Not a good night for the Cajuns last night as Cincinnati clobbered U-L Lafayette 12 to 2 in the opening round of the Starkville Regional. The Cajuns scored an unearned run in the first inning and then it was all Bearkats the rest of the way. Tough outing for Cody Brasch, as he allowed seven earned runs in in four innings.

UL Lafayette will now have to come out of the Starkville Regional. The Cajuns will face Lipscomb at 2 PM today. The Bisons were defeated by Mississippi State ten to one.

It was a crazy day for the first day of the NCAA Tournament. Top seeded UCLA lost to St. Mary’s three to two.

Little Rock who gave LSU everything they wanted last year in the Regionals, defeated 9^th seeded Southern Miss seven to four.

Milwaukee, who LSU played in the opening series of the season, upset Auburn 13 to 8.

Tennessee also a loser, losing in 14 innings to Eastern Carolina seven to three.

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Arkansas and Mississippi State were eliminated from the Women’s Collete World Series yesterday. Texas blanked Mississippi State four to nothing, while Arkansas fell to UCLA eleven to nothing In five innings.

Today…Texas Tech takes on Tennessee and Alabama faces Nebraska.

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.

Tonight it’s Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals as the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder face the San Antonio Spurs at 7 PM.

Final legislative passage has been given to the bill that would keep private the revenue share contracts between universities and athletes. The vote in the House was 92-to-2 on Friday.

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 24^th 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.

25^th-ranked UL-Lafayette will take on 24^th-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.

The Saints have wrapped up their first two days of Organized Team Activities in Metairie. Coach Kellen Moore likes what he sees in his receivers.

Cut 15 (22) “…find the matchups.”

Moore announced that when training camp rolls around, the team will have joint practices with Jacksonville at the team’s training facility in Metairie. They will also have joint practices with the Rams and Cowboys at their training camp facilities.

The NBA has passed new anti-tanking rules. The bottom three teams will now have less of a chance of winning the number one overall pick than the teams that finish with the fourth to the tenth worst records.  _____________

The Ragin Cajuns will make their 20^th appearance in the NCAA postseason when they take on Cincinnati from the Big 12 at 6 PM in Starkville, Mississippi. The Cajuns are 39-23 and ranked 25^th by D-1 Baseball. Cody Brasch will start on the mound for U-L Lafayette. He’s 6-2 with a 2.04 ERA.

Cincinnati is 37-20 and ranked 24^th by D-1 Baseball. The Bearcats went 1-2 in the Knoxville Regional last year. Quinton Coats is fourth in the country with  28 home runs. Nate Taylor will start on the mound. He’s 6-3 with a 3.86 ERA and set a school record with 112 strikeouts this season.

The SEC says it opposes the idea of pooling media rights. Which would mean that the SEC, and the other power conferences, join together to secure a television broadcasting rights deal. It could be an option for college sports if the Protect College Sports Act gets approved.

The Ragin Cajuns will face Cincinnati tomorrow night in the opening round of the Starkville Regional. Coach Matt Deggs calls the Bearcats a dynamic baseball team.

Cut 16 (20) “…very well coached.”

Deggs was talking about Cincinnati first baseman Quinton Coats, who is tied for fourth nationally with 28 home runs and is fifth in RBIs with 78 and third in the Big 12 with a 764 slugging percentage.

The Women’s College Series gets underway today in Oklahoma City. Texas Tech versus Mississippi State is the first game and the fourth and final game of the day is Arkansas versus Nebraska. Top seeded Alabama is the first seed.

Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell have filed legislation that’s designed to fix college sports . It would regulate payments to players, allow athletes to transfer once without having to sit out a season and there’s also the Lane Kiffin rule to prevent what happened last season, Kiffin leaving Ole Miss for LSU before the Rebels season ended. It will need 60 votes to pass.

The Saints have signed linebacker Jackson Sirmon, he’s the son of Saints linebackers coach Peter Sirmon. The 26-year-old Jackson Sirmon spent the last two seasons with the Jets, mostly spent on their practice squad. Sirmon provides more depth at the linebacker position as the Black and Gold have just five linebackers.

The Saints have finalized their preseason schedule as New Orleans will host Jacksonville on August 15^th and they will visit the Rams on August 22^nd and the Cowboys on August 28^th.

Legislation that would bring much-needed rules and regulations to college athletics has been filed in the U-S Senate. The bipartisan bill authored by Texas Republican Ted Cruz and Washington Democrat Maria Cantwell has several key reforms, including a five-year eligibility clock, a one-time transfer allowed without having to sit out a year, the option to pool media rights to generate more TV revenue, and the Lane Kiffin rule. The Kiffin rule would prohibit a school from hiring a coach from another school or a coach leaving for another school before the season ends. The “Protect College Sports Act” will need 60 votes to pass the Senate.

The Saints have signed linebacker Peter Sirmon as OTAs are underway. Sirmon played 51 college football games between Cal and Washington. He has mostly spent the last two seasons on the Jets’ practice squad, appearing in just one game last season.

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The Ragin Cajuns get to practice today at Dudy Noble Field, the home of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, the host school of the Starkville Regional. U-L Lafayette is the three-seed in the Regional and Coach Matt Deggs believes his guys can be a Cinderella in the tournament, because they refuse to lose…

Cut 17 (18) “…long time”

U-L Lafayette hosts Cincinnati on Friday night.

LSU center fielder Derek Curiel told Matt Moscona of ESPN Baton Rouge Radio that he broke his ankle last November and only had three weeks to get ready for the regular season, which explains why he got off to a slow start. Curiel finished the season strong and is a draft-eligible sophomore, but he’s keeping the door open to possibly returning for his junior season. Curiel could be a first-round draft pick.

At the SEC Spring Meetings, LSU Coach Lane Kiffin was asked about the highly anticipated return to Oxford when the Tigers play the Ole Miss Rebels on September 19th. …

Cut 8 (09) “…at it”

Kick-off times for the first three weeks of the college football season were announced today. LSU’s first three games will have the same kick-off time of 6:30, including the home game against Louisiana Tech on September 12^th.

The Ragin Cajuns home games against Lamar and UAB in September will kick off at 7 PM. When the Cajuns visit USC on September 12^th. That game will start at 10 PM central time and it will be televised by the Big 10 Network.

Also the ULM-UL Lafayette game on Thursday November 12^th will kick off at 8 PM.

The Warhawks open the season against Mississippi State on September 5^th and that game will kick off at 7:30 PM in Starkville.

The Pelicans new head coach Jamahl Mosley met with the local media yesterday for the first time. Mosley spent the last five seasons in Orlando, leading the Magic to the playoffs the last three seasons; this year, they nearly knocked off the Eastern Conference’s top seed, the Detroit Pistons. Mosley says he likes what he sees in his new team.

Cut 14 (09) “…says a lot.”

Getting Zion Williamson to play like a superstar is one of Mosley’s top priorities.

Public money that universities pay directly to college athletes will be concealed from public view under legislation one vote away from final passage. The measure passed the Senate on a 22-13 vote. Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell voiced her opposition to the legislation while questioning one of the co-sponsors of the bill Baton Rouge Senator Franklin Foil.

Cut 30 (12)  “…for state funding.”

Foil argues that this is not taxpayer dollars. It’s money generated by the athletic department through ticket sales and TV contracts.

LSU Football Coach Lane Kiffin spoke for about ten minutes at SEC Media Days and explained why he added former head coach Ed Orgeron to his staff…

Cut 19 (18) “…about it”

Kiffin and Orgeron have worked previously together at Tennessee and U-S-C.

Kiffin was also asked about returning to Ole Miss for the game on September 19^th. He says he’s more focused on getting ready for the season opener against Clemson. Kiffin also described his experience at LSU as awesome.

Former LSU pitcher Gage Jump made his major league debut last night, but it didn’t go well as the left-hander gave up four runs in five innings as the As lost the Mariners four to one.

New Pelicans head coach Jamahl Mosley talked a lot about playing great defense during his introductory press conference. Mosley says for New Orleans to be a consistent winner, the Pels will need to play better defense…

Cut 16 (12) “…high level”

A proposal to shield the public from seeing the revenue share contracts between universities and their athletes has received approval from the Senate on a 22-13 vote. Baton Rouge Senator Franklin Foil says if other SEC schools know how much LSU is giving to a particular player, it could result in other universities offering that athlete more money to play at their school.

Cut 7 (09) “…are doing it.”

Opponents argue this is public money and the public should know who is getting what. The measure is one full House vote away from final passage.

A year after finishing with a losing record, U-L Lafayette is back in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the last five years. The Cajuns secured their spot in a Regional by winning five games in six days, at two different ballparks, at the rain-soaked Sun Belt Tournament. Coach Matt Deggs says he’s been impressed with the determination of this team.

Cut 16 (13) “…that’s the expectation.”

U-L Lafayette is the three seed in the Starkville Regional and will play second-seeded Cincinnati Friday night.

Former LSU pitcher Gage Jump has received the call to the big leagues. Jump will get the start for the As tonight as they take on the Seattle Mariners. Jump has struck out 56 hitters in 38 innings in Triple-A.

Former McNeese star Will Dion is also headed to the Majors as he’s been called up By the Cleveland Guardians. Dion has been pitching out of the bullpen and has struck out 36 in 26 innings.

At the SEC Spring Meetings, Commissioner Greg Sankey said the league will not take a firm stance this week on expanding the College Football Playoff from 12 to 24 teams. Sankey says any position that the SEC takes on this issue, will be after school leaders and coaches receive all of the information…

Cut 7 (12) “…moving forward.”

New Pelicans Coach Jamahl Mosley met with the media today and was asked how he plans to use Zion Williamson’s skill set…

Cut 17 (16) “…healthy”

The NCAA Baseball Regionals are set and the Ragin Cajuns are the only team from Louisiana to be in the Field of 64. U-L Lafayette is a three-seed in the Starkville Regional and will play Cincinnati on Friday night. Mississippi State is the host school and Coach Matt Deggs says the Bulldogs home park is one of the best in college baseball…

Cut 18 (13) “…a great Regional”

LSU is not in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. They are the seventh team to fail to make a Regional after winning the College World Series the season before.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan is reporting former LSU pitcher Gage Jump is getting called up to the big leagues. The left-hander has been a strikeout machine for the Oakland As Triple-A team as he’s struck out 56 in 38 innings.

At the SEC Spring Meetings, Commissioner Greg Sankey said the league will not take a firm stance this week on expanding the College Football Playoff from 12 to 24 teams. Sankey says instead, they will use the meetings to brief university leaders and coaches on the pros and cons of an expansion…

Cut 6 (10) “….time”

College football leaders have until December 1^st to decide if they want to expand the C-F-P to 24 teams, 16 teams or stay at 12 for the 2027 season. Sankey has been vocal in his opposition to a 24-team playoff, because it would devalue the regular season.

LSU football coach Lane Kiffin could be reprimanded for what he told Vanity Fair. Kiffin told the magazine that when he was coaching at Ole Miss, recruits told him their grandparents did not want them to live in Oxford because of it’s ties to the Confederacy. Kiffin has defended his comments by saying that people are not reading what he actually said.