Former LSU baseball All-Americans, Paul Skenes and Alex Bregman are headed back to the Major League Baseball All-Star game. Skenes is an All-Star for the second consecutive year. The right-hander leads the National League with an ERA of 1.94 and has struck out 125 in 116 innings.

Bregman is in his first season with the Red Sox and is hitting .299 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs. But the 2018 All-Star MVP has not played since May 23rd because of a quadriceps injury, so it’s unlikely he’ll play in the All-Star game in Atlanta on July 15th.

And on the hardwood, former LSU star Angel Reese is a WNBA All-Star for a second straight season. Reese leads the league with 12.6 rebounds a game and she’s also averaging 12 points a contest.

Former McNeese star Christian Shumate will be play on the Pelicans Summer League Team, which will have its first game in Las Vegas on Thursday against Minnesota.

LSU football received two verbal commitments on July 4^th, projected safety Isaiah Washington from Haynesville and the second best offensive lineman in the state of Mississippi, Bryson Cooley, a four-star prospect from West Johnson High School in Laurel, Mississippi.

Getting back to Washington, his stock rose after winning the 110-meter hurdles and the triple jump at the outdoor state track championships in May.

During the fourth of July holiday, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier got engaged to his longtime girlfriend Ella Springfield, who is an LSU graduate. Nussmeier is 23-years-old and is the leading returning passer in college football, after throwing for four-thousand yards last season.

LSU’s Jay Johnson has been named D-1 Baseball National Coach of the Year. He’s the first two-time winner in the award’s 11 year history.

Northwestern State baseball coach Chris Bertrand has received a contract extension that keeps him in Natchitoches through 2028. The Demons won 35 games last season, the most since 2018.

And former Ragin Cajuns pitching coach Gunner Leger has been named the new pitching coach at Southern Miss.

Former LSU Baseball All-Americans are headed back to the Major League Baseball All-Star game. Paul Skenes is going for the second consecutive year as Skenes has been dominant again this year. The right-hander has an ERA of 1.94 and has struck out 125 in 116 innings.

Skenes is just 4-and-7, because he has been hurt by a lack of support. Pittsburgh failed to score a run in his start on Sunday in Seattle as the Mariners beat the Pirates one to nothing.

Alex Bregman is heading to the All-Star game for the third time in his career. Bregman is in his first season with the Red Sox and is hitting .299 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs. But Bregman has not played since May 23^rd because of a quadriceps injury, so it’s unlikely he’ll play in the All-Star game in Atlanta on July 15^th.

Former LSU star Angel Reese is a WNBA All-Star for a second straight season. Reese leads the league with 12.6 rebounds a game and she’s also averaging 12 points a contest. Reese ranks fifth in the WNBA in steals per game.

Former McNeese Cowboy Christian Shumate is on the Pelicans Summer-League Team. Shumate helped lead McNeese to two straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Former LSU center Will Baker is also on the Pels summer-team which will begin play on Thursday against Minnesota.

Fourth of July was a good holiday for the LSU football program. The Tigers received two verbal commitments for the Class of 2026, including one from one of the top safeties in the state.

Haynesville’s Isaiah Washington is a three-star safety, who has helped the Golden Tornado reach the state championship game in back-to-back seasons as a quarterback and a defensive back. Washington’s stock rose after winning the 110-meter hurdles and the triple jump at the outdoor state track championships in May.

LSU also received a commitment from Mississippi offensive tackle Bryson Cooley. He’s a four-star prospect out of West Johnson High School in Laurel, Mississippi, which is near Hattiesburg. He’s a big dude at 6-foot-6, 315 pounds.

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

Fourth of July was a good holiday for the LSU football program. The Tigers received two verbal commitments for the Class of 2026, including one from one of the top safeties in the state.

Haynesville’s Isaiah Washington is a four-star safety, who has helped the Golden Tornado reach the state championship game in back-to-back seasons as a quarterback and a defensive back. Washington’s stock rose after winning the 110-meter hurdles and the trip jump at the state track championship in May.

LSU also received a commitment from Mississippi offensive tackle Bryson Cooley. He’s a four-star prospect out of West Johnson High School in Laurel, Mississippi. Cooley also had an offer from Ole Miss and he’s the second offensive lineman from Mississippi in the Class of 2026. Emanuel Tucker is the other one.

____________________________________________________________

The Houston Astros handed the Dodgers their worst loss ever in Los Angeles as the Astros defeated the defending World Series champs 18 to 1. Jose Altuve hit two home runs and Victor Caratini hit a grand slam for Houston, who has a seven-game lead over Seattle for first place in the A-L West.

There were also fireworks at Wrigley Field yesterday as the Chicago Cubs hit a franchise-record eight home runs in a single game to defeat the struggling St. Louis Cardinals 11 to 3. Michael Busch blasted three home runs and Pete Crow Armstrong hit two home runs for the Cubs, who lead the N-L Central by four games over Milwaukee.

The pitchers and reserves for the All-Star team will be announced tomorrow. Former LSU star Paul Skenes should make the team for a second straight year despite a losing record. Skenes is 4-and-7 with a 2.03 ERA and has 115 strikeouts in 111 innings.

It’s been reported by NOLA.com LSU will have advertisements on the 25-yard lines at Tiger Stadium this fall. LSU officials are not identifying the company that will appear in Tiger Stadium, but the advertisements will generate millions of dollars a year as schools are now playing players directly. And LSU is also looking at sponsored patches on jerseys, once that type of advertisement is approved by the NCAA. On the internet, there’s been pushback to that idea.

In Major league baseball last night, the Astros had a tough loss in Colorado as they fell to the Rockies seven to six. Houston still has a comfortable 6.5 game lead over Seattle for first place in the A-L West. The Astros begin a big three-game series against the Dodgers in L-A tonight.

LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey is expected to have another Top Ten team this season. The Lady Tigers return four contributors, and they all play in the backcourt. Mulkey tells the Advocate the great unknown is their post-game. Aneesah Morrow is a huge piece to replace. Notre Dame transfer Kate Koval and East Carolina transfer Amiya Joyner, along with freshman Grace Knox are three players that will play significant roles next season.

The Pelicans have released second-year guard Antonio Reeves. The former Kentucky star was selected in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft. Reeves appeared in 44 games with the Pels and averaged seven points a game and shot nearly 40-percent from three point territory. In last week’s draft, the Pelicans selected two guards, Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears in the first round and Georgetown’s Micah Peavy in the second. Those players along with former Maryland big man Derik Queen will begin play next week in the Las Vegas Summer League. The Pelicans first game is July 10^th against Minnesota.

LSU has received a commitment from a Top 100 commitment. Four-star edge rusher Trenton Henderson from Pensacola, Florida picked the Tigers over Florida and Texas. Henderson is the 12^th commitment in the Tigers Class of 2026 and half of them are Top 100 recruits.

A linebacker from Alabama who had LSU in his final three has given a verbal pledge to Arkansas. Three-star prospect JJ Bush chose the Razorbacks over LSU and Missouri.

Athlon Sports released its preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team. Two players from the Cajuns made the first team, defensive lineman Jordan Lawson and safety Tyree Skipper. ULM’s Kevontay Wells is also a first team selection. Wells had 50 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss and three sacks last season.  Lawson for the Cajuns had 5.5 sacks and Skipper picked off four passes.

LSU’s take over the SEC Network begins tonight at 11 PM with the Tigers exciting win over South Carolina last September. The SEC Network will also re-air LSU’s come from behind win over Ole Miss in football and its dramatic rally against Arkansas in the College World Series. The SEC Network take over ends with LSU beating Coastal Carolina for its eight national title in baseball.

The hope is that Right-handed pitcher William Schmidt  will make a big jump in his sophomore season after struggling to get SEC hitters out this season. Pitching coach Nate Yeskie says Schmidt roomed with Kade Anderson on the road to learn how to prepare…

Cut 19 (18) “…good blueprint”

LSU has received a verbal commitment from one of the top edge rushers in the country as a Trenton Henderson from Pensacola, Florida has committed to the Tigers. The six-foot-four, 225-pounder, chose LSU over Florida and Texas. Last season at Pensacola Catholic, Henderson had 50 tackles, 20 quarterback hurries, 10 sacks and six passes broken up, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

LSU has missed out on Alabama linebacker J-J Bush. The three-star prospect chose Arkansas over the Tigers and Missouri.

Athlon Sports has released its preseason All-Sun Belt conference team, and two Cajuns are on the first team, while ULM defensive lineman Kevontay Wells is the sole Warhawk. The two first-team selections from the Cajuns are safety Tyree Skipper and defensive lineman Jordan Lawson.

D-1 Baseball has named LSU left fielder Derek Curiel as the National Freshman of the Year. Curiel led the Tigers with a .345 batting average, and he also hit 20 doubles, seven home runs, 55 RBIs and 67 runs scored for the national champs.

Right-hander William Schmidt was expected to have a big freshman season, instead he struggled. Schmidt pitched 32-and-a-third innings for the Tigers this season with a 4.73 ERA. But he really struggled against SEC hitters. LSU pitching coach Nate Yeskie says this offseason will determine if Schmidt can take the next step.

Cut 18 (20)  “…into the spring.”

LSU football went one for two in getting commitments from two out of state recruits who announced their verbal pledges yesterday. First the good news for Tiger fans, four-star edge rusher Trenton Henderson from Pensacola, Florida committed to LSU. Henderson chose the Tigers over Florida and Texas. LSU now has a dozen commitments for its 2026 class and six of them are Top 100 prospects.  Henderson is LSU’s second highest ranked defensive recruit behind Edna Karr defensive lineman Richard Anderson.

But LSU missed out on three-star linebacker J-J Bush. The Theodore, Alabama native selected Arkansas over LSU and Missouri.

According to 247 sports, LSU has the 12^th best recruiting class for 2026, but that ranking could improve if the Tigers receive a commitment next week from five-star defensive lineman Lamar Brown from University High.

D-1 Baseball has named LSU left fielder Derek Curiel as the National Freshman of the Year. Curiel led the Tigers with a .345 batting average, and he also hit 20 doubles, seven home runs, 55 RBIs and 67 runs scored for the national champs.

LSU has added three left-handed pitchers in the transfer portal since returning from Omaha. Oregon sophomore Santiago Garcia and North Dakota State freshman Danny Lachenmayer were both exceptional in relief last season while Tennessee freshman Ryler Smart spent the year as a redshirt. Tigers pitching coach Nate Yeskie says he felt like his staff needed some balance on the left side of the mound but as for their roles, that will be up to them.

Cut 17 (18)  “…to start.”

LSU outfielder Derek Curiel and right-handed pitcher Casan Evans were named first team Freshman All-Americans by D1Baseball. Curiel led the Tigers with a .345 batting average this season and was also named a second-team All-American and second-team All-SEC. Evans posted a 5-and-1 record on the season with a 2.05 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 52-and-two-thirds innings.

LSU pitching coach Nate Yeskie recapped the championship run and previewed next year’s staff with Tiger Rag Radio last night. The Tigers have added three lefties in the portal and Yeskie is looking forward to the return of junior right-hander Gavin Guidry.

Cut 20 (13) “…get him too.”

WWL’s Mike Detillier spoke with Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik ahead of his season opener versus LSU. Klubnik passed for over 36-hundred yards and 36 touchdowns in his second season as a starter last year. The former five-star says he chose Clemson because of head coach Dabo Swinney.

Cut 19 (16) “…love to do it.”

The Sun Belt will look to replace Texas State as the Bobcats head to the PAC-12 in 2026. Locked On Sun Belt Podcast host Dave Scultz says the conference has been surprisingly slow on the issue, and doubts there will be an answer by Sun Belt Media Days July 22. He hopes this is because they’re taking the time to consider expansion to 16 teams.

Cut 8 (09) “…and E-C-U.”

LSU will kick off the football season at Clemson August 30. WWL’s Mike Detillier previewed the matchup with Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, who was at the Manning Passing Academy this past weekend. The junior signal caller is looking forward to welcoming the Tigers to Memorial Stadium.

Cut 18 (15)  “…like Garrett.”

LSU Linebacker Whit Weeks was named a Walter Camp second-team preseason All-American. The junior finished second in the SEC in tackles last year as the anchor of the Tigers defense.

Southern University outfielder Cardell Thibodaux announced he’d be entering the transfer portal yesterday. The junior had a monster 2025 campaign where he batted .435 with 18 homers and 71 RBI and was named the SWAC player of the year.

Detillier also spoke to LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier about the Tigers‘ improved roster. Nussmeier highlighted five-star freshman cornerback DJ Pickett. The 6-foot-4 Florida product was ranked as the No. 1 overall corner in the 2025 class by On3 and Rivals and second by ESPN and 247Sports. Nussmeier says Pickett is next in the line of great LSU corners.

Cut 17 (12)  “…elite cornerback”

Texas State is officially PAC-12 bound and will be leaving the Sun Belt next season. The conference’s Louisiana schools have been pushing for Louisiana Tech to join the Sun Belt West, but other schools are looking to expand the conference’s media footprint. Host of the Locked On Sun Belt Podcast Dave Schultz says the league has already reached out to East Carolina.

Cut 7 (09) “…of the A-A-C.”

WWL’s Mike Detillier spoke with LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier at the Manning Passing Academy. Nussmeier was confident in the Tigers revamped offensive line and always lethal weapons. One target he expects to play a big role is six-seven sophomore tight end Trey’Dez Green.

Cut 16 (16) “…really long time.”

Green played in all 13 games his freshman season and tallied 4 touchdowns and 101 yards on just 13 receptions.

LSU has landed a third talented lefty reliever out the portal in Oregon sophomore Santiago Garcia. Garcia posted a 4.20 ERA in 30 innings with 49 strikeouts with the Ducks last season. The Las Cruces, New Mexico native was the high school teammate of Tigers shortstop Steven Milam.

With Texas State’s departure for the PAC-12 next year, the Sun Belt is looking to replace the Bobcats. Louisiana Tech would fit seamlessly into the vacancy in the Sun Belt west and revive rivalries with UL-Lafayette, ULM and Southern Miss, but Locked On Sun Belt Podcast host Dave Schultz says the league’s non-Louisiana schools have had enough of the Bayou state.

Cut 10 (09) “…two weeks ago.”

Teams argue Tech would not provide any new markets to expand the league. The Sun Belt has reportedly reached out to East Carolina and is considering Conference USA rivals Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee.

If Louisiana Tech does get the nod, McNeese could be in conversations to make the jump to FBS and replace the Bulldogs in conference USA.

LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson and Team USA will take on Mexico in the Fiba AmeriCup today at 1 p.m. Johnson has scored just eight points in three games in the AmeriCup but Team USA has an undefeated record, and she’ll look to bounce back in the final game of the group stage.