4:45 LRN Sportscast

Paul Skenes is the first LSU player to be selected number one in the Major League Baseball draft since Ben McDonald in 1989. The Pittsburgh Pirates used their top overall pick on Skenes and his 100-mile-an-hour fastball. Skenes is surprised and humbled…:
CUT 04(09) “…in Pittsburgh.”
Skenes and teammate Dylan Crews are the first high school or college teammates to be selected 1 and 2 in the MLB draft. Crews was taken by the Washington Nationals. The Nats have also selected LSU second baseman Gavin Dugas. He was taken in the sixth round. Former LSU pitchers Cole Henry and Todd Petersen are also in the Nationals organization.

Also drafted today in the third round, the Tamp Bay Rays selected LSU star Tre Morgan.

Ragin Cajuns star outfielder Carson Roccarforte was selected in the second round by the Kansas City Royals.

SEC Football Media Days begin next Monday. LSU announced today that Coach Brian Kelly will be joined by quarterback Jayden Daniels, defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo and running back Josh Williams. LSU will be joined on day one by Missouri and Texas A-and-M. SEC Football Media Days this year will be held in Nashville.

Former Louisiana Tech running back Kenneth Dixon will be inducted into the Conference USA Hall of Fame. Dixon had 87 touchdowns during his career at Tech which spanned 2012 to 15. The 87 TDs are the second most in FBS history.

Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee Lee Hedges has passed away at the age of 93. He coached NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw at Woodlawn High School in Shreveport. Hedges also led Captain Shreve to its lone state championship in 1973.

The Pelicans are 1-and-1 in NBA Summer League Action after beating the Warriors 94-86 in Las Vegas last night. New Orleans next game is tomorrow against the Suns.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

Paul Skenes is the first LSU player to be selected number one in the Major League Baseball draft since Ben McDonald in 1989. The Pittsburgh Pirates used their top overall pick on Skenes, who features a 100-mile per hour fastball and a wipe out slider
Cut 3 (11) “….this position”
The Washington Nationals selected LSU center fielder Dylan Crews with the second overall pick. Crews says he watched the Nats as a kid as he followed former number one overall pick Bryce Harper…
Cut 5 (11) “…as him.”
It’s the first time high school or college teammates were selected one-two in the Major League Baseball draft.

Rounds three through ten of the Major League Baseball Draft will get underway at 1 PM today. Last night in the second round, the Kansas City Royals took Ragin Cajuns outfielder Carson Roccaforte. Roccaforte had a .325 career batting average in three seasons at U-L Lafayette.

The Royals also took LSU’s top baseball signee, catcher Blake Mitchell, went in the first round with the eighth overall pick.

Legendary Louisiana high school football coach Lee Hedges has passed away at the age of 93. He coached NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw at Woodlawn High School in Shreveport. Hedges also led Captain Shreve to its lone state championship in 1973.

Former Louisiana Tech running back Kenneth Dixon will be inducted into the Conference USA Hall of Fame.

SEC Football Media Days begin next Monday. LSU announced today that Coach Brian Kelly will be joined by quarterback Jayden Daniels, defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo and running back Josh Williams.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

History was made in last night’s Major League Baseball draft as for the first time two teammates were selected with the first two picks. Pittsburgh selected LSU pitcher Paul Skenes with the first pick and Washington took Tigers center fielder Dylan Crews with the second pick. Skenes 100-mile per hour fastball and wipe out slider could put him in the major leagues soon….
cut 20 (17) “…as soon as possible”
Four LSU Tigers were selected last night. The Cincinnati Reds used the 38th overall pick to take right-handed pitcher Ty Floyd and in the second round the Chicago White Sox selected right-handed pitcher Grant Taylor, who did not pitch this past season because of an injury.

Rounds three through ten of the Major League Baseball Draft will get underway at 1 PM today. Last night in the second round, the Kansas City Royals took Ragin Cajuns outfielder Carson Roccaforte. Roccaforte had a .325 career batting average in three seasons at U-L Lafayette.

The Royals also took LSU’s top baseball signee, catcher Blake Mitchell, went in the first round with the eighth overall pick.

Nicholls baseball coach Mike Silva has a received a contract extension that attempts to keep him in the Colonels dugout through 2029. Silvia just led the Colonels to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1998.

Legendary Louisiana high school football coach Lee Hedges has passed away at the age of 93. He coached NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw at Woodlawn High School in Shreveport. Hedges also led Captain Shreve to its lone state championship in 1973.

The Pelicans beat the Warriors 94-86 in NBA Summer League Action in Las Vegas. Dyson Daniels had 17 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. North Carolina State product Dereon Sebron had a team high 25 points. New Orleans is 1-and-1 in the Summer League and will play the Suns tomorrow night.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

The Major League Baseball Draft begins Sunday night and two LSU Tigers could be the first two picks, Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes. The Pittsburgh Pirates have the first pick and D-1 Baseball-dot-com’s Kendall Rogers says he would take Crews….
Cut 12 (12) “…day one”
Baseball America Prospect writer Geoff Pontes says the Pirates could probably save some cash and draft high school prospect Max Clark an outfielder from Indiana…
cut 17 (19) “…this draft”
The draft gets underway at 6 PM on Sunday.

The state’s Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approves stricter catch limits on redfish in an effort to reverse the decline on stocks. The new state plan would reduce catch limits from five redfish per day, per angler to three. Also the minimum size allowed would increase from 16 to 18 inches while bull reds would be off limits to anglers. Commissioner Joe McPherson says the changes could go into effect in early December, if an oversight committee of the state legislature does not step in…
cut 8 (12) “…effect”
The plan will undergo a public comment period that will last until October 5th.

The Sun Belt announces that the NFL Network will televise ULM’s season opener against Army on September 2nd. The game is scheduled to kick off at six PM in Monroe.

Former Saints running back Mark Ingram has joined Fox Sports as a college football analyst.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The first round of the Major League Baseball draft is Sunday night and LSU’s Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes are considered the top two players in the draft, but that doesn’t mean Pittsburgh, who holds the number one pick, will select Crews or Skenes. Baseball America prospect writer Geoff Pontes says M-L-B teams only have so many bonus dollars to spend on drafted players, so the Pirates could draft someone else that may not cost as much…
cut 16 (19) “…could do that”
The SEC has announced Crews as its male athlete of the year. He lead the league with a .429 batting average and lead the nation in walks and runs scored.

The Pelicans have officially announced the re-signing of Herb Jones to a mulit-year contract. The 2021 second round pick is known for his defense and he also averaged 10 points a game last season. New Orleans has also officially added free agent center Cody Zeller. The six-foot-eleven big man averaged seven points and four rebounds a game as a reserve for the Miami Heat last season. And the Pels have signed former second round pick E-J Liddell. The forward from Ohio State missed what would have been his rookie season last year after tearing his A-C-L.

The Pels begin action in the Summer League this afternoon. The oldest player on the roster is 29-year-old Frank Bartley, who is a Baton Rouge native and also starred for the Ragin Cajuns for two seasons from 2016 to 2018.

LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne has created the Livvy Fund to help LSU female athletes secure NIL deals and funds. Dunne is the highest -paid female college athlete in the country, making seven figures. A link to the fund can be found on the Bayou Traditions website.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU’s Dylan Crews was named the SEC Male Player of the Year. Crews just led the Tigers to their seventh national championship in baseball and he also received the Golden Spikes Award, which goes to the top amateur baseball player in the United States. Crews led the SEC in batting average at 426 and reached base 75 straight games, including all 71 games in the 2023 season.

Crews was also named hitter of the year by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. LSU’s Paul Skenes is the Pitcher of the Year, Tigers third baseman Tommy White is the newcomer of the year, Jay Johnson the coach of the Year and Nicholls pitcher Jacob Mayers is the freshman of the year.

LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne has created the Livvy Fund to help LSU female athletes secure NIL deals and funds. Dunne is the highest -paid female college athlete in the country, making seven figures.

The Pelicans have released 37-year-old Garrett Temple. It might be the end of an NBA career for the Baton Rouge native and former LSU star. Temple has played for 11 NBA teams and appeared in 84 games for the Pels over the last two seasons. This past season he only averaged two points a game.

ESPN is reporting the NBA will have an in-season tournament that will take place on December seventh and ninth in Las Vegas. Full details will be announced on Saturday.

The Pelicans will begin play in the Summer League tomorrow afternoon in in Las Vegas. New Orleans will take on the Timberwolves in a game that can be seen on NBA TV.

LSU star Angel Reese scored 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 106 to 44 win over Cuba. Reese is playing for USA basketball at the FIBA Americup. The United States went three and one in pool play and is advancing in the quarterfinals.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The Pelicans have released 37-year-old Garrett Temple. It might be the end of an NBA career for the Baton Rouge native and former LSU star. Temple has played for 11 NBA teams and appeared in 84 games for the Pels over the last two seasons. This past season he only averaged two points a game.

ESPN is reporting the NBA will have an in-season tournament that will take place on December seventh and ninth in Las Vegas. Full details will be announced on Saturday.

The Pelicans will begin play in the Summer League tomorrow afternoon in in Las Vegas. New Orleans will take on the Timberwolves in a game that can be seen on NBA TV.

LSU star Angel Reese scored 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 106 to 44 win over Cuba. Reese is playing for USA basketball at the FIBA Americup. The United States went three and one in pool play and is advancing in the quarterfinals.

Yesterday was Brayden Jobert Day in St. Tammany Parish. The Slidell native just helped the LSU Tigers win its seventh national championship in baseball. Jobert had 14 home runs on the season. His last dinger of the year came in the championship game victory over Florida.

In major league baseball….the Astros are one of the hottest teams i the American League as they’ve won seven of their last eight. Yesterday, Houston held off Colorado six to four. The Stros trail the Rangers by two games for first place in the A-L West. Houston begins a four-game series against Seattle tonight, while the Rangers finish off a series in Boston tonight.

11:40 LRN Sportscast July 5

Former LSU All-American and Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher Kevin Gausman was named to the American League All-Star team. Gausman has a 3.04 ERA and leads the American League in strikeouts with 146. It will be the second all-star appearance of his 11-year career after making the 2021 All-star game as a member of the Giants.

More accolades coming in for the 2023 National Champion LSU Baseball team. It’s another one that doesn’t come as a surprise as Tiger junior centerfielder Dylan Crews has been named one of three outfielders on this year’s American Baseball Coaches Association Gold Glove team for NCAA Division I. Crews finished the season with a perfect fielding percentage committing no errors in 171 chances.

Saints tight end Foster Moreau announced Monday on Twitter that his cancer is in full remission. This comes some three months after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma following a physical with the Saints while he was visiting the team in free agency. That’s when he found out. Moreau says it was a tumultuous few months, but this news is a blessing, and he thanks everyone who sent their thoughts and prayers.

The Pelicans will tip-off their summer league stint in Vegas this Friday against the Timberwolves. The pels summer league team will feature two veterans from last year’s squad Dyson daniels and EJ Liddell. Daniels was the number 8 pick in the 2022 draft and averaged 18 minutes a game over 59 appearances last year. Liddel, the 41st pick out of Ohio St. showed promise in the off-season before suffering a season ending ACL injury in last year’s summer league tournament. Also headlining the group is this year’s 14th overall pick Jordan Hawkins. Hawkins won a national championship with UCONN this year and will help the pels improve as one of the best shooters in this year’s draft. New Orleans will play at least 5 games with a chance at a 6th if they were to make the tournament finals.

New Orleans has been one of several teams to call Portland about Damian Lillard. The pels’ young roster and war chest of future draft picks give the team enough ammunition to trade for the all-star, but reports say Dame only wants to play for Miami. Lillard doesn’t have a trade clause in his contract but he’s unlikely to go anywhere else. After the pelicans signed Cody Zeller, however, they passed the salary tax threshold and could be looking to make a trade to cut costs. Insiders are reporting there are a number of teams looking to be a part of a three team trade with the Heat and Trailblazers and the Pelicans could be one of them.

 

06:45 LRN Sportscast, July 5th

Saints tight end Foster Moreau is in “full remission” after four months of treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma. The 26-year-old received the stage 2 diagnosis in March during a Saints physical. New Orleans then signed the former Jesuit High and LSU player to a three-year contract worth a reported $12 million, including $8 million in guaranteed money.

LSU junior centerfielder Dylan Crews has been named one of three outfielders on the 2023 American Baseball Coaches Association Gold Glove team for NCAA Division I. Crews finished the season with a perfect fielding percentage, committing no errors in 171 chances. He led LSU to the 2023 College World Series title and captured the Golden Spikes Award, batting .426 with 16 doubles, two triples, 18 homers, 70 RBI and 100 runs.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission pickleball injuries could cost Americans close to $400 million in medical costs this year. LSU Health New Orleans Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Christopher Marrero says pickleball resembles tennis, but players use paddles to hit a plastic ball and it doesn’t require as much running…:
Cut 13 (11) “overuse injuries, etc.”
The Sports and Fitness Industry Association trade group says pickleball has grown from 3.5 million players in 2019 to 8.9 million in 2022.

LSU gymnast and Instagram influencer Olivia Dunne revealed during a recent podcast interview that she once received over $500,000 for a single sponsored post to social media. Dunne’s NIL valuation is already reportedly second among all college athletes at $3.3 million. She has over 4 million followers on IG and over 7 million on TikTok.

06:45 LRN Sportscast, July 4th

Starting with some fantastic news. Saints tight end Foster Moreau announced Monday on Twitter that his cancer is in full remission. This comes some three months after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma following a physical with the Saints while he was visiting the team in free agency. That’s when he found out. Moreau says it was a tumultuous few months, but this news is a blessing, and he thanks everyone who sent their thoughts and prayers.

More accolades coming in for the 2023 National Champion LSU Baseball team. It’s another one that doesn’t come as a surprise as Tiger junior centerfielder Dylan Crews, aka the G.O.A.T., has been named one of three outfielders on this year’s American Baseball Coaches Association Gold Glove team for NCAA Division I. Crews finished the season with a perfect fielding percentage committing no errors in 171 chances.

LSU Pitcher Paul Skenes set an SEC record with 209 strikeouts this season, but they won’t only be remembered in the record books. Kace Kieschnick has more…:
Cut 2 (32) “I’m Kace Kieschnick”

A Louisiana man competes in Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest today in Coney Island New York. Adrian Morgan of Baton Rouge’s best record was in 2015 when he got 5th for consuming 31 hotdogs in 10 minutes. He got a $1000 award for that.