The top ranked LSU Tigers had a four run lead after 5 innings, but South Carolina exploded with a total of eight runs in the sixth and seventh to take a 10-7 win last night. Gamecock reliever Reed Scott picks up the win. LSU’s Jake Godfrey gets tagged with the loss after starting the seventh inning and giving up four runs on one hit with four walks and no strikeouts. The series resumes tonight at 7 and you can watch on ESPNU. LSU still holds a half-game lead over Vanderbilt, who defeated Alabama last night, in the overall SEC standings.

In the Southland, Central Arkansas edged McNeese State 5-4, Northwestern State blanked Nicholls State 7-0, and Southeastern Louisiana clinched its first ever Southland Conference regular season championship after a 5-0 win over UNO.

In Sun Belt action, UL-Lafayette pounded ULM 10-3. First pitch for game two is 6PM tonight.

Marshall squeaked past Louisiana Tech 7-6 and Memphis upended Tulane 7-3.

The Saints’ rookie mini camp takes place this weekend at the team’s headquarters in Metairie. The three-day camp is an opportunity get a first look at this year’s draft picks and undrafted free agents will battle for an invite to training camp. Saints sideline reporter Kristian Garic is impressed with the players the Black and Gold selected in this year’s draft and says the team stayed true to what they said they believed in with this draft class…

cut 16 (08) “off the field”

Garic says there is excitement around the team’s two first round draft picks, offensive tackle Andrus Peat from Stanford and linebacker Stephone Anthony from Clemson.

In basketball news…there’s a report the Pelicans are waiting to see if Chicago Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau will be available before starting their head coach search. Thibodeau’s Bulls were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs by Cleveland last night and there’s talk he won’t be asked to return as Chicago’s coach.

ESPN has announced that LSU will host Oklahoma as part of the ESPN-Big 12 challenge on Saturday January 30th.