6:45 LRN Sportscast June 9

I’m Colleen Crain, and this Louisiana Radio Network sportscast is brought to you by the Louisiana Department of Health. When gambling is more than a game, no one wins…

The LSU baseball team is Omaha bound once again as the Tigers completed a Super Regional Series sweep of West Virginia by beating the Mountaineers 12-5.

Shortstop Stevan Milam was the offensive star of the super regional series. He hit a grand slam in game one and drove in four more runs on Sunday night. Milam has been a Monster at the plate in the NCAA Tournament….

Cut 16 (09) “…to LSU.”

Coach Jay Johnson says this team deserved to play in the College World Series…

Cut 15 (13) “…tonight.”

LSU will play Saturday in the C-W-S.

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LSU will play Arkansas in its first game at the College World Series. The Razorbacks swept their series against Tennessee, sending the defending champs home. The Hogs won yesterday 11 to 4.

UCLA, Louisville, Arizona, Oregon State and Coastal Carolina have also punched their tickets to Omaha.

The only Super Regional series not decided is Murray State and Duke. The Racers forced a third and deciding game by beating the Blue Devils 19-9.

Former LSU pitcher Paul Skenes pitched into the eighth inning and allowed one unearned run on two hits and striking out seven as the Pirates defeated Philadelphia two to one to sweep the series over a struggling Phillies team.

Former LSU golfer and Shreveport native Sam Burns lost on the fourth playoff hole to Ryan Fox at the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA Tour. Burns was attempting to win his first PGA Tour event in two years.

7:30 LRN Sportscast

I’m Jeanne Bruns, and this Louisiana Radio Network sportscast is brought to you by the Louisiana Department of Health. When gambling is more than a game, no one wins…

Today is game one of the Super Regionals between LSU and West Virginia. Coach Jay Johnson has this scouting report on the Big 12 regular-season champion Mountaineers…

Cut 12  (13) “…right now”

LSU hopes its pitching duo of Anthony Eyanson and Kade Anderson can win the series before Monday’s game three. Tigers’ shortstop Steven Milam says it’ll be up to the offense to hold up their end…

Cut 13 (16)  “…how to play.”

First pitch is at 1 PM today.

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In Super Regional action yesterday, there were a couple of blowouts and two games that went into extra innings. North Carolina clobbered Arizona 18-2, Louisville crushed Miami eight to one, Oregon State scored three runs in the ninth inning to tie Florida State and then won it in the tenth inning five to four. Auburn came back from a five run deficit only to lose to Coastal Carolina seven to six in ten innings.

Texas won its first national championship in softball as the Longhorns defeated Texas Tech ten to four in Game 3 of the Women’s College World Series Championship Series.

A new era in college athletics is coming as a federal judge has approved a landmark two-point-eight billion dollar NCAA settlement with athletes. Starting July 1st, schools will be allowed to play players directly, NIL deals will now have to go through a clearing house, and there will be roster limitations, 105 for football, 15 for basketball, and 34 for baseball.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU takes on West Virginia tomorrow in game one of the Baton Rouge Super Regional. The Mountaineers are an experienced bunch making their second straight Super Regional appearance, but after surviving a Regional scare from Little Rock last weekend, the Tigers are poised for a run to the College World Series. Sophomore shortstop Steven Milam says there isn’t a team in the country that can stop the Tigers at their best…

Cut 20 (20) “…in Omaha.”

The winner of the best-of-three series will advance to the College World Series. First pitch at Alex Box Stadium is scheduled for 1:00.

Franklinton native and longtime women’s basketball coach Jessica Barber was named director of the Louisiana High School Coaches Association. Barber identified one of the biggest challenges coaches face as burnout and commitment among high school athletes. As an experienced assistant coach, Barber says building relationships and having fun should always be at the center of high school athletics.

Cut 18 (12)  “…help with.”

Barber is the association’s fourth director and first female director.

The Pacers stole game one of the NBA Finals last night at OKC. Down nine with just under three minutes left, Indiana pulled off late-game heroics yet again. After a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander miss with 11 seconds left, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton hit the game-winning 21-foot pull-up jumper with 0.3 on the clock. The Thunder will look to bounce back in game two Sunday night.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The Super Regional between LSU and West Virginia kicks off at Alex Box Stadium tomorrow. The Mountaineers and Tigers have similar records with over 40 wins each. Tiger Rag editor Glen Guilbeau thinks LSU may have the upper hand, but that doesn’t mean this weekend’s series is a sure thing.

Cut 13 (15)  “…as well.”

West Virginia and LSU both average close to eight runs a game, but the Tigers outslug the Mountaineers with 97 Home runs on the season compared to West Virginia’s 55. LSU will rely on aces Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson to hopefully avoid game three of the series altogether. The winner of the Baton Rouge Super Regional will head to Omaha and the College World Series. First pitch tomorrow is set for 1 p.m.

Rumors have swirled this offseason about Saints wide receiver Chris Olave’s future with the team, but Head Coach Kellen Moore says there’s nothing to the reports that the Black and Gold are looking to move the 24-year-old.

Cut 19 (10) “…in him”

Olave topped 1,000 receiving yards each of his first two seasons before last year’s campaign was cut short by two concussions. The former first-round pick still has two years left on his rookie contract.

The Louisiana High School Coaches Association named former Franklinton High School basketball star Jessica Barber as its new director. Barber brings nearly two decades of coaching experience at the high school, college and AAU levels. Barber says she’s proud to be the association’s first female director, and when she got the job, she thought of the deserving women who impacted her as an athlete.

Cut 16 (12) “…high school athletics.”

6:45 LRN Sportscast

I’m Jeanne Burns, and this Louisiana Radio Network sportscast is brought to you by the Louisiana Department of Health. When gambling is more than a game, no one wins…

 

LSU’s Super Regional series against West Virginia will get underway tomorrow at 1 PM. We’ll find out tomorrow who will start on the mound for the Tigers. It will be either Anthony Eyanson or Kade Anderson and the one who doesn’t start tomorrow, will start Sunday. Tiger Rag dot-com’s editor Glen Guilbeau says  if LSU can’t wrap up the series by Sunday, Monday’s game three could get interesting.

Cut 14 (17) “…off game.”

Griffin Kirn is expected to start for West Virginia. He’s 5-2 with a 3.13 ERA and has struck out 100 hitters in 95 innings.

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Franklinton native Jessica Barber is the new director of the Louisiana High School Coaches Association. Barber was most recently an assistant women’s basketball coach at Southern Miss. She also coached at ULM, Loyola University New Orleans, Pine High School, Franklinton High School and Edna Karr. Barber says she hopes to be a resource for coaches across the state.

Cut 17 (11)  “…offering solutions”

Saints tight end Foster Moreau has not participated in OTA practice sessions as he continues to recover from a knee injury, but coach Kellen Moore says Moreau has been very active…

Cut 20 (19) “..we want”

4:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU is set to host West Virginia in the Baton Rouge Super Regional this weekend. The Mountaineers won the Clemson regional with an upset over the host Tigers and two comeback wins against Kentucky. A tight-knit group, West Vrignia play-by-play announcer Andrew Caridi says the team was excited for the atmosphere in Clemson, and a trip to Baton Rouge will be another step up.

Cut 17 (12)  “…get to competing”

The Mountaineers are 44-and-14 under first-year head coach Steve Sabins. The program has had back-to-back Supers appearances, falling to UNC in Chapel Hill last year. West Virginia has five players batting over .300 but no one with over 10 homers. The Tigers can expect to face Mountaineer ace Griffin Kirn in game one Saturday. Kirn has a 5-and-2 record with a 3.13 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 16 starts this season.

After 7 of 16 regional hosts failed to advance to Super Regionals, LSU is the betting favorite to win a College World Series title. The SEC sent a record 13 teams to the NCAA tournament this year, but only four have made it to the second weekend. Tigers coach Jay Johnson, though, doesn’t doubt the quality of the nation’s top teams.

Cut 19 (13) “…that day”

ESPN announced the schedule for the 33-game college football bowl season. The Caesar’s Superdome will host the New Orleans Bowl at 4:30 Tuesday, December 23. Shreveport’s Independence Bowl will be held Tuesday, December 30 at 1 p.m. New Orleans’ Sugar Bowl is scheduled for 7:00 New Year’s Day as a quarterfinal matchup for the College Football Playoffs.

ESPN released its Football Power Index, projecting wins and championship odds for every team in the country. LSU ranked 12th with a 30.3% chance to make the playoffs, and Tulane ranked second among Group of 5 teams with a 24.3% chance.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

LSU will host West Virginia in a best-of-three Super Regional series this weekend. The Mountaineers went 3-and-0 with wins over Clemson and Kentucky to secure the Clemson regional title. Voice of the Mountaineers Andrew Caridi says the Tigers will welcome a battle-tested group.

Cut 16 (16) “…pretty good season.”

Game one at The Box is set for 1:00 Saturday.

Game one of the NBA Finals between the Thunder and Pacers is tonight at 7:30. Behind league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC is a heavy favorite over the upstart Pacers, but Indiana’s speed and high-powered offense were enough to propel the four-seed to the Finals. Neither franchise has ever won an NBA championship.

Texas took game one of the Women’s College World Series championship in a 2-1 victory over Texas Tech. The Longhorns trailed 1-nothing in the bottom of the sixth when, with runners on second and third, Red Raiders ace Nijaree Canady tried to intentionally walk Texas catcher Reese Atwood. Canady’s pitch caught too much plate, and Atwood roped a single to left field, driving in the two decisive runs.

After Saints quarterback Derek Carr’s retirement was made official Tuesday, the 34-year-old spoke to Front Office Sports about the move. Facing surgery on his throwing shoulder, Carr said he didn’t want to “just sit there…and take the Saints’ money.” Carr was under contract for another year with New Orleans, worth $30 million guaranteed.

New Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said he plans on keeping some familiar faces in the building. Former first overall pick Zion Williamson has struggled to be the face of the franchise since being drafted in 2019. Injuries and off-court issues have left his future with the team uncertain at times, but Dumars said he has no plans to move on from the talented 24-year-old. Dumars said Head Coach Willie Green will continue to lead the team.

6:45LRN Sportscast

Later today, West Virgina arrives in Baton Rouge for its Super Regional series against the LSU Tigers, which will begin on Saturday afternoon at Alex Box Stadium. The Mountaineers are 44-14 under first-year head coach Steve Sabins, who spent nine years as an assistant in Morgantown. LSU Coach Jay Johnson told Tiger Rag Radio he looked at hiring Sabins as an assistant coach at LSU and he is not underestimating the Mountaineers…

Cut 18 (18) “….to win”

West Virginia does not hit a lot of home runs, but they put the ball in play and get on base.

The Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, told Rod Walker of the Times Picayune that there are no plans to trade Zion Williamson. Dumars says he’s had some real direct and honest conversations with Zion who has not been able to reach his full potential because of injuries and off-the-court issues.

The NBA Finals begin tonight as Oklahoma City hosts the Indiana Pacers at 7:30 PM.

Texas topped Texas Tech in game one of the Women’s College World Series championship series. Reese Atwood had two-run single and Teagan Kavan outpitched Jaree Canady.

Former LSU baseball player J-C Holt has been named Coach of the Year in Class B. Holt led Pitkin to a state championship in baseball last month and his son, Gavin, is the Class B Player of the Year. Holt with .410 with 27 RBIS.

The Class B softball player of the year is Cali Deal from Quitman. The LSU signee was 9-4 in the circle with 143 strikeouts, and she hit .278 with 24 RBIs as Quitman won a state title. Stanley’s Josh Foshee was named Coach of the Year.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU will host West Virginia in a Super Regional series this weekend in large part thanks to an outstanding performance from Tigers D-H Ethan Frey in Monday’s Regional Championship game versus Little Rock. Frey went 4-for-4 with four RBI, batting second in the order- a spot usually reserved for first baseman Jared Jones. LSU Coach Jay Johnson says the risk played out exactly as he expected…

Cut 18 (15) “…batter’s box.”

With top-seeded Vanderbilt and Texas eliminated, sixth-ranked LSU is the current favorite to win the College World Series. Third-ranked Arkansas will host Tennessee in a Super Regional this weekend, while four-seeded Auburn welcomes Coastal Carolina and fifth-ranked UNC hosts Arizona.

Former LSU left tackle Will Campbell has agreed to terms on a 4-year, $43.66 million fully guaranteed rookie contract with the Patriots. Campbell was the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft.

New Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars says he doesn’t have any plans to move Zion this offseason, amidst trade rumors and a recent lawsuit against the star forward. Dumars also announced he’d be sticking with Head Coach Willie Green for at least another season. Zion and the Pelicans have been plagued with injuries over Green’s four-year tenure in New Orleans. The Pels had made the play-in tournament each year under Green with two playoff appearances before an abysmal 21-and-61 season last year.

Former Southern Miss assistant women’s basketball coach Jessica Barber has been named director of the Louisiana High School Coaches Association. Barber is the first female director of the LHSCA and the fourth in the association’s history.

The Southland Conference has announced it will be moving to a nine-game conference football schedule for the 2026 season.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

LSU Coach Jay Johnson brought big changes to the lineup for the Tigers’ must-win 10-6 victory over Little Rock Monday night. Slugging first baseman Jared Jones was moved from second in the order to sixth due to a hitting slump. D-H Ethan Frey moved up to replace him, and shortstop Steven Milam followed third after batting fifth and sixth Sunday. Johnson says it was now or never.

Cut 17 (15)  “…take a risk”

Frey helped the risk pay off, going 4-for-4 with four RBI from the two-hole, and Jones hit a game-sealing two-run shot in the ninth inning from the six-spot/

LSU will host West Virginia in a best-of-three Super Regional this weekend. Game one is set for 1 p.m. Saturday.

Derek Carr’s retirement is official after the Saints placed him on the reserve-retired list yesterday. The same day as his retirement, second-year cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry switched his jersey number to Carr’s number four. Free agent wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones will take McKinstry’s former number 14.

Pirates ace Paul Skenes tallied his sixth loss of the season last night despite giving up just one run and three hits over eight innings. Skenes also walked one and struck out eight in the 3-0 loss to the Astros.

The Women’s College World Series Championship between 6-seeded Texas and 12-seeded Texas Tech kicks off tonight. The Red Raiders are led by former UL-Lafayette skipper Gerry Glasco, who left the Cajuns for improved NIL opportunities in Lubbock. Those opportunities turned into a record setting over $1 million deal for 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year pitcher NiJaree Canady (NY-juh-ree Can-uh-dee). Canady has a dominant 32- and-5 record this season and willed the Red Raiders through Super Regionals and the WCWS, pitching five straight complete games- all wins. She’ll start again tonight at 7:00.