LSU baseball got swept again over the weekend to finish SEC play at 9-and-21, and pitching is one of the main reasons why it’s been a bad season. The Tigers have the highest team ERA in the Southeastern Conference at 5.86. In Saturday’s regular season finale, LSU scored double-digit runs but still lost 15-11. Coach Jay Johnson…

Cut 16 (15) “…work to do.”

For LSU to make the NCAA Tournament, they will now need to win the SEC Tournament, which means winning five in a row in six days starting on Tuesday night against Oklahoma.

The LSU softball team is headed to the Super Regionals after beating Virginia Tech seven to two yesterday. The Tigers went 3-and-0 in the regional to improve to 40-17 on the season. LSU will now face the nation’s top seed, Alabama.

____________________________________________

UL Lafayette took two of three from Coastal Carolina, but still has work to do. The Cajuns are the seven seed in the Sun Belt Tourney, which means they will play 10^th seeded Marshall tomorrow afternoon in Montgomery, Alabama. Coach Matt Deggs wishes they had avoided the single-elimination round, but the plan is to stay in Montgomery as long as possible to build up their NCAA Tournament resume…

Cut 19 (11) “…get a shot.”

Louisiana Tech finished tied for fourth in the Conference USA standings, and the Bulldogs will play Sam Houston on Wednesday morning and then Liberty on Friday morning. If Tech can win both games, they will advance to the semis.

McNeese upset top-seeded Southeastern Louisiana to advance to the Southland Championship Series. The Cowboys defeated the Lions eight to five yesterday and will now face Lamar in a best-of-three series that will begin Thursday in Beaumont to determine who gets the automatic bid to a Regional.

For the second time in three games, LSU was run ruled as the Tigers were held to three hits in an 11 to one loss to the Florida Gators in seven innings. Marcos Pause started the game and allowed seven runs in 4 plus innings. Casan Evans also got touched up for three runs. This dismal regular season for the Tigers ends today. Final game starts at 2 PM.

La Tech goes after its 20^th Conference USA win when they host Sam Houston at 1 PM. The Bulldogs defeated the Bearkats eight to two last night. More strong pitching from the Diamond Dogs as Hudson Rowan did not allow an earned run in five innings. Riley Fisher picked up his sixth save of the season.

20^th ranked Coastal Carolina blanked U-L Lafayette six to nothing, while ULM trounced Troy 12 to 2. The Warhawks still have a slight chance at making the Sun Belt Tournament. They need to beat Troy today and need a lot of help.

____________________________________________________

McNeese defeated top seeded Southeastern Louisiana 15 to 9 in the Southland Tournament. Matt Stancliff had three hits and drove in three runs. The Lions will need to beat Houston Christian at 1 PM to keep their season alive. McNeese will play the winner tonight at 6 PM. If the Cowboys win tonight, they advance to the Southland Championship series.

Nicholls was eliminated with a six to five loss to H-C-U and in the Beaumont Bracket, Northwestern State lost to Stephen F Austin six to four and will face Lamar in an elimination game this afternoon.

In NCAA Softball Tournament…LSU blanked Akron eight-zip. The Tigers will play Virginia Tech at noon today. McNeese lost to Arizona State eight to nothing and Southeastern lost to Belmont two to nothing.

At the state baseball championships…Catholic High won its third straight title, Lutcher also wrapped up the Division two non-select title.

Sterlington who is trying to repeat…they face Westlake at 11 AM and Sam Houston is also trying to repeat, they play Dutchtown at 5:30.

The Saints will start the 2026 season on the road and then play the next three at home, including a Monday night matchup against the Atlanta Falcons to commemorate the 20^th anniversary of the Black and Gold’s return to the Dome following Hurricane Katrina. It’s the lone primetime game for the Saints.

New Orleans will open the season in Detroit and then travel to Baltimore in week two. The Saints host Las Vegas in week three and then the October 5^th matchup against the Falcons. The Saints could have a couple of potentially cold weather games in November against the Bears and Bengals.

Another rough night for LSU’s pitchers as the Tigers walked 13 hitters in an 11 to eight loss to 19^th ranked Florida. Daniel Lachenmeyer started and gave up six runs in the first inning. Steven Milam drove in three in a losing effort.

Nice win for the Ragin Cajuns last night as U-L Lafayette defeated 20^th ranked Coastal Carolina seven to two. Cody Brasch with six shutout innings.

_____________________________________________________________

Three Louisiana Tech pitchers combined to hold Sam Houston to three hits in a two-to one win over the Bearcats. Declan Dahl struck out seven over five innings. Luke Nicholas got the win and Thomas Allen the save. The Dogs have won 14 of their last 18 Conference USA games.

Troy scored four runs in the first inning and ULM never really could recover as the Trojans defeated the Warhawks six to four

In the Southland Tournament, Blaise Preister hit a walk-off home run in the ninth as top seeded Southeastern Louisiana avoided the upset by beating Houston Christian three to two. The Lions will play McNeese in the winner’s bracket tonight after the Cowboys beat Nicholls 11 to 3. The Colonels will try to avoid elimination when they play the Huskies this afternoon.

In Beaumont, sixth seeded Northwestern State upset third seeded UTRGV six to five.

Southern edged Alabama A-and-M nine to eight as Kameron Byrd had a walk-off two run single. Bethune Cookman beat Grambling 23 to 1 in 7 innings.

The entire 2026 Saints schedule comes out tonight at 7 PM. It’s been leaked that the Black and Gold will open the season in Detroit and they’ll play the Bengals in Cincinnati during Thanksgiving weekend. The home opener is reportedly week three against the Las Vegas Raiders.

LSU athletics director Verge Ausberry tells the USA Today there was no feel, no connection between the LSU football program, the coach and the fans when Brian Kelly was the head coach of the Tigers. Ausberry says he knows with Lane Kiffin that he’ll go out and talk to donors and supporters.

Two-time state championship-winning football coach Joe Spatafora is leaving Union Parish for a high school coaching job in Arkansas. Spatafora says this new opportunity at Drew Central High School in Monticello, Arkansas came together in the last week…

Cut 7 (12) “…as well”

Spatafora won two State championships in football in 2013 and 2023,

LSU begins the final SEC series of the season tonight as the Tigers host Florida. It will be the final games at the Box for a couple of key contributors to last year’s national championship team, outfielder Chris Stanfield and pitcher Zac Cowan. Coach Jay Johnson says it’s rare to have talented players like these two guys stay for their senior seasons.

Cut 17 (20)  “…season this year.”

First pitch is at 6:30.

The Southland Baseball Tournament got underway today. In the Hammond Bracket…McNeese advanced to the winner’s bracket with an easy 11 to 3 win over Nicholls. Isaiah Keller doubled and homered and drove in three.

Northwestern upset UTRGV six to five. Jacob LeBlanc pitched well out of the bullpen for his fourth win of the season. Wesley Marien earned his third save.

The NFL releases its 2026 schedule tonight and it’s been leaked the Saints will open the season on the road at Detroit. The Black and Gold will also be on the road Thanksgiving weekend as they will visit Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and the Bengals in Cincinnati.

In high school football news…two-time winning state championship coach Joe Spatafora is leaving Union Parish for a high school coaching job in Arkansas. Spatafora led the Farmers to state titles in 2013 and 2023. Coach Spat and Union Parish were also runners-up in 2020, 2021 and 2022.  His record at Union was 179-74.

McNeese is mourning the death of its legendary football coach Bobby Keasler. Keasler guided the Cowboys to four Southland Conference football championships and in 1997 Keasler was at the helm when the Pokes made an appearance in the Division One-Double-A national championship. The New Iberia native also coached at U-L-M for three seasons before returning to Lake Charles to retire. He was 80 years old.

The LSU baseball team finishes out the regular season with a three-game series against 19th ranked Florida that starts tonight at Alex Box Stadium. The only way the Tigers can make the NCAA Tournament at this point is to win next week’s SEC Tournament. Coach Jay Johnson says they’re focused on the Gators, but they also have an eye toward the SEC Tourney.

Cut 16 (11) “…have to do.”

The Cajuns host Sun Belt Conference leader Coastal Carolina for senior weekend that begins tonight at Tigue Moore Field. Coach Matt Deggs says one senior he will definitely miss is Lee Amedee, the team’s second leading hitter.

Cut 18 (21)  “…better every year.”

LSU begins the final SEC series of the season tonight as the Tigers host Florida. It will be the final games at the Box for a couple of key contributors to last year’s national championship team, outfielder Chris Stanfield and pitcher Zac Cowan. Coach Jay Johnson says it’s rare to have talented players like these two guys stay for their senior seasons.

Cut 17 (20)  “…season this year.”

First pitch is at 6:30.

Four schools won baseball state titles in Sulphur yesterday. Claiborne Christian blanked Maurepas 8 to nothing. Glenmora over Pitkin 3 to 2. Ouachita Christian shut out Covenant Christian four-zip. Mangham outscored Welsh 11 to 7.

_____________________________________________________-

Louisiana Tech and the Ragin Cajuns begin today on the bubble to make the NCAA Tournament, if they are unable to win their conference championships. The Diamond Dogs host Sam Houston. Tech is 17-10 in Conference USA, while the Bearkats are 12-15.

The Ragin Cajuns begin a series against Coastal Carolina, which leads Southern Miss by one game for first place in the Sun Belt. Not only are they trying to win a regular-season conference championship, but they also have a chance to host an NCAA Regional. U-L Lafayette Coach Matt Deggs says both teams do a lot of things well.

Cut 19 (21) “…for both teams.”

First pitch is at 6 p-m Tigue Moore Field.

We’ve known for a while that the Saints will be playing a game in Paris this season. Now, we know the date and their opponent – October 25th against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jeff Duncan, who covers the Saints for The Advocate and NOLA-dot-com, says everyone thought that their opponent would be the Browns, but the NFL had other ideas.

Cut 3 (11) “…an attractive matchup.”

The full NFL schedule comes out tomorrow.

The Netflix hit series “Quarterback” will return for a third season on July 14^th.  It’s gives viewers unprecedented access to four NFL quarterbacks and this year cameras will go behind the scenes with former LSU star Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders. Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield, Tennessee’s Cam Ward and Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco will also be featured.

The LSU baseball team will begin its final SEC series of the season tomorrow night as the Tigers take on 19^th ranked Florida. The only way LSU can make the NCAA Tournament is if they win the SEC Tournament, so Coach Jay Johnson says they are going to focus on this weekend’ series with an eye toward the SEC Tournament next week…

Cut 22 (16) “…eye on that”

Florida will send Aidan King to the hill tomorrow. He’s 7-2 with 2.19 ERA. LSU did not name a starter, so it’s possible LSU is holding William Schmidt to next Tuesday when the Tigers open play in the SEC Tournament.

The Southland Conference Tournament begins tomorrow with double-elimination play in the Hammond and Beaumont Bracket. McNeese and Nicholls will face off tomorrow in Hammond, while Southeastern hosts H-C-U.

It will be the Saints and Steelers in the first ever NFL regular season game in Paris. Initial reports had New Orleans playing the Browns, but it turns out the Black and Gold will take on Pittsburgh in France on October 25^th at 8:30 AM central time. Jeff Duncan, who covers the Saints for The Advocate and NOLA-dot-com, says if you’re planning on going, make your plans now, and plan on arriving a few days earlier, since there will be plenty of events and plenty of opportunities for networking with fellow Saints fans.

Cut 5 (10) “…to that event.”

ESPN College GameDay has decided where they will be for the season opener and that will be Baton Rouge for Lane Kiffin’s debut on September 5^th as the Tigers will host Clemson. Kick-off for that game is at 6:30 and it was also announced the LSU-Ole Miss game two weeks later will also kick-off at 6:30.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is receiving backlash for discussing in an interview with Vanity Fair about the struggles he had recruiting to Ole Miss because of the school’s ties to the Confederacy. Kiffin told On-3 he apologizes to anybody at Ole Miss or in Mississippi if he offended anyone, but it’s a narrative that Ole Miss coaches have been fighting forever.

The man who wrote the article, Chris Smith, was a guest on Tiger Rag Radio last night and said Kiffin knew the statement might strike a nerve, but never asked him to keep quote out of his story…

Cut 18 (28) “…you want to write’

ESPN College Gameday will be on LSU’s campus for Lane Kiffin’s debut in Tiger Stadium on September 5^th when LSU hosts Clemson. GameDay will kick-off its 40^th season and it will be the 500th show. It was also announced the game will kick off at 6:30. Also, the highly anticipated LSU-Ole Miss game on September 19^th will kick off at 6:30.

This morning the NFL will make it official who the Saints will play in the first ever NFL game in Paris. Initial reports had New Orleans playing the Browns but reports last night surfaced that the Pittsburgh Steelers will be the opponent. The game will take place on October 25^th.

Another dominating performance by former LSU star Paul Skenes, who took a no-hitter into the 7^th inning. Skenes went eight innings, allowing just two hits and striking out ten in the Pirates three to one win over the Rockies. Skenes struck out the first six hitters he faced and three times he struck out the side.

_________________________________________________________________

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is receiving backlash for discussing in an interview with Vanity Fair about the struggles he had recruiting to Ole Miss because of the school’s ties to the Confederacy. Kiffin told On-3 he apologizes to anybody at Ole Miss or in Mississippi if he offended anyone, but it’s a narrative that Ole Miss coaches have been fighting forever.

The man who wrote the article, Chris Smith, was a guest on Tiger Rag Radio last night and said Kiffin knew the statement might strike a nerve, but never asked him to keep quote out of his story…

Cut 18 (28) “…you want to write’

Lane Kiffin was the biggest story in college football at the end of the 2025 regular season. It makes sense that his first game at LSU will be in the spotlight, as ESPN’s College Football GameDay will broadcast live from Baton Rouge prior to the Tigers’ regular-season opener against Clemson.

When you look at the other games on September 5th, the decision is easy. The preseason polls have yet to come out, but LSU-Clemson is the only game that day that could be a matchup between Top 25 teams. LSU is a 10.5 point favorite to beat Clemson.

Kiffin told ON3 he apologizes to anybody at Ole Miss or in Mississippi if he offended anyone when he told Vanity Fair that out of state Black parents did not want their son to attend Ole Miss because of its history with the Confederate Battle Flag and a mascot named Colonel Reb. Kiffin says it’s a narrative that Ole Miss coaches have been fighting forever.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey says he continues to support a 16-team College Football playoff, which differs from the Big Ten’s prerogative of a 24-team-playoff. A postseason format for the 2027 season has yet to be decided. Opponents of a 24-team playoff say it makes the regular season less relevant.

For the first time ever, Louisiana will have a recreational alligator hunting season. Joe Gallinaro reports.

Cut 28 (35) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”