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)

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The number one ranked LSU baseball team begins play tonight in the SEC Tournament as the Tigers will face 13th seeded Texas A&M. Right fielder Jake Brown says they’ve been waiting all year for this event…

Cut 19 (11) “…this year”

The Ragin Cajuns and Louisiana Tech are still alive in their respective conference tournaments. The Bulldogs defeated Liberty five to two. Luke Cooley was excellent in relief and won his seventh game. Blake Hooks earned his ninth save. Tech takes on Jacksonville State tonight.

The Cajuns rallied from a two-run deficit to beat Georgia Southern five to four. Lee Amdee’s sacrifice fly in the eighth inning snapped a four-four tie. The Cajuns face Marshall tonight.

Tulane advanced to the semifinal round of the AAC Championship as the Green Wave defeated top seeded UTSA ten to six. UNO lost game one of the Southland Tournament championship series to Houston Christian eight to three.

The NAIA World Series starts today in Lewiston, Idaho. The big story has been LSU Shreveport – 54 games, 54 wins. That’s the longest winning streak in all levels of college baseball among four-year schools. The Pilots take on Grand View, out of Iowa, at 1:30 this afternoon. Head Coach Brad Neffendorf says the way to beat them is not to worry about their opponent’s game, but rather to play their own game.

Cut 11 (07) “…done all year.”

Loyola New Orleans, meanwhile, is in the NAIA World Series for the first time in program history and is the eighth seed. They face Tennessee Wesleyan at five this afternoon central time.

11:30 LRN Newscast

On the heels of a 139-million-dollar increase in available funds for fiscal year 2026, an effort is now underway to restore 30-million dollars for high-dosage tutoring.  Colleen Crain has more.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

It was one week ago today, ten inmates from the Orleans Parish Jail executed one of the largest jail breaks in the state’s history. Five of them are still at large. State Police have arrested three people for allegedly helping the escapees stay on the run.

 

More good news in Louisiana education as the school year wraps up. State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley says the latest Reading Screener shows that grade-level reading proficiency among kids kindergarten through third grade increased by 17-percent.

Cut 14 (07) “…at 64-percent.”

But 23-percent of third graders scored well below target reading levels and because of a new state law, they could be forced to re-take third grade again. Nearly 12-thousand third graders will have two more opportunities to score higher on the literacy test in order to advance to the fourth grade.

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.”

Numerous fans needed medical attention because of heat exhaustion.

8:30 LRN Newscast

Leaders for a Better Louisiana is urging the state Legislature to keep funding a 30-million-dollar high-dosage tutoring program. The Louisiana House did not include the funding in their budget proposal, but this week the Revenue Estimating Conference recognized an additional 39-million-dollars in available funds for next fiscal year’s budget. Leaders for a Better Louisiana Chief Policy Officer Barry Erwin…

Cut 4 (08) “…for our kids.”

The Senate Finance Committee has the budget in its hands and they’ll have the first chance at adding more money to various programs.

Kids are out for the summer and the summer travel season is underway with AAA’s Don Redman says this appears to be a good summer for the cruise industry…

Cut 8 (12) “…very popular

LSU may be the talk of the college baseball world here in Louisiana, but they’re not the only ones playing for a championship. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

WWE fans in Louisiana are disappointed that Wrestlemania will not be held in New Orleans in 2026 as was previously announced. The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation says the city will still get to host Wrestlemania, but it will happen in a future year. The foundation says it’s part of a new multi-year agreement that will bring UFC 318 to New Orleans in July and WWE’s Money in the Bank in 2026.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The LSU Tigers finally get to play in the SEC Tournament tonight as they will face Texas A&M, who eliminated Auburn three to two. But it was a costly win for the Aggies. Jace LaViolette is out after breaking his hand yesterday. That’s 18 home runs out of the lineup.

The Cajuns, Louisiana Tech and Southern all won to stay alive in their respective conference tournament.

UNO lost game one of the Southland Championship series.

The NAIA College World Series begins today. LSU-Shreveport is an unbelievable 54-0 and Loyola of New Orleans is making its first appearance in the NAIA World Series. Coach Jeremy Kennedy says his team has persevered all season long…

Cut 13 (07) “…job done”

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The media had a chance to watch the Saints OTA practice on Thursday and the first-string offensive line looked like this….first round pick Kelvin Banks at left tackle, Trevor Penning at left guard, Erik McCoy at center, Cesar Ruiz at right guard and last year’s starting left tackle, Taliese Fuaga playing right tackle. Coach Kellen Moore says it should be a seamless transition to Fuaga…

Cut 17 (20)  “…easy as it can be”

Quarterback Jake Haener will not be able to compete in OTAs as he has an oblique injury, but he’ll reportedly be ready for training camp.

The 12-team College Football Playoff will have a different look this season. The teams will be seeded one through 12 and the top four seeds will receive a first round bye, even if they do not win their conference. Four conference champions received a bye last year, but none of them won

7:30 LRN Newscast

On the heels of a 139-million-dollar increase in available funds for next fiscal, an effort is underway to restore 30-million dollars for high-dosage tutoring.  Colleen Crain has more.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

Memorial Day weekend is upon us and it’s the official start of the summer travel season and AAA’s Don Redman says 45-million people will travel 50-miles or more this holiday weekend…

Cut 7 (06) “….traveling for the holiday”

The state department of education says the percentage of students reading on or above grade level increased among K-through-3 graders from 47-percent at the beginning of the year to 64-percent at the end of the year. Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley says he’s pleased with the work of teachers in partnership with parents to prompt this growth…

Cut 16 (06) “…great state”

Lewiston, Idaho is a long way from Louisiana but two schools from Louisiana are there this weekend 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.