11:40 LRN Sportscast

LSU is a national six seed in the NCAA Baseball Tournament, which means they will host a Super Regional series if they win their own Regional.

LSU will open the Baton Rouge Regional at 2 PM on Friday by hosting Little Rock. The Trojans won the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament as an eight-seed. Little Rock is 24-32 and have the lowest RPI among the 64 teams in the field. Dallas Baptist and Rhode Island are the other two teams in the Baton Rouge Regional. Pitcher Anthony Eyanson…

Cut 20 (12) “…at a time.”

Who will start Game one against Little Rock, Coach Jay Johnson will not say…

Cut 28 (06) “…knows that”

 

LSU-Shreveport was victorious again last night as the Pilots won six to three over the defending NAIA Champions, Hope International to stay in the winner’s bracket of the NAIA World Series. L-S-U-S is now a remarkable 56-and-0 on the season. Draven Zeigler led the way on the mound, by striking out ten over seven innings and Ian Montz drove in two runs. LSU-S will play again tomorrow night.

Loyola of New Orleans run in the NAIA World Series ended yesterday with a  nine to eight loss to the Cumberlands Patriots. The Wolfpack were down nine to nothing at one point, and got within one run in the eighth inning, but could not bring home the tying run home.

The SEC Spring meetings start today. Revenue sharing with student-athletes, a possible nine-game schedule in football and the future of the college football playoff are the big topics. Commissioner Greg Sankey said yesterday he’s not settled on a preferred format for the CFP. For the upcoming season, we do know that the 12 teams will be seeded one through 12 and the top four seeds will receive a bye.

8:30 LRN Newscast

The patriarch of Duck Dynasty Phil Robertson died over the weekend at the age of 79. Greg Hilburn of the USA Today Network says the family from West Monroe announced last December that Robertson had Alzheimer’s disease…

Cut 17 (13) “…final reward”

Robertson took a small duck calling business and turned it into a multi-million dollar company with the help of a popular reality television show that ran from 2012 to 2017.

For the second time this year in Louisiana, thousands of customers were left in the dark because of a forced power outage. The latest incident happened in the New Orleans area on Sunday and Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis says they had a similar situation in northwest Louisiana…

Cut 12 (07) “…day in April”

In both cases, it was the company that supplies power to the utility companies that ordered the shut offs.

There are a little over two weeks left in the legislative session, and several bills aimed at bringing down Louisiana’s extremely high auto insurance rates are nearing final legislative passage. Senate Insurance Chairman Kirk Talbot led the effort on the Senate floor to pass a bill that would give the insurance commissioner more authority to reject rate increases. Talbot says an amendment was added to the legislation that would require insurance companies to make their rate filing requests public…

Cut 4 (13) “…propriety or not.”

A tort reform bill that needs House concurrence to Senate changes before reaching the governor’s desk would say if a driver is found to be 51-percent or more at fault for a wreck, they are not entitled to any damages in a civil lawsuit. Democrats like Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau oppose the bill…

Cut 7 (09) “…going to be difficult.”

7:30 LRN Newscast

The legislative session ends in 16 days, and lawmakers are close to passing auto insurance reform bills that they hope can bring down rates. Jeanne Burns reports.

Cut 1 (43) “…I’m Jeanne Burns.”

Three of the inmates who escaped from the Orleans Parish jail were captured yesterday that leaves two more fugitives who remain at large.

 

The Louisiana Senate will hear a bill today that could result in an out-of-work individual losing their job benefits if they fail to show up for job interviews. Lafayette Republican Troy Hebert is the author of the bill and says since February 2024, the Louisiana Workforce Commission has tracked the number of people who fail to appear for scheduled job interviews…

Cut 10 (08) “…they were given”

Hebert’s bill also calls for an unemployed individual to perform at least five work search actions a week, up from the current law of three to maintain their job benefits.

Many are remembering the patriarch of Duck Dynasty, Phil Robertson, who died on Sunday at the age of 79. Before Robertson became a well-known outdoorsman and a conservative cultural icon, he was the starting quarterback for Louisiana Tech in the 1960s and his back up was Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw. Greg Hilburn of the USA Today Network, the two were recognized at a Tech football game in 2013…

Cut 16 (06) “….see that connection”

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The LSU Tigers are seeded sixth in the NCAA Baseball Tournament, which means they will not only host the regionals, but they will also host the Super Regionals. Coach Jay Johnson expected to receive a national seed…

Cut 18 (14)  “…playing here.”

The Tigers open the Baton Rouge Regional by hosting Little Rock, who has the lowest RPI among the teams in the Field of 64. The Trojans are 24-32 and they received an automatic bid into the tournament by winning the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament as an eight-seed. That game will start on Friday at 2 PM.

The other two teams in the Baton Rouge Regional are Dallas Baptist and Rhode Island. The Patriots are the two seed and they are Conference USA Regular season champions.

Loyola of New Orleans’ historic season came to an end yesterday with a nine to eight loss to the Cumberlands Patriots in the NAIA World Series. The Wolf Pack trailed nine to nothing, but they fought back and made it a one run game in the eighth inning. Loyola’s season ends with a 42-18 record.

Unbeaten LSU Shreveport rallied from a two-run deficit to beat defending national champion Hope International six to three. The victory keeps the 56-and-0 Pilots in the winner’s bracket. Draven Zeigler struck out ten hitters in seven innings to improve his record to 13-0. LSU-Shreveport’s next game is tomorrow night.

The SEC Spring meetings start today. Revenue sharing with student-athletes, a possible nine-game schedule in football and the future of the college football playoff are the big topics. Commissioner Greg Sankey said yesterday he’s not settled on a preferred format. For the upcoming season, we do know that the 12 teams that make the CFP will be seeded one through 12 and the top four seeds will receive a bye.

6:30 LRN Newscast

Many are demanding answers after a forced power outage on Sunday left more than 100-thousand customers without power in the New Orleans area for several hours, including on the Northshore. Two nuclear power plants in the area were offline, one because of the maintenance and another north of Baton Rouge unexpectedly tripped. A Louisiana Public Service Commissioner says other factors may have also come into play…

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein”

Louisiana lawmakers return today after taking a few days off for the Memorial Day holiday. Today, the Senate will take up Representative Troy Hebert’s bill that would codify a rule put in place last year that allows employers to report a job applicant collecting unemployment who fails to show up for a job interview. Hebert is a Republican from Lafayette and says employers getting ghosted by their applicants has become more prevalent.

Cut 9 (13)  “…not show up.”

Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau has a bill that prohibits the use of credit scores when factoring insurance rates…

Cut 8 (08) “…poor credit.”

Luneau’s bill has already been approved by the Senate and will go before House Insurance tomorrow.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

I’m Jeanne Burns and this sports cast 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 LSU baseball Tigers will host a Regional this weekend. They were among the 16 schools awarded with a Regional and we’ll find out at 11 AM who will be coming to the Baton Rouge Regional and if the Tigers are a Top 8 national seed.

Georgia, Auburn, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee. Vanderbilt and Ole Miss are the other SEC schools hosting a regional. The Rebels lost to Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament Championship game three to two on Sunday. Ole Miss eliminated LSU in the SEC Tournament, beating the Tigers two to nothing on Saturday. LSU was held to two hits and first baseman Jared Jones believes the offense will be better this weekend..

Cut 16 (10) “..moving forward”

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LSU is expected to be the only team from Louisiana in the NCAA Tournament this year. Southeastern Louisiana had a good chance, but their early exit in the Southland Tournament will likely keep them out.

Tulane made it to the American Athletic Conference Tournament Championship Game, but the Green Wave lost to East Carolina eight to two and Tulane’s season ends with a 33-25 record.

Today at the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, Loyola of New Orleans will play Cumberlands of Kentucky at 1 PM central time. The Wolfpack avoided elimination on Saturday with a 12 to 9 win over British Columbia. Former Acadiana star Garrett Felix drove in three runs and former Brother Martin star Caden Durand had the save.

And tonight LSU-Shreveport will play defending national champion Hope International in a winner’s bracket game.

Former Louisiana Tech quarterback and the patriarch of the Duck Dynasty Family has passed away at the age of 79. Phil Robertson was the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs ahead of Terry Bradshaw.

7:30 LRN Sportscast

I’m Jeanne Burns and this sports cast 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 LSU Tigers advanced to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament with a four-to-three win over Texas A-and-M. Ethan Frey homered and drove in three runs, and Kade Anderson struck out 12 over six innings for the win. Coach Jay Johnson had high praise for Frey and Anderson…

Cut 22 (19) “…my team”

Anthony Eyanson threw three shutout innings for the save. It was his first relief appearance of the season.

The Tigers will play Ole Miss today at around 1:30. The other semifinal game is Tennessee versus Vanderbilt, starting at 10 AM.

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The season is over for the Ragin Cajuns and Louisiana Tech. U-L Lafayette lost in a slugfest, 17-13 to Marshall. The Bulldogs left 14 runners on base in a seven to six defeat to Jacksonville State.

Houston Christian outscored UNO 16-11 to win the Southland Conference Tournament Championship game. Southeastern Louisiana is on the bubble to make the NCAA Tournament, but the Lions are not expected to make it.

Tulane will take on UTSA in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament.

Grambling beat Southern and Florida A&M and will play A&M again today in the SWAC Tournament.

At the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho….LSU-Shreveport improved to an incredible 55-0 with a six-to-three win over Grand View from Iowa. The Pilots will face the defending national champion Hope International on Monday.

Loyola of New Orleans, making its first appearance in the NAIA World Series, lost to Tennessee Wesleyan. The Wolfpack will play in an elimination game tonight.

16:45 LRN Sportscast

The SEC Baseball Tournament began on Tuesday, and third seeded LSU finally gets its opportunity to play tonight as the Tigers take on Texas A&M, who has won two games this week. LSU is the gold standard when it comes to competing in the SEC Tournament as the Tigers have a league-best 94-50 All-time record. And LSU has won a conference-high 12 tournament titles. Coach Jay Johnson would like to win another one…

Cut 20 (18) “…what’s ahead”

The NCAA Baseball Tournament bracket comes out on Monday. According to both Baseball America and D-1 Baseball, the Tigers will be a Top 8 National seed.

Saints quarterback Jake Haener is expected to miss the rest of the OTA sessions after suffering an oblique strain. ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the injury will sideline Haener for multiple weeks, but he should be ready for training camp. Coach Kellen Moore was asked if the injury is a significant setback for Haener, who is competing for starting quarterback…

Cut 18 (17)  “…continue to build.”

 

The Louisiana House has approved a resolution that asks the SEC to no longer schedule LSU home football games in September before six PM. Harahan Representative John Illg was asked by Shreveport Representative Steven Jackson if he would add other Louisiana schools to the resolution…

Cut 5 (07) “…for everybody else”

The resolution carries no official weight; it is merely a formal request to the SEC and to the TV networks which establish the kickoff times.

LRN PM Newscall May 23

The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is holding another Click It or Ticket it campaign.  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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Another jailbreak – this one in Tangipahoa Parish. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The House has passed a resolution asking the SEC not to schedule LSU home football games before six p-m in the month of September. Harahan Republican John Illg drafted the resolution after ESPN scheduled LSU’s September 21st home game against UCLA for 2:30 in the afternoon.

Cut 3 (05) “…factor into it.” 

The temperature at kickoff was 94 degrees with a heat index of 100, and Illg says that was too much for many fans to overcome. 

Cut 4 (11) “…here in Louisiana.”

Shreveport Democrat Steven Jackson asked Illg whether he’d be open to including all schools in this non-binding resolution.

Cut 5 (07) “…for everybody else.”

The House passed Illg’s resolution unanimously. The resolution now goes to the Senate. It carries no official weight; it is merely a formal request to the SEC and to the TV networks which establish the kickoff times.

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The “Click It or Ticket” campaign ramps up seat belt law enforcement, increasing the likelihood of tickets for unbuckled drivers and passengers. LHSC spokesperson Mark Lambert says this high-visibility initiative stresses buckling up to avoid a 50-dollar fine and reminds driver’s seat belt safety to reduce crash fatalities.

Cut 6 (06) “…event of a crash.”

Lambert says data shows more than 88-percent of Louisiana drivers wear a seat belt, and nearly half of passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes were unbelted.

Cut 7 (12) “…getting seriously injured”

Lambert says by combining strict enforcement with public awareness, the campaign aims to wearing seat belts every trip, every time.

Cut 8 (12) “…happy Memorial Day.”

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In St. Martin Parish, sheriff’s investigators are looking for an LSU SEC championship ring that was stolen earlier this month. Major Ginny Higgins says the ring was among many items stolen from a home on May 13th.

Cut 9 (06)  “…of this ring.”

Major Higgins says there are things that you can be on the lookout for as deputies look for the stolen ring. 

Cut 10 (07) “…bragging about it.”

Higgins says investigators have made arrests in this case. 

Cut 11 (06) “…with anything else.” (suspects are juveniles)

If you have any information on the whereabouts of this ring, call St. Martin Parish Crime Stoppers.

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Another jail break – this one in Tangipahoa Parish. A manhunt is underway for 19-year-old Tra’Von Johnson, who escaped from the jail Thursday afternoon – and this is not the first time he’s escaped from that jail.  Sheriff Gerald Sticker says at around 4:15 p-m, inmates had flooded one of the cells. At some point when jail employees were pushing the water out of the jail, the cell door and the exterior door were open simultaneously for less than a minute – plenty of time for Johnson and another inmate to escape. Sticker says they didn’t realize that Johnson was missing for more than five hours.

Cut 12 (09) “…the back fence.”

Sheriff Sticker says a deputy found someone Thursday night who matched that description, but an hours-long search that involved several departments, drones and search dogs came up empty.

Cut 13 (08)  “…on the loose.”

Johnson was being held at the jail for his alleged role in a deadly home invasion in 2022. Sticker apologized to Johnson’s victims.

Cut 14 (13) “…back into custody.”

The inmate who helped Johnson scale the fence is charged with accessory and simple escape, even though he never left jail grounds. At least four jail employees have been placed on administrative leave. Johnson had previously escaped the jail with three other inmates in May of 2024. The sheriff’s office says Johnson may be in the Tickfaw or Hammond-Pumpkin Center areas, since those are the areas that he had frequented.

1:30 LRN Newscast

A week ago today, ten inmates escaped from the Orleans Parish Jail and five of the escapees remain at large. It’s been three days since authorities announced the capture of an escapee. New Orleans Police announced today the arrest of 30-year-old Casey Smith for aiding at least two of the escapees. She’s accused of driving them to multiple locations following their escape.

The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is holding another “Click it or Ticket” campaign.  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

 

Two college baseball teams from Louisiana are in Lewiston, Idaho for the NAIA World Series. LSU-Shreveport is the top seed as the Pilots are a remarkable 54-0 and Loyola of New Orleans is making its first appearance in the NAIA World Series. Wolfpack Coach Jeremy Kennedy says his team has persevered all season long…

Cut 13 (07) “….the job done”

Cole Romero from Acadiana High School is Loyola’s top hitter as he’s hitting .342 with 11 home runs and 71 RBIs.

And in St. Martin Parish, a 2007 SEC football championship ring is missing. Deputies say it was stole from a home in the Cade area last week along with several other items. St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Major Ginny Higgins says they’ve been able to recover nearly all of the stolen property, but the ring remains missing. Higgins says investigators have made arrests.

Cut 11 (06) “…with anything else.” (suspects are juveniles)