The LSU baseball team is in Knoxville getting ready for its super regional series against Tennessee, which begins Saturday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Tigers were swept in Knoxville earlier this year and Coach Paul Mainieri says the Vols home ballpark is not an easy place to play…
cut 18 (21) “….low 3s”
First pitch tomorrow is at 6 PM.

The Advocate reports that it is unlikely LSU will hire retired Oregon State Coach Pat Casey to replace Mainieri. The 62-year-old Casey won three national titles during a 24-year run with the Beavers. The search is said to be wide open.

The College Football Playoff is looking at expanding from a four-team postseason to 12. The Six highest ranked conference champions and six at-large schools would make the postseason under the proposal and the top four seeds would get a bye. The first-round games would be played on campus. 2023 would be the soonest the new format would be put in place.

Will legalized sports betting be in place in Louisiana before the start of the football season? That’s the goal after lawmakers approved the necessary bills to make it happen. The legislation approved would allow anyone 21 and older to place bets on their mobile device, computer or at select locations in any of the 55 parishes that voted to approve the activity. Crowley Representative John Stefanski….
cut 7 (10) “….Louisiana”
Earlier this month Governor Edwards signed legislation setting the tax rates for sports betting with a 15 percent tax on mobile betting and a ten percent tax for betting at authorized locations.

The LSU baseball team left this afternoon for Rocky Top where they’ll face Tennessee in the super regionals. Game one is set for Saturday night in Knoxville. In late March, the Volunteers swept the Tigers, outscoring LSU by four runs. Coach Paul Mainieri says both teams benefited from that hard-fought series
Cut 18 (16)”..for us.”
After that series in an interview with a Baton Rouge radio station, Mainieri said the Tennessee fans were nasty and they got into the head of freshman first baseman Tre Morgan.

Meanwhile, the search for a new head baseball coach at LSU is heating up. Retired Oregon State Coach Pat Casey has emerged as a candidate. He won three national titles with the Beavers, but the 62-year-old has given mixed statements on whether he wants to coach again. Florida’s Kevin O’ Sullivan said today he’s staying in Gainesville.

Four days ago, Louisiana Tech’s season ended with a loss to North Carolina State in the Ruston regional championship round. Even though the Bulldogs did not advance, Tech coach Lane Burroughs says it was good for his team to feel what it’s like to host in the postseason.
Cut 16 (14) “…taste of it.”
Burroughs says he expects the Bulldogs to field another strong team on the diamond next season.

In football news, LSU officially named Baton Rouge native Brad Davis as its new offensive line coach. Davis has spent the last four seasons coaching in the SEC at Arkansas, Missouri, and Florida.

And the College football playoff announced today it considering a proposal to expand the postseason from four teams to 12 teams, with the top four seeds getting a first-round bye. Six conference champions plus six at-large teams would make the playoffs under the proposal that needs approval from the league commissioner.

The LSU baseball will make its second trip to Knoxville when they face Tennessee in the super regionals.  LSU won four straight elimination games to advance to the super regionals and they won their first NCAA Regional on the road since 1989. Left fielder Gavin Dugas says his teammates understand the significance of the accomplishment…

Cut 19 (14) “lives”

Former Oregon State Coach Pat Casey has emerged as a possible candidate to replace Paul Mainieri as the next LSU baseball coach. He’s been retired since 2018. The 62-year-old Casey won three national championships during his time as the head man in Corvallis.

Louisiana Tech suffered an early exit from postseason play after failing to win the Ruston regional.  Burroughs says the fan support this season was great and he’s experienced first-hand what a good season can do for a smaller program.

Cut 17 (16) “part of that”

La Tech has announced its 2021 Hall of Fame Class. It includes former punter Ryan Allen, Super Bowl champion cornerback Tramon Williams, two-time Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year Richie LeBlanc, three-time Gulf States Conference champion golfer Roy Pace, five-time All-American jumper Bryant Wesco and Kodak All-American women’s basketball player Debra Williams. The six-person class will be enshrined this fall.

LSU baseball leaves this afternoon for Knoxville. The Tigers will tangle with Tennessee in a Super Regional series that begins on Saturday night in Rocky Top. The Bayou Bengals have a 12 and 7 record on the road and they’ve won four road SEC Series. Drew Bianco says they’ve nicknamed themselves…the Road Dogs…
cut 20 (27) “….next weekend”
Former Oregon State Coach Pat Casey has emerged as a candidate to replace Paul Mainieri. He’s been retired since 2018. The 62-year-old won three national championships with the Beavers.

Louisiana Tech Coach Lane Burroughs believes there are still more great things to come for the Bulldogs baseball program. Tech hosted its first Regional in school history last weekend and finished with 42 wins. Burroughs spent several years as an assistant coach at Southern Miss and experienced first-hand what a good season can do for a mid-major…
cut 17 (16) “…part of that”

La Tech has announced its 2021 Hall of Fame Class. It includes former punter Ryan Allen, Super Bowl champion cornerback Tramon Williams, two-time Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year Richie LeBlanc, three-time Gulf States Conference champion golfer Roy Pace, five-time All-American jumper Bryant Wesco and Kodak All-American women’s basketball player Debra Williams. The six-person class will be enshrined this fall.

College baseball insider from D-1 Baseball Kendall Rogers reports former Oregon State Coach Pat Casey has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Paul Mainieri at LSU. Casey won three College World Series during his time as the Beavers head coach from 1995 to 2018. He retired in 2018 after 31 seasons as a college coach.

Texas A-and-M announced today it’s hired Jim Schlossnagle as its new head baseball coach. Schlossnagle guided the TCU Horned Frogs to five College World Series appearances.

New LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey is bringing one of her top assistants to Baton Rouge from Baylor. The Lady Tigers have announced Sytia Messer as associate head coach. Messer has worked under Mulkey for the last eight seasons.

It was announced today that the LSU men’s basketball team will play Louisiana Tech on December 18th at the Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City.

The Saints are holding their three-day minicamp and its the first since 2005 that Drew Brees is not in the team’s plans for the upcoming season. Brees was a big leader for the franchise but running back Alvin Kamara says there are plenty of players ready to fill that leadership void…
cut 19 (29) “…you know”
Kamara was drafted in 2017 and received a long-term deal last year. But three members of this draft class do not know their future beyond this season. Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramcyzk, and Marcus Williams are entering the final season of their rookie contracts.

The LSU baseball team will return to practice today for the first time since returning from Egene, Oregon.  The Tigers will now shift their focus to their super regional matchup against Tennessee in Knoxville.  Game one will take place on Saturday at 6 pm. When the Tigers take on the Volunteers they will likely be without center fielder Giovanni DiGiacomo, who coach Paul Mainieri listed as doubtful due to a lingering hamstring injury.

With the announcement of coach Paul Mainieri’s retirement at seasons end, the school will need to search for a replacement to run the LSU baseball program.  One name can now be eliminated at former TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle has accepted the head coaching job at Texas a&M.

Momentum is growing to expand the college football playoff.  A subcommittee is expected to present a report next week examining the strengths and weaknesses of the four-team playoff, including models for possible expansion of the current format.

The entire New Orleans Saints team is together this week for a Mandatory mini-camp, but there will not be a lot of on-the-field work as the Saints are spending more time in the weight room and classroom. Running back Alvin Kamara was asked about Jameis Winston’s approach towards the starting quarterback battle against Taysom Hill.

Cut 17 (13) “mentality”

Winston says since arriving with the Saints he’s learned the importance of staying away from mistakes.

Cut 18 (13) “be average”

The LSU Baseball team will return to the practice field today after a long return trip home from Eugene, Oregon. The Tigers will leave again tomorrow for Knoxville, where they’ll play their super regional series against Tennessee starting on Saturday night. Game two will be Sunday at either 11 AM or 2 PM.

Meanwhile, the LSU men’s and women’s track and field teams begin compeitition today at the NCAA outdoor championships in Eugene, Oregon. Both the men and women are ranked number one, the ladies have been ranked number one all season long.

Hunting and fishing license fees are set to go up next year as a result of legislation heading to the governor’s desk. The cost of a basic fishing license will increase from $9.50 to 17-dollars, but Louisiana Department of Wildlife and fisheries Undersecretary Bryan McClinton says instead of your fishing license expiring on June 30th of every year…
cut 12 (07) “…for 365 days.
Recreational fishing and hunting licenses have not changed since 2000.

Saints Quarterback Jameis Winston says he’s keeping his eyes on the prize as he gets ready to battle Taysom Hill to be the starting QB of the Black and Gold. After five up and down seasons in Tampa Bay, Winston came to New Orleans in 2020 to learn from Coach Sean Payton and Drew Brees. The former first-round pick is excited for the upcoming season…
Cut 16 (18) “…a team.”
The Saints announced they’ve signed their 2021 draft class and New Orleans reportedly restructured cornerback Marshon Lattimore’s contract. Lattimore is entering the final year of his rookie contract and back in March he was arrested in Cleveland and charged with a fourth-degree felony for receiving a stolen handgun. Lattimore did not want to speak about either topic when he met with reporters yesterday.

The LSU Tigers are headed to the Super Regionals after winning a wild nine to eight contest over the Oregon Ducks in Eugene last night. The Tigers took the lead for the good with a three-run eighth. The go-ahead run scored when Oregon pitcher Kolby Somers balked to bring Cade Doughty home from third. LSU’s Landon Marceaux was the winning pitcher as the Friday night starter came out of the bullpen on two days rest to get the final seven outs. Coach Paul Mainieri
Cut 16 (17) “…regional championship.”
Mainieri still has at least two more games to coach as the Tigers will face Tennessee in the Super Regionals. Gavin Dugas who hit two home runs last night, says Mainieri’s retirement announcement is extra motivation…
cut 13 (12) “…forward”
Game 1 of the Super Regionals is Saturday night in Knoxville.

Legislation that would allow college athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness received final legislative passage today and it’s heading to the governor’s desk. Taylor Sharp has the story.
Cut 3 (28) “…I’m Taylor Sharp.”

Reports state that new LSU offensive line coach Brad Davis received a three-year contract that will pay him an average of $830,000 per year. It also includes up to $75,000 in postseason incentives. The Baton Rouge native made $650,000 in his one season at Arkansas.

The LSU Tigers have advanced to the Super Regional after grabbing a 9-8 win over Oregon in a winner-take-all game.  The Tigers took the lead for the good with a three-run eighth. The go-ahead run scored when Oregon pitcher Kolby Somers balked to bring Cade Doughty home from third.  The Tigers hit three home runs on the night, one by Drew Bianco and two by Gavin Dugas.  LSU will now get ready to play Tennessee and coach Paul Mainieri has at least one more weekend in the dugout. But the hall of fame coach says this postseason run should be about the players…

Cut 18 (14) “for them” x2

The Tigers will play a best of three series in Knoxville.  Game one will take place on Saturday at 6 p.m. followed by 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. on Sunday, then a game three on Monday at either 3 or 6pm if necessary.

College athletes in Louisiana would be able to profit from their name, image, and likeness under a bill that is very close to final legislative approval after the House approved the measure on an 88-7 vote.  Marrero Senator Patrick Connick says this bill is important because it ensures that Louisiana schools are not at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to recruiting student-athletes…

Cut 12 (12) “other states”

18 other states have passed similar legislation.

Reports state that new LSU offensive line coach Brad Davis received a three-year contract that will pay him an average of $830,000 per year.  It also includes up to $75,000 in postseason incentives.  The Baton Rouge native made $650,000 in his one season at Arkansas.

The LSU Tigers are headed to the Super Regionals after winning a wild nine to eight win over the Oregon Ducks in the Pacific Northwest. The Tigers took the lead for the good with a three-run eighth. The go-ahead run scored when Oregon pitcher Kolby Somers balked to bring Cade Doughty home from third. LSU’s Landon Marceaux was the winning pitcher as the Friday night starter came out of the bullpen on two days rest to get the final seven outs.

The Tigers hit three home runs, one by Drew Bianco and two by Gavin Dugas (Doo-gahs) who had three home runs for the regional. Coach Paul Mainieri says the Tigers left fielder has been their rock all season…
cut 17 (12) “…this weekend”
LSU will now get ready to play Tennessee in the super regionals in Knoxville.

Legislation to allow college athletes to profit off of their name, image and likeness received approval in the Louisiana House on Monday. The Senate still needs to approve House changes. Marrero Senator Patrick Connick says his measure would allow student-athletes to receive compensation for sponsorships, endorsements and even social presence. Connick says another way athletes can make money is through a licensing agreement…
cut 11 (16) “….school”
Over a dozen states have passed similar legislation, while Congress can’t agree on an N-I-L bill to bring uniformity to college sports.

If you were hoping NIck Saban would retire soon, you’ll be disappointed to learn the Alabama coach has signed a three-year contract extension that will run through the 2029 season. Saban’s base salary will be eight-point-four million dollars.