he’s grown increasingly frustrated with the team. The Bucs reportedly have no intention of trading him.

LSU celebrated its first national championship in basketball with a parade through campus that ended in the Maravich Center and the celebration continued in the PMAC as several players, Coach Kim Mulkey and dignitaries spoke in front of some grateful fans. The seniors had a chance to speak, including guard Alexis Morris

Cut  16 (17)  “..(cheers).” 

The Pelicans beat a short-manned Grizzlies team in overtime 138-131 last night. The Pels came back 19 points for their largest comeback season on a historic offensive performance. They set a franchise record with 21 threes and had three players score over thirty for the first time  in franchise history: CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy, and Herb Jones. The win ties New Orleans with the Lakers in 7th one game behind the Clippers and Warriors and a play-off berth with two games left in the season. They’ve clinched at worst the nine-seed and a spot in the play-in tournament and play their last home game of the season tomorrow night against the Knicks.

The LSU Baseball team begins its series in Columbia tonight at 6. The third-ranked Gamecocks lead the nation with 72 home runs. They’re second in the SEC East with an 8-1 conference record and are 27-3 overall. South Carolina is second in the SEC in team ERA at 2.98, but tonight the Tigers will face 6’6” 230 lb. right-hander Will Sanders on the mound, who’s struggled recently with a 5.17 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 31 innings pitched. The Tigers will hope to take advantage on offense while junior right-hander Paul Skenes will attempt to shut down the explosive Gamecock bats.

Other games around the state in college baseball:

Tulane visits South Florida at 5:30

McNeese hosts Texas A&M-CC at 6

ULM plays Appalachian state at 6 in a Sun-Belt series

Nicholls hosts Incarnate Word at 6:30

Lamar visits Northwestern State at 6:30

Louisiana Tech and Rice face off in Ruston at 6:30

And UNO plays host to Southeastern at 6:30

The LSU women’s basketball team will face one-seeded Virginia Tech in the Final Four Friday. Mulkey has been to the Final Four six times as a player and coach, but it will be the first visit for LSU since 2008. In just her second season with the program, Mulkey says she and her team have helped to revitalize the program…

Cut 18 (21) “…this quickly.”

ULM and Louisiana Tech announce they will renew their football rivalry as soon as 2030. The two schools have not played each other since 2000 and were supposed to face off in 200 before the game was scrapped by COVID. KNOE-TV sports director Aaron Dietrich says he’s excited for the rivalry’s return but you never know what could happen…

Cut 14 (11)  “…down the road”

Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen says that he and the front office have been happy with the offseason so far. New Orleans has signed a free agent class that has provided some much-needed help to the defensive line, secondary, and offensive weapons. Most recently, the Saints signed former Raiders and Falcons wide out Bryan Edwards. He joins safety Jonathan Abrams as the second former Raider to join their quarterback Derek Carr in New Orleans. Allen says Carr has been able to help recruit and rejuvenate the franchise…

Cut 20 (20)  “…that regard.”  

The Pelicans lost 120-109 last night to Golden State after being up 17 at half-time. Stephen Curry scored 39 as he rallied the Warriors for a dominant second half. The Pels end their five game win streak and drop back to .500 8^th in the west half a game ahead of the Lakers. They’ll return to action tomorrow night against the first place Nuggets.

LSU remains ranked number one in all of the college baseball polls after sweeping Arkansas in a doubleheader on Saturday. The Tigers are 21-and-3 and led offensively by Dylan Crews, who is leading the nation with a .531 batting average and Tommy White is hitting .392. The two have combined to hit 17 home runs and drive in 74 runs. Coach Jay Johnson says they are a big reason why they lead the nation in runs scored…

Cut 18 (14) “…have that.”

The Pelicans will visit the Warriors tonight in a critical matchup in the western conference playoff race. After winning their last five games including last night’s 124-90 rout of Portland, the Pels find themselves in 8^th half a game behind the Timberwolves and one game behind 6^th place Golden state. A win tonight would propel New Orleans into 6^th, avoiding the play-in tournament with just 7 games left in the season. Warriors’ starters Draymond Green and Jordan Poole are both listed as probable. Tip-off is at 9:00.

Defensive tackle Malcolm Roach is back with the Saints after signing a one-year deal with the Black and Gold. Roach had a career-high 26 tackles last season for New Orleans. He’s from Baton Rouge and played high school football at Madison Prep…

Cut 17 (19) “…in the room.” 

Ul-Lafaytte catcher Julian Brock was named the Sun Belt player of the week after leading the Cajuns to four wins in five games last week. Brock homered in four of five games tallying five home runs and 14 RBI’s as the Cajuns got their first series win over South Alabama since 2016. ULL now sits at 18-7 on the season and starts ut conference play with a 5-1 record. The Ragin’ Cajuns will return to action Friday as they host Appalachian State in a 3 game Sun Belt Conference series this weekend.