Author Archives: Kace Kieschnick

06.01.26
by

4:45 LRN Sportscast

UL-Lafayette ended its season with a 19-5 loss to Mississippi State in the Starkville regional final last night. The Cajuns talented group of freshmen couldn’t keep their postseason magic alive, but head coach Matt Deggs says the future is bright.

Cut 7 (14) “…of season, man.”

While the first round of the NCAA baseball tournament is wrapping up. The college baseball transfer window officially opened today. Five Tigers have already entered the portal: third baseman Trent Carraway, right-handed pitcher Mavrick Rizy, left-hander D.J. Primeaux, righty Jaden Noot and outfielder Daniel Harden.

Northwestern State freshman left-hander Brody Trosclair also announced he’d be entering the portal. The Thibodaux native was named Southland Conference freshman of the year after going 5-and-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 55 strikeouts this season.

LSU softball ace Jayden Heavener announced she’d be transferring after leading the Tigers with 22 starts in 32 games this season. The sophomore posted a 2.81 ERA with 128 strikeouts and 22 walks. The former D1Softball Freshman All-American Second-Team selection also pitched 16 games and earned 2 saves.

Former LSU star and Super Bowl champion Odell Beckham Jr. signed with the Giants after working out with the team this morning. The 33-year-old was drafted by New York in 2014. Beckham did not play last season and has just 9 catches and 55 yards in 9 games with the Dolphins in 2024.

Cedar Creek junior left-handed pitcher and first baseman Kade Luker was named the Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year and Class 1A MVP. He struck out 135 batters in 74 innings with a 1.04 ERA and hit .531 at the plate with five home runs, 36 RBI, 12 doubles, 7 triples and 28 stolen bags.

06.01.26
by

1:30 LRN Newscast

Today is day one of hurricane season. GOHSEP says it’s ready, and it wants you to be too. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Registration opened today for another round of fortified roof grants. 3,000 individuals within a 130-mile-per-hour wind zone will be selected to receive a ten-thousand-dollar grant. For more information on eligibility requirements and how to apply, visit the Louisiana Department of Insurance website. Registration closes June 19 and winners will be selected June 22.

The UL Lafayette baseball season came to a close after a 19-5 loss to Mississippi State in the Starkville Regional final last night. The Cajuns ran out of gas after a stellar end to the season and postseason push that included 11 games over the last 13 days. Head coach Matt Deggs says they had more in the tank.

Cut 16 (17) “…there yet.”

Governor Landry allowed a bill banning the release of balloons to become law without his signature. Landry vetoed a similar bill previously, citing enforceability concerns. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser says when balloons end up in waterways, they can threaten marine wildlife and more

Cut 11 (04) “…in the waterway.”

06.01.26
by

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The UL-Lafayette baseball season came to an end last night after the Ragin’ Cajuns fell to Mississippi State 19-5. The depleted UL bullpen couldn’t keep up with the Bulldog batters who knocked 20 hits and nine runs in the final three innings. Cajuns head coach Matt Deggs didn’t make excuses after playing 11 games in 13 days.

Cut 16 (17) “…there yet.”

Mississippi State will advance to the Athens Super Regional against Georgia, the No. 3 national seed.

LSU scheduled a visit with the second-ranked safety prospect in Louisiana’s 2027 class, Jayden Anding. The Ruston High School four-star is ranked tenth in the state and is the brother of current Tiger cornerback Aidan Anding.

The final games of the NCAA Regionals will get underway this afternoon and this evening. St. John’s and Florida State are facing off in the first of two possible regional finals today at noon thanks to delays in the Tallahassee Regional over the weekend. The rest will be winner-take-all Regional finals. Oklahoma takes on 2nd-ranked Georgia Tech at 3:00. At 6, Auburn will have a third run at Milwaukee, Florida will look to bounce back against Troy and Kentucky and West Virginia will face off in Morgantown. The final game of the night is between 19th-ranked USC and tenth-ranked Texas A&M at 9 p.m.

The LSU Track and Field team advanced 11 tickets in both the men’s and women’s fields to the track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon, next week. The men are headlined by a trio of Malachi Austin, Grant Buckmiller and Amal Glasgow, who all qualified in the 400 meter. The Tiger Women also advanced a trio of sprinters in Tima Godbless, Athaleyha Hinckson and Shawnti Jackson in the 100-meter. Jackson will also run in the 200-meter.

05.29.26
by

4:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints ended the first two days of preseason Organized Team Activities yesterday. Head Coach Kellen Moore says eighth overall pick Jordyn Tyson, who battled injuries at Arizona State, has been limited through rookie minicamp and OTAs.

Cut 16 (11) “…lot of them.”

Also returning from injury are center Erik McCoy, safety Julian Blackmon and cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. McCoy has missed 10 games in each of the last two seasons and was sidelined by a bicep injury that required significant procedures to repair, but he says he feels 100% after extensive offseason rehab. Blackmon started week one at safety last year but missed almost the entire season with a torn labrum. He’s returned to his role as deep safety, shifting sophomore safety Jonas Sanker into the slot for the majority of first-team reps. Emerson was a full participant after recovering from a torn Achilles. The veteran corner signed with the Saints this offseason after three productive seasons with the Browns

UL-Lafayette will begin its NCAA Baseball tournament run tonight in game two of the Starkville Regional against Cincinnati. The Cajuns are coming off a hot end to the season, winning four out of five games against a then-ranked Coastal Carolina team and finishing the Sun Belt Championship as runner-up behind Southern Miss. They’ll face a Cincinnati team ranked 24th in the country by D-1 Baseball and led by sophomore infielder Quinton Coats, whose 28 homers rank fourth in college baseball. The Bearcats won their last six conference series of the regular season and are 8-and-3 in May. First pitch between the Cajuns and Bearcats is at 6:00. The winner will go on to face host Mississippi State, while the loser takes on Lipscomb in an elimination game.

Chalmette High School product Mitchell Robinson plans to return from pinky surgery for Game One of the NBA Finals. The Knicks center underwent successful surgery on his right pinky finger, which he injured off the court during New York’s Eastern Conference Finals Sweep of the Cavaliers. Robinson is a former five-star recruit out of Chalmette High and has spent eight seasons with the Knicks, who are making their first Finals appearance in 27 years.

05.29.26
by

11:40 LRN Sportscast

25th-ranked UL-Lafayette will take on 24th-ranked Cincinnati tonight in their first game of the Starkville Regional. The Ragin’ Cajuns are the only Louisiana team to make it to the NCAA tournament after posting a 39-and-23 record this season and finishing second in the Sun Belt Conference Championship. Cajuns junior right-hander Cody Brasch will get the start on the mound. Brasch is 6-and-2 this season with a  2.04 ERA and 77 strikeouts over 70.2 innings. For the Bearcats it will be Nate Taylor. The All-Big 12 honorable mention has a 6-and-3 record with 112 strikeouts and a 3.86 ERA through 84 innings. First pitch in Starkville is set for 6 p.m.

Two Tigers punched their tickets to the track and field championship in Eugene, Oregon last night. Junior javelin thrower Alexis Guillory hit a mark of 51.28 meters, and Kenyan freshman distance runner Abigael Chemnagei (chem-NAH-gay) ran the ten-thousand meters in a time of 33-minutes 15.21-seconds to qualify.

The Saints wrapped up their first two days of Organized Team Activity yesterday. Head Coach Kellen Moore says now that Tyler Shough is the solidified QB1 without a preseason position battle to navigate, he expects to see big development from the sophomore signal- caller.

Cut 17 (24)  “…build it together.”

The Saints resume OTAs Tuesday.

Former Chalmette High School star Mitchell Robinson will be ready for game one of the NBA Finals next week. Robinson underwent successful surgery on his right pinky earlier this week after injuring it in the Eastern Conference Finals. He has been a key defensive anchor off the bench, averaging 5.7 points and 8.8 boards per game while shooting over 72% from the floor.

05.29.26
by

11:30 LRN Newscast

The Louisiana House approves a congressional map that eliminates one of the state’s majority Black districts. After about eight hours of debate, the vote was 66-35. Democrats say race should still be a factor in the drawing of a new map, but House Governmental Affairs Chairman Beau Beaullieu says that would lead to more litigation.

Cut 10 (09) “…is too much?”

Love the Boot Week 2026 was the largest litter removal effort in state history. Over 28-thousand volunteers logged over 77-thousand hours cleaning up litter across the state. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser says the program’s success is a sign of culture change in the bayou state…

Cut 3 (11) “…in Louisiana.”

Kids who qualify for SUN Bucks are starting to receive their benefits. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

UL-Lafayette is the only Louisiana school represented in this year’s NCAA Baseball Tournament. The Ragin’ Cajuns are currently the 25th-ranked team in the nation and were named as the three seed in the Starkville Regional. They’ll take on two-seeded Cincinnati at 6:00 tonight. The Bearcats finished the season with a 37-20 record and are ranked 24th by D1 Baseball.

05.09.26
by

10:30 AM LRN Newscast

Public discussion is underway on drawing up a new Congressional District map. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (38) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

In College baseball scores across the state last night, LSU took an 11-8 loss to Georgia. Louisiana Tech beat Liberty 9-3, and UL-Lafayette took down App State 5-4 in extra innings. ULM fell to Marshall 7-4, and McNeese walked off Northwestern State in the tenth to earn a 5-4 win.

The funeral of the eight children killed in the Shreveport mass shooting last month will be held at 11 a.m. today at Grove Baptist Church. Services will be livestreamed by KLSA and KTBS. Two men connected with the shooting were indicted by a federal grand jury including the owner of the Bossier City home the shooter fled to, Michael Mayence. ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson says Mayence is an Iraq War veteran and former Louisiana National Guard member who knew gunman Shamar Elkins for years… 

Cut 11 (11) “…he took.” 

The other man indicted was Charles Ford, the believed owner of the gun used by Elkins. Funeral costs are being covered by Precious Memories Funeral Home and Sharon Landry’s Love One Louisiana Foundation, and a memorial account has also been set up at Regions Bank on Mansfield Road. Donations can be made under the names Pugh, Elkins or Snow

05.09.26
by

9:30 AM LRN Newscast

The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee held a lengthy and sometimes contentious meeting on Friday over proposed Congressional maps to replace the current one struck down by the U-S Supreme Court for being a racial gerrymander. New Orleans Senator Royce Duplessis urged the panel to approve another Congressional map that has two majority Black Districts, one in the Baton Rouge area and the other in New Orleans…

Cut 12 (09) “…preferred candidates.”

The funeral remembering the eight children shot in the domestic shooting in Shreveport last month is being held at Summer Grove Baptist Church today. Two more individuals connected to the shooting were indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday. U-S Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, Zachary Keller, says one of the men indicted is Charles Ford. It’s believed the gun Shamar Elkins used on April 19th belonged to Ford…

Cut 9 (06)  “…shooting”

The rain will continue to pour throughout Mother’s Day weekend as a weak front has stalled near the coast and is interacting with a very moist air mass. LSU Health climatologist Barry Keim says multiple inches of rain could make its way across the state…

Cut 3 (11) “…welcome the rain.”

While Keim says severe storms aren’t too much of a concern high winds, hail and tornadoes are possible. 

A WalletHub study ranking states by their friendliness to working moms place Louisiana dead last. Louisiana ranked 50th in professional opportunities and child care and 40th in work-life balance. Analyst Chip Lupo says the gender pay gap is one thing that really stands out in this study.

Cut 7 (09) “…extremely difficult”

The boot also ranked 43rd in female unemployment rate. 

05.09.26
by

8:30 AM LRN Newscast

It’s already been a soaking start to Mother’s Day weekend in the Bayou State, and LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim doesn’t expect it to get much better. He says there is a chance for high winds, hail and we can’t rule out the possibility of a tornado.  While southeast Louisiana wades through the weekend, the rest of the state will be dodging rain drops…

Cut 5 (10) “…through the weekend.”

Two people connected with last month’s mass shooting in Shreveport, where a gunman killed eight children, have been indicted by a federal grand jury. Michael Mayence was one of the men indicted. Gunman Shamar Elkins drove to Mayence’s home in Bossier City after killing eight children—including seven of his own. U-S Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana Zachary Keller says Mayence was also in possession of guns while being subject to a domestic violence injunction…

Cut 10 (07) “…prohibited person.”

WalletHub is out with its rankings of the best and worst states for working mothers. Andrew Greenstein reports to find Louisiana on the list, look to the very bottom.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The LSU baseball team dropped the first of three games at 6th-ranked Georgia this weekend in an 11-8 loss last night. Tigers reliever Devin Sheerin picked up the loss and falls to 3-and-2 on the season after allowing four runs on four hits in 2.1 innings with one walk and three strikeouts. Freshman right-hander Marcos Paz will get the start on the bump in game two at 6:00 tonight.

05.09.26
by

7:30 AM LRN Sportscast

LSU fell to 6th-ranked Georgia 11-8 in game one of the weekend series against the Bulldogs. The Tigers led 7-3 after the top of the fourth behind homers from Omar Serna Jr., John Pearson and Cade Arrambide to go along with a two RBI single for Steven Milam and a sac fly from Derek Curiel. Georgia would go on to tie the game and then take the lead on a 3-run shot in the bottom of the seventh as the Tigers drop to 29-and-22 on the season and 9-and-16 in SEC play. Jay Johnson’s squad will hope to bounce back in game two of the series tonight at 6:00.

UL-Lafayette edged out App State for a 5-4 win behind a two-out RBI single from freshman Colt Brown in the top of the tenth. Starter Cody Brasch and a trio of Cajun relievers held the Mountaineers offense, ranked at the top of the Sun Belt in batting average, runs and hits, to just four runs on five hits as UL improves to 28-19 and 15-10 in the conference. The Cajuns will look to clinch the series in game two at 2:00 this afternoon.

The Diamond ‘Dogs took game one of their final road Conference USA series at Liberty with a 9-3 victory over the Flames last night. Starting right-hander Declan Dahl allowed four hits and struck out three through four innings, and freshman closer Thomas Allen slammed the door on the flames to earn his fourth save giving up just one hit in three shutout innings. Graduate reliever Luke Nichols picked up his second win on the year as the Bulldogs improve to 30-21 overall and 16-9 in the conference. Game two of the series in Lynchburg is set for 2 p.m. this afternoon.

McNeese clinched a three-game Southland Conference series win over Northwestern State last night with a 5-4 walk-off sac fly from graduate outfielder Isaiah Keller in the tenth inning. It is the second back-to-back extra inning walk-off win over the Demons and fifth straight game between the two programs decided by one run. Game three in Lake Charles is set for 2 p.m.

ULM suffered a 7-4 loss at Marshall in game one of their weekend series last night, and Grambling dropped a series opener at Arkansas-Pine Bluff 14-1 in seven innings.