LSU welcomed its second transfer portal pitcher last night. Diego Velazquez went 5-and-1 with 34 strikeouts and nine walks as a freshman at USC last season. The 6-1 righty posted a 4.55 ERA in 13 appearances. He also had 18 at-bats for the Trojans, knocking three hits with one double. Velazquez joins Gonzaga Left-hander Landon Hood as the two new Tigers arms. Hood was Freshman of the Year in the West Coast Conference and a Freshman All-American.

Defensive end Cameron Jordan will be a lifelong Saint. The 15-year vet signed a deal to return for what he called one final season in New Orleans. Jordan’s 132 sacks are the most by a player in Saints history and rank 17th in the NFL all-time. Jordan explored free agency for the first time in his career, but he says it was his kids who finally convinced him to come back home.

Cut 16 (11) “…get this done.”

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt is healthy and ready to go. Lane Kiffin told former Tiger and Saint Tyrann Mathieu on his “In The Bayou” podcast that Leavitt has been fully cleared for summer workouts. The Arizona State transfer missed six games for the Sun Devils last season with a right foot injury he had surgery on in November.

The Tigers received their third running back commitment and second in as many days as Franklin Parish four-star Trey Martin announced he’d be staying in state. Martin is a top ten prospect in the state and 14th-ranked back nationwide. He joins a class with four-star Tre Segarra and three-star Brennan Lacey. LSU’s 2027 class now features 12 recruits and ranks 10th in rivals’ Industry Rankings. The Tigers have received 8 commitments in the last ten days.

LSU shortstop Kylee Edwards announced she’d be transferring after one season with the Tigers. Edwards arrived in Baton Rouge from Mississippi State this season and started all 59 games. She hit .341 with 10 homers and 40 RBIs, all the best marks in her career.

Saints defensive end Cam Jordan is returning for his 16^th and final NFL season. Jordan signed a one-year, incentive laden contract to be part of a Black and Gold team that Jordan says is as talented as any in the league…

Cut 18 (13) “…did last year”

The eight-time Pro Bowler will be 37 years old by the time the season begins. The 2011 first-round pick led New Orleans with 10.5 sacks last season.

Four-star running back Tre Segarra (Suh-gar-uh) from South Carolina has committed to LSU. 247-sports ranks Segarra as the seventh best running back in the country. He rushed for 14-hundred yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior.

__________________________________________________

Heading into the week, LSU signed just one pitcher out of the transfer portal, Landon Hood, who was the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year at Gonzaga. But Coach Jay Johnson was a guest on Tiger Rag Radio and says more arms are on the way…

Cut 26 (26) “…Transfer portal”

That pitcher who committed is right-hander Diego Velasquez, who was 5-1 with a 4.26 ERA in 31 innings at Southern Cal. Also, 34 Ks and just nine walks.

Former Jacksonville State pitcher Jackson Evers commits to the Cajuns. He made 15 appearances for the Gamecocks and had an ERA of 4.58 and struck out 20 in 17 2/3 innings.

Saints defensive end Cam Jordan is returning for a final season in New Orleans on a one-year deal the 15-year vet signed today. After his first offseason as a free agent, Jordan says his kids, current teammates and former Saints were all telling him to come home. He says he’ll contribute on and off the field this season.

Cut 17 (19) “…as a team.”

LSU landed a second running back commitment for its 2027 class in South Carolina four-star Tre Segarra. The 5-10, 210-pound back is ranked as the number seven tailback in the class. The Tigers also added four-star offensive lineman Terrance Smith and three-star O-tackle Amaziah Siale yesterday.

Today was the first day of mandatory veteran minicamp for the Saints. While Cam Jordan’s status for the 2026 season is certain, the same can’t be said for running back Alvin Kamara. The front office has remained non-committal to the five-time Pro Bowler after signing Travis Etienne. Kamara’s 12-million-dollar contract would be pricy for a backup, but The Advocate’s Matt Paras says Kamara is continuing business as usual.

Cut 18 (16) “…dragging this out.”

The LSU Women’s basketball team announced its home and away opponents for the upcoming season. The Lady Tigers will host Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma. Kim Mulkey’s squad will play Auburn home and away and make road trips to the seven other SEC schools.

LSU landed a commitment from four-star running back Tre Segarra. The 5-10, 210-pound South Carolina native is the seventh-ranked back in the country and brings LSU’s 2027 class to 11 commits.

The Tigers added two offensive line commits yesterday. Four-star Terrance Smith is an interior offensive lineman out of Pennsylvania. The 6-7, 290-pounder is ranked as high as 5th at his position and 39th nationally by 247Sports. Amaziah Siale flipped his commitment from Cal to LSU. The three-star tackle is 6-foot-6, 330 pounds.

There are two elimination games in Omaha today. West Virginia has a rematch with Troy at 1:00 after the Mountaineers lost to UNC 5-2 and the Trojans knocked off Ole Miss 12-8 on Sunday. West Virginia won the first matchup 7-5 with a two RBI single in the bottom of the eighth. Texas and Georgia will also replay a first-round matchup at 7. Georgia took the first meeting 7-1 before losing 4-3 to Oklahoma yesterday. Texas stayed alive with a 14-2 win over Alabama.

Today is the first day of mandatory veteran minicamp in New Orleans. The Saints spent the offseason building around second-year quarterback Tyler Shough. New Orleans added veteran guard David Edwards and running back Travis Etienne in free agency and stocked up on four new pass catchers in the draft. The Advocate’s Matt Paras says Shough has embraced his role as the face of the franchise.

Cut 17 (14)  “…kind of everywhere.”

Running back Alvin Kamara was back in New Orleans yesterday after only coming to one day of voluntary OTAs. Veteran Defensive End Cameron Jordan will also be in the building as he meets with GM Mickey Loomis to discuss a potential 16th season in New Orleans. Jordan’s had a contract offer on the table most of the offseason, but the 36-year-old decided to explore free agency after a ten-and-a-half sack season last year.

The Saints begin mandatory veteran minicamp today. It will be the last on-field action for the Black and Gold before training camp starts in late July. The Advocate’s Matt Paras says the biggest question mark for the defense may come off the field.

Cut 16 (16) “…of step up.”

After we spoke with Paras he released a report that says the Saints and Cam Jordan have made strides towards agreeing on a new contract. Jordan’s former teammate Terron Armstead said on his podcast “The Set” that Jordan is meeting with the Black and Gold today.

At the College World Series….Texas eliminated Alabama 14 to 2, while Oklahoma held on to beat Georgia four to three as the Sooners advance to the Winner’s Bracket.

Two offensive linemen committed to the LSU football program on Monday. Four-star Terrence Smith from Lansdale, Pennsylvannia chose LSU over Auburn and Tennessee. He’s six-foot-seven, 290 pounds and 247Sports ranks him as the fifth best offensive tackle in the country.

Hawaii native Amaziah Siale was a Cal commitment, but decommitted from the Golden Bears and now plans to play for the Fighting Tigers. Siale is six-foot-six and 350 pounds and did not play in his junior season at high school because of transfer-eligibility rules. He has moved to California.

The Brendan Sorsby saga at Texas Tech is over as he’s decided he will not play for the Red Raiders and instead he’ll enter the NFL Supplemental draft. Among the 90-thousand dollars in impressible bets, Sorsby gambled on Indiana when he was on the Hoosiers football team. A judge in Texas said he could play, but the Big 12 was ready to fight in federal court to keep Sorsby from playing college football.

LSU flipped three-star Cal offensive lineman commit Amaziah Siale. The 6-6, 330-pound tackle is a top 50 offensive tackle in the class of 2027. He is the first O-line commit in the Tigers’ 2027 class, which now has nine commitments and ranks 20^th in Rivals’ Industry Rankings.

Former LSU safety Major Burns signed with the Dolphins. As a member of the Houston Gamblers this season, Burns led the UFL with four interceptions and racked up 45 tackles and eight pass defenses.

Cedar Creek left-handed pitcher and first baseman Kade Luker is Mr. Baseball in Louisiana. The LSU commit adds the award to an already stacked trophy case that includes Gatorade Player of the Year and All-Northeast Louisiana Player of the Year honors. He is the first player from Lincoln Parish to win the award.

Calvary Baptist’s Kynzee Anderson went back-to-back as Miss Softball. She also repeated as the Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year and will head to Georgia next year. She was 30-and-1 in the circle with a 0.61 ERA and 318 strikeouts in 171 innings.

Alabama was the second team eliminated from the College World Series after a 14-2 loss to Texas this afternoon. The Longhorns will go on to face the loser of Georgia and Oklahoma, who play tonight at 6:00.

LA Tech signed baseball transfers Kameron McCord and Kade Crawford. McCord is a lefty pitcher from Coastal Alabama Community College who struck out 60 batters with a 4.73 ERA this season. Crawford is a Panola College outfielder with 12 homers this year.

LSU basketball signed four transfers. One of them is Senior guard Austin Nunez. Nunez was a top-75 recruit coming out of high school but ended up with UTSA after stints with Ole Miss and Arizona State. He averaged almost ten points and three assists a game with the Roadrunners, and The Advocate’s TJ Brown says he can be an effective role player.

Cut 19 (18) “…backup player.”

Jay Johnson is adding more help in the outfield as Tulane transfer Jason Wachs committed to LSU. Another lefty bat, the 6-2 rising junior hit .327 with 21 doubles, nine home runs and 54 RBIs with the Green Wave this season. He’s played all three outfield positions and spent most of his time in right and will join Notre Dame transfer Bino Watters in the outfield.

LSU pitcher Mavrick Rizy announced he’ll be transferring to Ole Miss. Rizy pitched 21-and-one-third innings his sophomore season with the Tigers with a 4.22 ERA and 28 strikeouts.

Louisiana Tech freshman closer Thomas Allen announced he’d be entering the transfer portal over the weekend. The Benton native was an NCBWA Freshman All-American second team selection after posting a 3.54 ERA with 49 strikeouts and 5 saves.

Also over the weekend, Diamond Dog first baseman Trey Hawsey announced he’d be joining former West Monroe High teammate Hayden Federico at Ole Miss next season. Hawsey hit .335 with 15 homers and 47 RBI this year.

LSU softball ace Jayden Heavener is headed to Texas Tech. Heavener pitched 16 complete games this season and finished the year with a 2.81 ERA, 128 strikeouts and a 13-and-9 record.

LSU basketball coach Will Wade officially signed his first four transfers. Michigan State junior guard Divine Ugochukwu averaged just five points in 16 minutes a game with the Spartans last season, but The Advocate’s TJ Brown says he has the tools to take a big step forward next year if Wade gives him the keys to the Tigers’ offense. He says he reminds him of former Tigers guard Eric Gaines.

Cut 17 (16)  “…get up.”

The other three transfers are Kansas State guard Abi Bashir, Kentucky forward Mo Dioubate and UTSA guard Austin Nunez.

Tulane outfielder Jason Wachs is transferring to LSU. The left-handed hitting Wachs performed well at the plate in his two seasons with the Green Wave. The Florida native hit .327 and also showed some power last season, as he blasted nine home runs and also had a team-leading 21 doubles. Wachs could be a possible replacement for Derek Curiel in center, or he could play a corner outfield position.

Former LSU softball pitcher Jayden Heavener is transferring to Texas Tech. Heavener went 13-9 with a 2.81 ERA for the Tigers. She goes to a program that’s invested heavily into its softball program. The Red Raiders have finished runner-ups the last two seasons.

Iowa football star Kaston Lewis has committed to Texas Tech. Lewis is a four-star safety and last season helped the Yellow Jackets win their first state championship in football. Lewis also had offers from West Virginia and Arkansas.

The LSU men’s basketball team has announced four transfer portal additions. The first Tiger to announce his commitment was senior forward Mo Dioubate, who was a glue guy for Kentucky last season, averaging just under nine points and five rebounds. TJ Brown covers the LSU men’s basketball team for the Advocate and says his impact goes beyond the stats sheet…

Cut 18 (17) “….to win”

Ole Miss is two  and barbeque in the College World Series. Troy rallied back from a six to two deficit to eliminate the Rebels 12 to 8. Former West Monroe star Hayden Federico had three hits in a losing effort.

And North Carolina advances to the winner’s bracket with a five to two win over West Virginia.

The monster will be mashing in Baton Rouge for one more season. Steven “Monster” Milam has removed his name from the MLB Draft and will return to LSU for his senior season. Glen West with On3-dot-com says Milam’s decision wasn’t just financial – he wanted to play for Jay Johnson for one more season.

Cut 14 (12) “…at LSU.”

In a social media post released by LSU, Milam, who was a major contributor to the 2025 national championship team, says he wants to win another national title in Purple and Gold.

At the College World Series yesterday, Ole Miss lost for the first time in the NCAA Tournament, falling to North Carolina six to two. West Virginia is headed to the winner’s bracket after topping Troy seven to five.

_____________________________________________________________

Great start for the U-S Men’s soccer team in the World Cup as the stars and stripes defeated Paraguay four to one last night in Los Angeles. It is the United States largest World Cup win since 1930. The next match for the U-S is Friday afternoon against Australia.

Will Wade has officially signed his first four transfers. One of the new additions is Abdi Bashir (OBB-dee- BUH-sheer), a lengthy senior shooting guard, who averaged over 13 points a game for Kansas State last season. TJ Brown with The Advocate says he is a pure sharpshooter.

Cut 16 (18) “…your roster.”

ULM softball coach Molly Fichtner signed a contract extension to stay with the Warhawks through 2029. She has won back-to-back Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors.

LSU added a 2023 freshman All-American in the transfer portal. Florida infielder Cade Kurland slugged 17 home runs his freshman season, but injuries have limited his production the last three years in Gainesville. The second baseman hit .279 with nine home runs this year.

The Men’s College World Series begins today. Third-ranked Georgia is the top remaining seed, and former LSU star and ESPN baseball analyst Todd Walker says the Bulldogs have the pitching and power to make history.

Cut 16 (14) “…win in Omaha.”

Troy and West Virginia open the first game in Omaha at 1:00 this afternoon before Ole Miss and UNC face off at 6:00.

LA Tech landed a commitment from South Carolina infielder Jack Reynolds. Reynolds was the number four overall recruit in the state of South Carolina in the class of 2022. He appeared in just 17 games this season and has two years of eligibility remaining.

The World Cup officially kicked off yesterday, and the U.S. has its first match tonight versus Paraguay. Over the next five weeks, 104 matches will be played across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The cheapest tickets to get into even low-demand games are upwards of 200 dollars, and finals tickets start at around eight thousand dollars. Louisiana Soccer Association reporter Paul Boron says FIFA’s pricing could backfire.

Cut 12 (12) “…to get in.”

The nearest host sites to Louisiana are Houston, Dallas and Atlanta. Kickoff between the U.S. and Paraguay is set for 8:00 tonight.

McNeese has officially trademarked the name Bayou Bandits. The nickname gained popularity under Will Wade and has continued with the Cowboys’ success under head coach Bill Armstrong. The school says the trademark will protect a brand representing success, identity and momentum in Southwest Louisiana.