Wide receiver Willie Snead is not returning to the Saints as New Orleans did not match an offer given by the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore offered a two-year deal that could be worth as much as 10-million dollars. The Black and Gold have recently signed restricted free agent wide receiver Cameron Meredith and they are also are bringing back Brandon Coleman.

Soon to be sophomore running Clyde Edwards Helaire from Catholic High in Baton Rouge made his case to be the Tigers top running back with his performance in the Spring Game. Edwards-Helaire rushed for 74 yards on 14 carries. Head Coach Ed Orgeron says Clyde was solid throughout the spring…
cut 18 (17) “…he’s in the game”
And tigers safety Grant Delpit is undergoing surgery today after breaking his collarbone in the Spring game.

The LSU baseball team’s losing streak is up to four games after getting swept by South Carolina. It’s the first time the Tigers have been swept in a three-game SEC series since Florida in March of 2014. LSU is also 2-and-11 in games away from Alex Box Stadium. Yesterday, the bullpen failed to hold down a 6-0 lead and the Tigers lost eight to six to the surging Gamecocks.

Louisiana Tech is on a five-game winning streak after sweeping Marshall. The Bulldogs have scored in double figures in all five games of the winning streak. Its Tech’s first road sweep of a conference opponent since 2009. They will host U-L Lafayette tomorrow night.

The Ragin Cajuns lost to Little Rock nine to seven in 11 innings yesterday. UL Lafayette is just a half game back of Little Rock for first place in the Sun Belt West Division standings. ULM is 7-and-11 in the Sun Belt after losing two of three to Appalachian State.

It was a tough weekend for the LSU baseball team in South Carolina as they were swept by the Gamecocks. Yesterday, South Carolina rallied back from a six to nothing deficit to beat the Tigers 8-6. LSU now has a four-game losing streak, in two of those losses, the bullpen failed to secure a lead. They are 9-9 in the SEC.

Since San Antonio staved off elimination by beating Golden State yesterday, the Pelicans are still waiting to find out who they’ll play in the next round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Warriors lead that series three games to one. After sweeping Portland, New Orleans head coach Alvin Gentry has gone from a coach on the hot seat to a leader who is pushing all the right buttons. He says this is the kind of basketball he envisioned when hired three years ago….

Cut 20 (12) “….since then”

____________________________________________________________________________

After the Spring Game, it remains unclear who will be the Tigers starting quarterback when LSU faces Miami in the season opener.  Head Coach Ed Orgeron says Justin McMillan had the best performance out of the three candidates on Saturday, but Myles Brennan and Lowell Narcisse had good days during the spring too. Orgeron says the offense as a whole has to execute better…

Cut 17 (19)  “big plays”

IN Lafayette, Ragin Cajuns sophomore quarterback Levi Lews threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns. In Monroe, ULM junior quarterback Caleb Evans directed the first team offense to a pair of touchdowns, while the firs-team defense forced three turnovers. In Natchitoches, Northwestern State used four different quarterbacks, Shelton Eppler threw two touchdown passes and 143 yards.

The Pelicans are on the verge of a series sweep after crushing the Trailblazers in last night’s Game Three 119-102. Super Star Center Anthony Davis, who’s averaging nearly 28 points a game in the series, says the key to moving on is to continue to play suffocating defense.
Cut 12 (06) “whole playoffs”
The Pelicans forced 24 turnovers last night and can close out the series tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the LSU spring game. First chance for Tiger fans to see some of the new wide receivers. LSU Sports Radio Network’s Gordy Rush says the leader of the group is Texas Tech transfer Jonathan Giles…
cut 17 (15) “…looked good”
The Spring game begins at 5 PM.

LSU is at South Carolina tonight for the start of a three-game series versus the Gamecocks. Zack Hess is on the hill for the Tigers and he’s 4-1 with a 2.32 ERA in five SEC starts….
cut 19 (17) “…strikeout pitch”
The Gamecocks rank 12th in the SEC in batting average, but they are fourth in home runs. First pitch tonight is at 6 PM.

The Ragin Cajuns host Little Rock for a three-game series. The Trojans lead the Sun Belt West with a 9-5 record, while UL Lafayette is 8-7.

In NFL news, the Ravens have reportedly have signed Saints wide receiver Willie Snead to a two-year-off sheet worth seven million dollars. New Orleans has five days to match the offer.

Former Saints backup Luke McCown has announced his retirement.

The Smoothie King Center should be rockin tonight as the Pelicans host Portland up two games to nothing. But Jake Madison, host of Locked on Pelicans podcast, says this series is far from over as the Trail Blazers still have a shot….
cut 19 (23) “…the end”
Portland’s talented backcourt of Damian Lillard and C-J McCollum have missed a combined 29 shots. Tip-of is at 8 PM.

The Saints schedule comes out tonight. The Black and Gold will reportedly host Tampa in the season opener and the Falcons on Thanksgiving night and travel to Dallas for another Thursday night matchup.

The Saints are reportedly bringing back wide receiver Brandon Coleman for another season. Coleman saw a lot of playing time last season and caught 23 passes for 364 yards.

The Buccaneers have announced former LSU Tiger Kendell Beckweith suffered an ankle fracture in a single-vehicle car wreck last week and needed surgery to repair the injury. General Manager Jason Licht says the injury occurred in Louisiana and Beckwith was a passenger. No timetable on when he’ll return. The linebacker had a solid rookie campaign as he had 73 tackles and seven tackles for a loss last season.

Former UL-Lafayette and LSU football player Jeryl Brazil is facing a charge of third-degree rape. A police report says Brazil allegedly forced himself on a girl at a residence after night out with friends and roomates. Brazil who also rank track at UL Lafayette was considered a draft prospect after posting a 40-time of 4.35.

Louisiana sports fans are falling in love with Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday. The veteran scored a career playoff-high 33 points in last night’s 111 to 102 win over Portland….
cut 4 (09) “…right now”
Holiday also held Portland All-Star Damian Lillard to 17 points last night. The Pels are up two games to nothing and host Game 3 tomorrow.

LSU’s starting second baseman Brandt Broussard returns to the field tonight as the Tigers visit Tulane. Broussard missed just over three weeks with a thumb injury. He believes the injury will not hinder his performance going forward….
cut 17 (12) “…getting ground balls”
First pitch is at 6:30.

The Ragin Cajuns take a five-game winning streak into tonight’s home game versus Louisiana Tech. Coach Tony Robichaux’s team has won 17 of the last 18 games played in Lafayette against the Bulldogs. La Tech enters the week ranked third in the nation in ERA at 2.56. First pitch is at 6:00.

In other action tonight, Northwestern State hosts Little Rock. The Demons lost to Lamar three to two yesterday. Nicholls faces Mississippi Valley. The Colonels have a five-game winning streak over the Delta Devils. And UNO hosts South Alabama. The Privateers lost to Jackson State seven to four last night.

The NFL will release its schedule tomorrow night. Pro Football Talk is reporting the league is moving the kickoff times for its primetime games up a few minutes. So Sunday night games will kick off at 7:20, instead of 7:30. Monday night football will be 7:15, instead of 7:30 and Thursday night football 7:20, instead of 7:25. You’ll get to bed a few minutes earlier.

The Pelicans went up 2-0 on the Blazers in their first-round series Tuesday night with a 111-102 road win. They did this thanks in part to main man Anthony Davis—who picked up a 22-point double-double—but mostly because point guard Jrue Holiday took the game over and willed the Pelicans to a narrow victory… Holiday had a game-high 33 points to go with nine assists, and he was the dominant presence all night with a smorgasbord of spectacular offensive play.

LSU’s leading hitter, Brandt Broussard, is expected to return to the line-up tonight after missing just over three weeks with a fractured thumb. Broussard says he feels good swinging a bat…

Cut 16 (15) “…anything”

The Tigers are at Tulane tonight. LSU will play the next seven of its eight games on the road.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

McNeese fell behind 6-0 in the 2^nd inning to Houston Baptist, but the Cowboys rallied back with seven runs in the third inning for an 11-8 victory. Joe Provenzano and Carson Maxwell each hit home runs. Jake Cochran had three hits and drove in two runs for McNeese who has won four in a row.

Grambling State also won a wild game as the Tigers outlasted ULM 9-7 last night. Richard Ortiz and Rafael Ramirez homered in the victory.

14^th ranked Southern Miss crushed 12-4 Southeastern Louisiana as the Golden Eagles had 20 hits. Southern Miss scored six runs in the third inning to take control of the game.

Lamar scored a run in the 9^th inning and beat Northwestern State three to two. And Jackson State dropped UNO seven to four.

Tonight, the Ragin Cajuns host Louisiana Tech. UL Lafayette has won eight of its last nine and five in a row.

The Pelicans can take a commanding two games to nothing lead in their Western Conference playoff series tonight when they battle the Trail Blazers in Portland. New Orleans won Game 1 on Saturday and one reason for that victory was the defense they played on the Trail Blazers starting backcourt. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum compbined to shoot 13 of 41 from the field. Head Coach Alvin Gentry says it’s unlikely that will happen again…
cut 18 (20) “….to do”
New Orleans will like to rebound the ball better, they allowed 15 offensive rebounds in Game 1 and they also turned it over 14 times which led to 23 points for Portland. Tip-off tonight is at 9:30.

LSU starting second baseman Brandt Broussard could return to the field tomorrow when the Tigers visit the Tulane Green Wave. Broussard fraxctured his thumb during the last weekend in March and he was expected to miss 3 to 5 weeks. So his return would be during that timetable.

McNeese catcher Dustin Duhon has been named this week’s Southland Conference hittoer of the week. In four games at the plate, Duhon was 11-for-16 at the plate and helped the Cowboys sweep U-N-O this past weekend. McNeese begins a four-game homestand tonight when they host Houston Baptist in a non-conference contest. The Pokes are 16-and-20.

The 19-and-15 Northwestern State demons Lamar tonight in Natchitoches. Northwestern already owns two victories over Lamar this season.

Southeasetern Louisiana hosts 13th ranked Southern Miss in Hammond. The Lions have lost five of their last six. First pitch is at 6 PM.

And ULM is at Grambling.

The Pelicans can take a commanding two games to nothing lead over the Trial Blazers as the two teams meet again tonight in Portland. New Orleans won Game 1 on Saturday night and have had two off days to get ready for tonight’s game. Coach Alvin Gentry says he’ll take the rest….
cut 17 (11) “….to us”
Dating back to the regular season, New Orleans has won six straight games. But they need to do better job of rebounding, they allowed Portland to grab 15 offensive rebounds that led to 21 chance points. Tip-off is at 9:30.

The LSU baseball team has moved up four spots to number 19 in the latest D-1-Baseball Top 25. Also, Tigers senior Austin Bain has been named SEC Co-Player of the week. He was 8-for-15 at the plate with eight runs driven in. He also recorded one save as well. LSU is at Tulane tomorrow night.

McNeese catcher Dustin Duhon has been named this week’s Southland Conference hittoer of the week. In four games at the plate, Duhon was 11-for-16 at the plate and helped the Cowboys sweep U-N-O this past weekend. McNeese begins a four-game homestand tonight when they host Houston Baptist in a non-conference contest. The Pokes are 16-and-20.

The 19-and-15 Northwestern State demons Lamar tonight in Natchitoches. Northwestern already owns two victories over Lamar this season.

Southeasetern Louisiana hosts 13th ranked Southern Miss in Hammond. The Lions have lost five of their last six. First pitch is at 6 PM.

And ULM is at Grambling.

In the high school softball playoffs, Class 5-A….21st seeded Denham Springs defeated 12th seeded Ruston 7-5. Also, 18th seeded East Ascension outscored 15th seeded Pineville 18-5.

The Pelicans are up 1-0 in their NBA playoff series with the Trail Blazers. Anthony Davis says they are not satisified with just one win in Portland, before the series shifts to New Orleans for Games 3 and 4….
cut 18 (17) “…first win”
Game two is tomorrow night at 9:30.

In college football, a new rule has been approved that says if the returning team calls for a fair catch inside the 25-yard line on a kick-off, the ball will be placed at the 25 yard-line. It’s an effort to end the strategy of the kick-off team using sky kicks in an effort to pin the opponent deep in its own end. College football, just like the NFL is trying to reduce injuries on kick-offs.

A wild six-run ninth inning by the LSU Tigers was capped off by Daniel Cabrera’s three-run walk off home run. It gave the Bayou Bengals an amazing come from behind win over Tennessee. Coach Paul Maineri says one of the key plays was an error by the Volunteers shortstop to begin the inning…
cut 30 (14) “…after that”
In that ninth inning, Austin Bain had a big two-run double to cut Tennessee’s deficit to one. For the week, Bain was 9-of-18 at the plate with 8 runs driven in. He was named SEC Co-player of the Week today.

McNese State swept UNO this past weekend and Cowboys catcher Dustin Duhon was named Southland Conference Hitter of the Week. He was 11 for 16 at the plate in four games last week.

Northwestern State took two of three from Southeastern Louisiana. The Demons got a big performance from left-hander Ridge Heisler, who threw a complete game shutout.

LSU entered the bottom of the 9th inning trailing 7-3, but the Tigers scored six runs for a stunning 9-7 victory that completed a sweep over Tennessee. Two errors helped the Tigers get within one run after an Austin Bain two-run double. Then freshman Daniel Cabrera slugged a three-run homer for a walk-off victory. Cabrera says he was ready for his big moment…
cut 20 (07) “…this situation”
It’s the first SEC series sweep of the season and the Tigers are now 9-6 and LSU’s RPI is up to 41.

Louisiana Tech has dropped out of the D-1 Top 25 poll after dropping two of three from Charlotte. The Ragin Cajuns are 8-7 in the Sun Belt after sweeping Appalachian State, while ULM was swept by Little Rock.

McNeese swept UNO this past weekend and they are now tied with Southeastern Louisiana for second place in the Southland. The Lions lost a series at Northwestern State.

The Pelicans have another day of preparation in Portland as they get ready for Game Two versus the Trail Blazers. New Orleans wrestled home court advantage away from Portland with a 97-95 win on Saturday night in Game One. Anthony Davis had 35 points in his first playoff victory in his six-year NBA career…
cut 17 (15) “….ready for Tuesday”
Tip-off tomorrow night is at 9:30.

Multiple reports say wide receiver Willie Snead was present today as the Saints begin offseason workouts. Snead has yet to sign his tender, which is the lowest level as a restricted free agent. He only caught eight passes last season after grabbing 138 balls in his first two seasons in New Orleans.

And Saints head Coach Sean Payton tells S-I’s Peter King the quarterback class does not feature any prospects as good as Andrew Luck or Carson Weintz. Payton says Sam Darnold would his best guess as to who might be still in the league four or five years from now.