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.

LSU baseball begins an SEC series tonight against Tennessee with a 6-and-6 record in league play. The Tigers are looking to get on a hot streak. LSU is fifth in the SEC in batting average, but tied for 12th in the 14-team league in runs scored. Second baseman Austin Bain says guys have to hit better with runners on base…
Cut 18 (15) “execute”
First pitch tonight is at 7:00 and tomorrow’s game has been moved back until 8 Pm because of the threat of severe weather late in the afternoon.

The severe weather moving in has forced a couple of postponements. Lousiaina Tech’s series versus Charlotte will begin tomorrow with a doubleheader at 2 PM. Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana will also have a double dip tomorrow.

The Pelicans are in Portland getting ready for the start of their playoff series with the Trail Blazers, who feature two outstanding guards in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. New Orleans Head Coach Alvin Gentry….
cut 28 (12) “…pretty good”
Tip off tomorrow night is at 9:30.

And new Saints receiver Cameron Meredith spoke with the New Orleans media for the first time since joining the black and gold as a free agent. Meredith says the rehab on his knee that kept him out of the 2017 season is progressing well…
cut 29 (13) “…be a problem”
Meredith just signed a two-year deal with the Black and Gold.

The LSU Tigers begin a weekend series tonight against the Tennessee Volunteers. Zach Hess will start on the mound tonight for the Tigers, while freshman Ma’Khail Hilliard will be the starter on Saturday, replacing Caleb Gilbert. Coach Paul Mainieri has yet to decide who will start Sunday. Mainieri says Gilbert, Devin Fontenot or Nick Bush are potential options….
cut 17 (16) “…talking about”
LSU enters this weekend with a 6-6 record in the league, a game and a half back of first place Arkansas. Tennessee is 5-and-7 in the SEC.

Because of the threat of severe weather in north Louisiana, Louisiana Tech will not begin its series tonight with Charlotte. The two teams will play a doubleheader tomorrow, starting at 2 PM. The Cajuns are at Appalachian State, while the Warhawks visit Little Rock.

Gayle Benson tells other NFL owners in a letter that she will own and operate the Saints until her death. Benson has said several times she’s not interested in selling the team and now it’s in writing. She also told the NFL owners that they will continue to operate with the same sens of pride and good business practices going forward.

Former Saints special teams standout Steve Gleason is under consideration for the Congressional Gold Medal. Gleason is battling A-L-S and has been a leader on efforts to develop and provide technology for those suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor Congress can bestow.

The Pelicans first-round playoff series against the Trail Blazers begins tomorrow night in Portland. The Trail Blazers do not have anyone that can match up with Anthony Davis, but the Pelicans will have to figure out how to slow down Damian Lilliard. He scored 41 points in the last game the two teams played in. Tip-off is at 9:30.

The 19th ranked LSU Tigers begin an SEC series versus Tennessee tonight at Alex Box Stadium. Zach Hess will start on the mound tonight for LSU and freshman Ma’Khail Hilliard will get the ball on Saturday. Coach Paul Mainieri is not sure who will start on Sunday…

Cut 16 (15) “…for Sunday”

LSU has scored just nine runs in its last four games. Austin Bain says the Tigers need to execute better when runners on base. The senior says he sometimes sings himself a song to calm his nerves during pressure at-bats….

Cut 19 (09) “…pay off”

Also this weekend, 25^th ranked Louisiana Tech hosts Charlotte, ULM at Little Rock and Cajuns visit Appalachian State.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Saints Owner Gayle Benson told other NFL owners and Commissioner Roger Goodell in a letter that she will own and operate the New Orleans franchise until her death and do so with the same drive and focus towards success that her husband displayed throughout his life. Gayle Benson was at the NFL owners meetings two weeks ago and is now in New York for the NBA Board of Governors meeting.

The Pelicans Anthony Davis has been named the NBA Player of the Month for the months of March and April. Davis also won the award in February. Over the last 20 games, A-D averaged 28 points and 11 rebounds and four blocks. New Orleans’ enters the postseason on a five game winning streak. Game 1 of the Best Seven Series with the Trail Blazers is tomorrow night in Portland.

LSU has added much needed depth to its defensive secondary as former John Curtis standout Terrence Alexander has been added to the Tigers roster. He’ll be eligible to play in 2018 as he’s coming to LSU as a grad transfer. He served as a backup for Stanford and played in 41 games and had one interception. He also missed nearly of 2017 because of an injury.

The schedule is set for the Pelicans best of seven Western Conference playoff series against the Trail Blazers. Game one is Saturday night in Portland at 9:30. Game two is Tuesday night and then the series shifts to New Orleans for Games 3 and 4. Game 3 is Thursday night at 8 PM and Game 4 is at 4 PM on Saturday from the Smoothie King Center.

New Orleans beat San Antonio 122 to 98 last night to secure the sixth seed. Anthony Davis was named Western Conference Player of the Month for games played in March and April. Over the final 20 games, Davis averaged 28 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots.

LSU has added much needed depth to its defensive secondary as former John Curtis standout Terrence Alexander has been added to the Tigers roster. He’ll be eligible to play in 2018 as he’s coming to LSU as a grad transfer. He appeared in 41 games for Stanford and had one interception. He also missed nearly of 2017 because of an injury.

The NFL draft is two weeks from tonight. Draft Analyst Mike Detillier expects New Orleans to use the 27th pick to select a player on defense…
cut 18 (07) “…round one”

Former Saints special teams standout Steve Gleason is under consideration for the Congressional Gold Medal. Gleason is battling A-L-S and has been a leader on efforts to develop and provide technology for those suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor Congress can bestow.

Several reports say new Browns receiver and former LSU Tiger Jarvis Landry is closing in on a new five-year contract that would pay him over 15-million dollars a season. That’s pretty good for a slot receiver and probably has the attention of Odell Beckham, who is also looking for a monster contract.

The Pelicans finished the regular season with a 122-98 win over San Antonio. Jrue (Drew) Holiday had 23 points, Anthony Davis had 22 and Nikola Mirotic (Knee-co-luh Mear-uh-tich) added 21 points. New Orleans record for the year is 48-34. And now the Pels will get ready for the playoffs. They will face the Trail Blazers in the first round. Game one will be in Portland this weekend.

Five-star forward Emmitt Williams has signed with the LSU Tigers, giving Coach Will Wade the third best recruiting class in the country according to 24-7 sports. Williams is considered an elite rebounder at six-foot-seven and he also gets to the line a lot.

In college baseball last night, the Ragin Cajuns outlasted Southeastern Louisiana 4-3 in 11 innings as Kennon Fontenot drove home the winning run with a two-out single. Nicholls scored 12 runs in the 1^st inning and beat Alcorn State 18-0. Brady Bell homered and drove in four runs. And UNO defeated Southern seven to five.

The Saints are signing restricted free-agent wide receiver Cam Meredith. New Orleans offered him a two-year deal and the Chicago Bears, who control his rights, decided not to match the offer. Saints analyst Mike Detillier says Meredith gives the Black and Gold a big target in the red zone and on third downs

Cut 16 (16) “…Meredith is”

Curtis Johnson who coached him in Chicago is the Saints wide receivers coach. Meredith caught 66 passes with the Bears in 2016, but missed all of last season with a knee injury.

The Saints have announced their preseason opponents for the upcoming season. They will open the exhibition schedule by playing the Jaguars in Jacksonville and then return home to host Arizona. In week 3, they ‘ll visit the Los Angeles Chargers and they’ll end the preseason with a home game against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Chicago Bears have decided not to match the Saints offer for wide receiver Cameron Meredith, which means the free-agent will join the Black and Gold on a two-year deal worth 10 million dollars. The 25-year-old caught 66 passes for four touchdowns in 2016, but missed all of 2017 after tearing his A-C-L and M-C-L.

The Saints have announced their preseason opponents for the upcoming season. They will open the exhibition schedule by playing the Jaguars in Jacksonville and then return home to host Arizona. In week 3, they ‘ll visit the Los Angeles Chargers and they’ll end the preseason with a home game against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Pelicans conclude their regular season tonight as they host the San Antonio Spurs. New Orleans is playing for seeding as they can still finish as high as the fifth seed, but they could also end up as the 8th seed and open the playoffs this weekend in Houston against the Rockets. Tip time is 7 PM.

Soon to be sophomore LSU quarterback Myles Brennan says the biggest thing he’s trying to learn is not to force throws. Brennan is also trying to add weight, right now he weighs 195 pounds and wants to get up to 210-215 pounds….
cut 19 (21) “…pay off”
Brennan spoke with the media for the first time yesterday since he arrived on campus last June.

In college baseball tonight, the Ragin Cajuns host Southeastern Louisiana. UL-Lafayette is coming off a wild 12-10 win over McNeese in which the Cajuns turned a triple play. The Lions lost to Jackson State in Hammond last night.

LSU is off after a 2-0 win over Louisiana Tech last night.

The Pelicans face the Spurs tonight and a win can give New Orleans a better seed in the NBA playoffs which begins this weekend. If New Orleans wins, they could be either the fifth or sixth seed, while a loss means the Pels could be a seventh or eighth seed and they’ll face either Houston or Golden State.

LSU’s Brandon Sampson has reportedly hired an agent and will enter the NBA draft, forgoing his senior season. The six-foot-five shooting guard never really lived up to his potential after a standout prep career at Madison Prep High School in Baton Rouge.

And the LSU men’s basketball team will reportedly play St. Mary’s on December 15th in Las Vegas. St. Mary’s won 30 games last season.

The Saints have reportedly met with Louisville Quarterback Lamar Jackson. Last month, Coach Sean Payton said the former Heisman Trophy winner is a special guy and you can see why he’s been so successful. Payton also said he can run an offense that’s based on the talents of that Q-B and doesn’t need another Drew Brees.

LSU Quarterback Myles Brennan says the compeitition has been good this spring between himself, Lowell Narcisse and Justin McMillan….
cut 18 (19) “…each other”
Brennan says he’s been eating a lot as he tries to gain another 15 pounds. He currently stands at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds.

LSU won a pitcher’s duel with Louisiana Tech last night beating the Bulldogs two to nothing. David Leal was tough luck loser as he gave up two runs in the sixth inning. A-J Labas was the winning pitcher as he threw 63 pitchers over six solid innings.

The Ragin Cajuns won a wild game over McNeese 12-10. UL Lafayette turned its first triple play in eight years and it was the most runs scored by the Cajuns this season.

Elsewhere, Third ranked Arkansas scored four runs in the ninth inning to beat Grambling seven to six. Nicholls thumped Alcorn 13-6, Jackson State edged Southeastern four to three, and Northwestern State knocked off Lamar 15-3.

In a game that lasted just one-hour and 54-minutes, LSU blanked Louisiana Tech two to nothing at Alex Box Stadium last night. The only runs came in the sixth inning. A Zach Watson RBI single and an Antoine Duplantis RBI single. Four LSU pitchers held the Bulldogs to two hits. AJ Labas (Lay-biss) pitched six innings to get the win, Austin Bain the save and David Leal suffered the loss despite striking out seven.

Two of the lowest scoring teams in the country combined to score 22 runs in Lafayette last night as the Ragin Cajuns beat McNeese 12-10 to sweep the season series. UL Lafayette turned a triple play in this game and Zach LaFleur drove home a season-high four runs.

Elsewhere, Third ranked Arkansas scored four runs in the ninth inning to beat Grambling seven to six. Nicholls thumped Alcorn 13-6, Jackson State edged Southeastern four to three, and Northwestern State knocked off Lamar 15-3.

LSU Quarterback Myles Brennan spoke with reporters for the first time since he arrived on campus. Brennan believes he’s improving on a daily basis….

Cut 17 (20) “…this year”

Brennan says he’s eating insane amounts of food in order to gain 15 pounds, so that he weighs 210 pounds next fall.

Tiger Rag-dot-com is reporting Brandon Sampson is forgoing his senior season at LSU and plans to enter the NBA draft. In 85 career games, Sampson averaged nearly eight points.

The Pelicans conclude the regular season tonight by hosting San Antonio. A win and New Orleans is either the 5^th or 6^th seed in the West, a loss and they could drop down to a 7^th or 8^th seed.