Jay Johnson and LSU brought in some big-time high school signees who chose to enroll at LSU over signing with an MLB team. Aledo, Texas, left-hander Lucas Nawrocki was Perfect Game’s number-50 high school prospect and pulled his name from the draft the night before it began. Glen West with On3-dot-com says he can have an immediate impact.

Cut 16 (16) “…from the start.”

Nawrocki will also hit. According to Max Preps, he had a 513 batting average in his senior season.

Another intriguing arm is 6-foot-3 right-hander Kolby Stringer, who chose LSU over Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Stringer is from West Marion High School in Mississippi and had the second most strikeouts in the nation, with 118 Ks.

Troy is picked to win the Sun Belt Western Division according to the conference preseason poll. The Ragin Cajuns finished second, followed by Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech is picked to finish fourth, than Southern Miss, South Alabama and ULM is picked to finish last.

ULM O-lineman AJ Vinson made the preseason All-Sun Belt First team. Ragin Cajuns receiver Shelton Sampson also made the first-team. Cajuns D-B Brent Gordon is on the preseason All-Sun Belt First team defense. Also on the team, ULM linebacker Noah Flemmings and Louisiana Tech linebacker Kolbe Fields.

Southeastern Louisiana linebacker Jake Dalmado and punt returner Dkhai Joseph are on the Stats Perform FCS preseason All-American Team. Dalmado is a transfer from Nicholls, where he was a two-time All-Southland Conference performer for the Colonels and had 142 tackles and 12 and a half sacks over the past two seasons.

Former LSU outfielder Derek Curiel was taken fifth overall in the MLB Draft by Pittsburgh. The Pirates are an improving team led by former LSU star Paul Skenes. Last year, Pittsburgh drafted former LSU slugger Jared Jones, and he’s been doing well in High A-Ball. Curiel is looking forward to being teammates again with “The Bear”…

Cut 18 (25) remember him a lot.”

In the second round, Seattle selected former LSU right fielder Jake Brown from Sulphur. Right-handed reliever Devin Sheerin was taken by the Phillies in the fourth round. Eight Tigers were taken in all. Nine LSU signees were selected, but two, outfielders Malachi Washington and Dominic Santarelli, have already announced plans to come to Baton Rouge.

The Sun Belt Conference released its preseason polls for this season. UL Lafayette was picked to finish second in the West division behind Troy, LA Tech was picked fourth in its inaugural season and ULM finished last.

The Cajuns placed two on the all-conference first team and two on the second team. Redshirt junior wide receiver Shelton Sampson Jr. and sophomore defensive back Brent Gordon Jr. were named to the first team and redshirt senior offensive lineman Kaden Moreau and redshirt senior defensive lineman Fitzgerald West Jr. took second team honors.

ULM also landed four all-conference selections. Senior O-lineman AJ Vinson and senior linebacker Noah Flemmings received the first-team nod, and senior receiver Nic Trujillo and senior D-B Jabari Tiller are on the second team.

For LA Tech, graduate linebacker Kolbe Fields was named to the first-team defense, and senior tight end Eli Finley was a second-team selection.

Sun Belt Media days kick off in New Orleans on Wednesday. Players and coaches from all three Louisiana schools will appear Thursday, along with the rest of the Sun Belt West.

LSU outfielder Derek Curiel was selected fifth overall by the Pirates in the MLB draft this weekend. He led LSU in hitting this past season and was named a Third-Team All-American. Curiel on what he plans to bring to the Pittsburgh organization…

Cut 17 (20) “…do that.”

In the second round, Seattle selected former LSU right fielder Jake Brown, and sophomore right-hander Devin Sheerin went to the Phillies in the fourth round.

On day two, five LSU relievers went off the board. Grant Fontenot was picked by Kansas City in the tenth, Santiago Garcia went to Toronto in the 12^th, Connor Benge was selected in the 13^th by Miami, Gavin Guidry went in round 16 to the Mets and Cleveland picked Zac Cowan in the 19^th.

Northwestern State right-hander Dylan Marionneaux was selected by the Cubs in the fourth round of the MLB draft. He was 4-and-2 with a 3.51 ERA this season.

Louisiana Tech ace Declan Dahl was picked in the fifth round by the Tigers after winning Conference USA Newcomer of the Year this year with a 3.54 ERA and 102 strikeouts.

Record-setting McNeese hurler Eric Nachtsheim was picked by the Giants in the 6^th round. He was the Southland reliever of the year with a program-record 129 Ks.

UL Lafayette righty Cody Brasch joined Nachtsheim in San Francisco in the 8^th round after leading the Sun Belt with a 2.77 ERA this season.

Nine of LSU’s class of 22 signees were taken, but a few headliners have already pledged to come to campus. Outfielder Malachi Washington is the No. 28 ranked high school prospect in the nation and will head to LSU after being picked No. 528 by Pittsburgh. Outfielder-first baseman Dominic Santerelli was ranked No. 45 in the high school class and will not sign with the Mariners after Seattle picked him 550^th overall.

Three former LSU Tigers were taken on the opening day of the Major League Baseball Draft….

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Five more Tigers were taken on Day 2 of the draft, all of them pitchers.  Kansas City drafted Grant Fontenot, The Mets selected Gavin Guidry and Cleveland took Zac Cowan.

Also, several of the Tigers top signees are coming to campus, including outfielder Malachi Washington and right-handed pitcher Cooper Sides.

____________________________________

The highest non-LSU college player taken in the Major League Baseball Draft was Northwestern State’s Dylan Marionneaux. Marionneaux went in the fourth round to the Chicago Cubs. He was 4-2 with a 3.51 ERA for the Demons.

Louisiana Tech’s ace Declan Dahl went in the fifth round to the Detroit Tigers. Dahl was the Conference USA Newcomer of the Year.

In the 6^th round, the Giants selected McNeese right-hander Eric Nachsheim and in the 8^th round San Francisco selected Cody Brasch from the Ragin Cajuns, who led the Sun Belt Conference with a 2.77 ERA.

In the MLB All-Star futures game, former LSU star Kade Anderson got the start for the American League and worked a scoreless first inning. Anthony Eyanson faced two batters, walked one and got the other one out.

Paul Skenes improved his record to 8-8 as the Pirates pounded the Brewers 14 to 5. Skenes allowed two runs in five and a third innings and struck out seven.

The 2026 Major League Baseball Draft is this weekend, and two LSU baseball stars should hear their names called on day one. Center fielder Derek Curiel is expected to be a top 15 pick in the first round, while right fielder Jake Brown is a potential second round pick as he’s ranked by ESPN.com as the 64th best player in the draft. Brown will spend draft day with his family in Sulphur.

Cut 16 (11) “…in my life.”

Pitcher Devin Sheerin is the next Tiger expected to go off the board. He could be picked as high as the fourth round, but he’s more likely to hear his name called Sunday.

Koki Riley covers LSU baseball for The Advocate and says most of the other players who have a chance to leave Baton Rouge for pro ball are older right-handed relief pitchers.

Cut 7 (09) “…definitely go.”

McNeese baseball is welcoming home two Lake Charles natives in the transfer portal. Barbe High School product and former UL Lafayette infielder Owen Galt committed to McNeese after batting .231 with six RBIs and one homer in 11 starts last season.

Louisiana Tech infielder Reid Snider will be a redshirt junior next season. He attended St. Louis Catholic High School and made six starts for the Bulldogs last season. He averaged .179 at the plate and was perfect in the field.

UL Lafayette announced its men’s basketball non-conference schedule. The Cajuns tip off the season hosting Akron in the Sun Belt-MAC challenge. They’ll make a road trip to USC November 22. In-state matchups include a home game against McNeese November 28, a visit to Tulane December 6 and a trip to LSU December 22.

Two of the MLB’s top young talents face off Sunday in a matchup between the Pirates’ Paul Skenes and the Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski. The MLB All-Stars were almost teammates at LSU in 2023 before Misiorowski, who was committed to transfer to LSU from Crowder Junior College, was selected in the second round by the Brewers. First pitch is at 11:15.

Two LSU baseball stars should hear their names called on the first day of the MLB Draft Saturday. Center fielder Derek Curiel is expected to be a top 15 pick in the first round, while right fielder Jake Brown is a potential second round pick. Brown could have returned for his senior season, but he says he’s ready for professional baseball.

Cut 18 (11) “…draft this year.”

He will likely receive a seven-figure signing bonus. The Tigers have welcomed transfer outfielders Bino Watters, Jason Wachs and Angel Laya to help replace Brown and Curiel.

An invitation has been sent out to LSU’s 40 biggest athletic donors to meet at the governor’s mansion during the first week of August to discuss funding the university’s athletics programs. According to the event invitation, an alternative revenue-generating opportunity that is the first of its kind will be presented to those in attendance.

Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream took an 89-78 win over former LSU teammate Flau’Jae Johnson’s Seattle Storm last night. Reese scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and two steals. Johnson put up 14 points and five assists but it wasn’t enough to overcome a 55-38 halftime deficit.

One of McNeese’s top relievers, Elliott Burrows, is headed to Louisiana Tech. Burrows signed with the Bulldogs after making 21 relief appearances as a redshirt freshman this season and posting 13 scoreless outings. He put up a 3.67 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 27 innings.

McNeese landed a commitment from former UL Lafayette outfielder Owen Galt. The Lake Charles native started 11 of his 33 games for the Cajuns last season and hit.231 with six RBIs and one homer.

The Cowboys extended the contract of head coach Justin Hill for another four years. Hill has 396 wins in 13 seasons at McNeese and has led the Cowboys to two NCAA Tournaments.

This weekend is the Major League Baseball draft, and two former LSU stars will hear their names called on Saturday. Center fielder Derek Curiel is expected to be a Top 15 pick, while right fielder Jake Brown could go as early as the second-round. Brown says he has fully recovered from the broken hamate bone in his wrist that he suffered in April…

Cut 17 (15) “…feeling great”

Brown will spend draft day with family and friends in his hometown of Sulphur.

LSU’s biggest donors have been invited to the governor’s mansion in early August to hear a presentation about an alternative revenue generating opportunity for athletics. Tiger Athletic Foundation President Matt Borman says this alternative revenue source could change the future of college sports.

The Lafayette D-A’s Office is investigating reports of a UL Lafayette football recruiter who misused a university credit card to pay for over five-thousand-dollars worth of unallowed alcohol and food costs. The recruiter allegedly submitted false documents to get paid for the costs. A state auditor says there were other incidents totaling over 75-thousand dollars.

Louisiana fishermen, charter captains and conservation organizations are disappointed Governor Landry vetoed a bill that would have designated the Atlantic tarpon as a saltwater game fish. Landry called the legislation a solution in search of a problem. But Rick Owens with the Louisiana Wildlife Federation says the legislation would have placed tarpon within the same general management framework as other recreational species, including red drum, speckled trout, and black bass.

Cut 6 (11) “…for the tarpon.”

Marcus Spears Jr., the son of the former LSU defensive lineman, announced he will be reclassifying to the 2026 class and attending Texas this season. Spears was the top-rated recruit in the class of 2027 by ESPN. LSU, Arizona and Kentucky were also targeting the f-foot-9 five-star forward. Ruston High School four-star Ahmad Hudson is the only commitment in Will Wade’s 2027 class.

LSU unexpectedly lost freshman righty pitcher Marcos Paz to the transfer portal. Paz posted a 9.20 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 17 appearances, including six starts, but head coach Jay Johnson believed he had the tools to be a weekend starter next year. He says he was surprised when Paz decided to leave.

Cut 18 (17) “…entitled to that.”

LSU President Wade Rousse invited LSU athletics’ top 40 donors to a meeting at the Governor’s Mansion to discuss the department’s financial future. Rousse and Governor Jeff Landry will present what they call “an alternative revenue-generating opportunity for LSU athletics that is first of its kind nationally and could quite possibly change the future of college sports in America.”

The Lafayette District Attorney’s Office is investigating reports of a UL Lafayette football recruiter who misused a university credit card to pay for over five-thousand-dollars worth of unallowed alcohol and food costs. The recruiter allegedly submitted false documents to get paid for the costs. A state auditor says there were other incidents totaling over 75-thousand dollars.

McNeese baseball coach Justin Hill signed a four-year contract extension to stay in Lake Charles. Hill has led the Cowboys to three Southland regular season titles, two tournament titles and a tournament championship game appearance last year.

The Pelicans have now lost 12-straight Summer League games after losing 105-92 to the Timberwolves in their first Summer League game.

LSU welcomed its third transfer outfielder commit in Oregon freshman Angel Laya last weekend. Laya hit .296 with 14 homers this season, but LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson told Tiger Rag Radio all three of the newcomers can do more than just swing the bat.

Cut 16 (17) “…high-end hitters.”

The Tigers will likely lose outfielders Derek Curiel and Jake Brown to the MLB Draft this weekend. Curiel is a projected top-ten pick.

The Pelicans tip off the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas against the Timberwolves today. New Orleans will look to snap an 11-game Summer League losing streak after going winless in 2024 and 2025. Tip-off is at 2:30.

Sun Belt West schools announced which players will be joining their head coaches at Sun Belt Media Days in New Orleans next week.

Redshirt junior quarterback Lunch Winfield and redshirt senior offensive lineman George Jackson will represent UL Lafayette.

Louisiana Tech will send senior tight end Eli Finley and graduate linebacker Kolbe Fields

Senior offensive lineman AJ Vinson and senior linebacker Noah Flemmings will attend for ULM

The Saints announced the open practice schedule for this year’s training camp. Players report July 28, and the first public practice is the 30^th. New Orleans hosts nine open practices in all, including one at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium August 26. Joint practices with the Jaguars and Cowboys are also open.

Former Louisiana Tech and Ruston High School pitcher Cade Gibson made his second of back-to-back relief appearances for the Marlins last night. Gibson allowed no hits and struck out three in two innings against the Mariners. Tuesday night, Gibson earned his second win of the season as he allowed no runs and no hits in the tenth inning of a 6-5 walk-off win over Seattle

The MLB Draft is this weekend. LSU coach Jay Johnson says up to 13 players in his incoming freshman class of 23 commits could head to professional baseball, but he hopes as few as six decide not to come to campus.

Cut 17 (17) “…high school ranks.”

The first four rounds of the draft are on Saturday and rounds five through 20 are on Sunday. LSU centerfielder Derek Curiel could be a top ten pick.

The Saints have released their training camp schedule. The Black and Gold report on July 28^th. The first practice open to the public is two days later. They will have nine practices that will be open to the public in New Orleans, including a joint practice with the Jaguars on August 13th.

The SWAC released its preseason all-conference teams. Southern has two players on it, defensive back Herman Brister and running back Trey Holly who rushed for 869 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

Grambling has three players on the All-SWAC team, offensive lineman Alexander Vigil, Linebacker Marcellius Johnson and Sepcialist Jay’Shaun Johnson who returned a kick for a touchdown last season.

Trent Partridge has been named the new softball coach at Southeastern Louisiana. Partridge had a lot of success at LSU Alexandria, where he led the Generals to a 147-62 record and a couple of Red River Athletic Conference championships and three N-A-I-A Tournament appearances.

The Pelicans begin play in the NBA Summer League today as New Orleans will face Minnesota at 2:30.

Angel Reese was named to her third-straight WNBA All-Star team. The former LSU star is averaging almost 15 points and 12 rebounds a game this season for the Atlanta Dream.