It’s LSU and Texas Southern on Friday at Alex Box Stadium to begin the Baton Rouge Regional. Senior Shortstop Kramer Robertson says they are not looking past the SWAC Tournament champions, even though they are 12-games below .500…:
Cut 16 (15) “those guys”
Tigers right fielder Greg Deichmann is also taking it one game at a time:
Cut 17 (11) “our best”
LSU and Texas Southern face off at 2:30pm Friday. Following that game No. 3 seed Rice will face No. 2 seed Southeastern Louisiana at 7 p.m.

The winner of the Baton Rouge Regional will face the winner of the Hattiesburg Regional.

The New Orleans Saints have signed wide receiver Lance Moore to a one-day contract which will allow him to retire as a member of the team he was with from 2006-2013. The 10-year-veteran left the NFL in August of 2016, but he took a procedural step Tuesday by inking a deal with the Saints.

LSU star golfer Sam Burns of Shreveport has announced he’s going pro, after helping the Tigers get to their 4th straight top ten finish in the NCAA Championship. The sophomore made it official on Twitter that he will be foregoing his final two years, but will always be a Tiger.

Parkway quarterback Justin Rogers is scheduled to announce his college decision this evening. The four star prospect’s in-state offers include LSU, Louisiana Tech and UL-Lafayette — but recruiting analysts expect Rogers will commit to TCU.

The LHSAA annual summer meetings in Baton Rouge begin today, and the most anticipated item on the agenda is the announcement of championship sites that will be awarded in eight sports.

LSU baseball hit the practice field this afternoon to get ready for Friday’s Baton Rouge Regional opener against Texas Southern. Coach Paul Mainieri has yet to decide who will start against the SWAC Tournament champions….
cut 19 (18) “…Friday”
Mainieri says he will announce a starting pitcher on Thursday.

Texas Southern comes into the Baton Rouge Regional with a 20-32 record. They have a team ERA over eight against nonconference opponents.

The other two teams in the Baton Rouge Regional are Southeastern Louisiana and Rice. The Owls have struggled on the mound as well as they have a team ERA of 5.10. The Lions are speedy on the base paths with 110 steals.

CBS has released a partial TV schedule for the upcoming season. Once again the network plans on a doubleheader for the Saturday that LSU plays Alabama, televising one game at 2:30 and the other at 7 PM. Which means the Tigers-Crimson Tide game could be televised at 7 PM, but we won’t know for sure until October. Also, CBS says it will televise the Arkansas-Missouri match-up on the Friday after Thanksgiving, so that means it’s likely LSU-Texas A-and-M in Tiger Stadium will be November 25th.

LSU-Alexandria stayed alive in the NAIA softball championships by beating Davenport, Michigan two to nothing. It’s the first time the Generals have ever won two games in the NAIA softball World Series. LSU-A will play again tomorrow afternoon.

LSU baseball will begin NCAA Regional play 2:30 pm on Friday at Alex Box Stadium by hosting SWAC Tournament champion Texas Southern. And if the Tigers win the B-R Regional they’ll face the winner of Hattiesburg Regional, which features Southern Miss and Mississippi State. Tigers Coach Paul Mainieri says one game at a time…:
Cut 17 (18) “to Omaha”
The other two teams coming to Baton Rouge are Southeastern Louisiana and Rice. The Lions take on the Owls at 7pm on Friday.

The news was not good for Louisiana Tech, McNeese State and UL Lafayette. Those three teams failed to make the NCAA Tournament.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the 49ers are working out former Saints safety Jairus Byrd today. Byrd missed 15 games in two seasons with New Orleans, after signing a six-year, $54 million contract prior to 2015.

Shreveport’s Sam Burns, a sophomore star golfer at LSU, will reportedly forego his final two years of college eligibility and turn pro after the Walker Cup in September. The No. 6 seeded Tigers fell two strokes shy of a playoff to get in the match-play portion of the NCAA Championship on Monday.

The big national news in the golf world is that Tiger Woods was arrested on suspicion of DUI in Florida; but he’s released a statement blaming a bad mix of prescription medication and not alcohol. The 14-time champ had back surgery five weeks ago and said he didn’t realize the medicine he was on when driving would affect him so strongly.

Former LSU baseball star Alex Bregman of the Astros went 2 for 5 with a two run home run during Houston’s 16-8 win over Minnesota. The ‘Stros now have the best record and are off to the best start in franchise history.

The LSU Tigers won their 12th SEC Tournament Championship, their sixth with Coach Paul Mainieri, with a four to two win over Arkansas yesterday. Freshman Eric Walker gave up one run over 7.2 innings, while Nick Coomes drove in two runs and Antoine Duplantis scored twice.

The Tigers have won 11 straight and they allowed just five runs in four SEC Tournament games. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says the way LSU is playing, they are a good bet to get to the College World Series, but anything can happen in baseball….
cut 18 (21) “….national champs”
LSU has been selected to host its 25th NCAA Regional.

The LSU softball team is heading to the Women’s College World Series for a third consecutive year after beating fourth seeded Florida State six to four. Senior catcher Shavanna Jaquish drove in four runs and Carley Hoover allowed one run in 3.1 innings of releif to get the win. Coach Beth Torina’s team lost the first game in this Super Regional Series, but came back to win the next two…
cut 30 (17) “…our university”
LSU’s first game in the W-C-W-S is Thursday at 1:30 against UCLA in Oklahoma City.

The NCAA Baseball Regional pairings will be unveiled at 11 AM. There’s a lot fo anxiety on the campus of McNeese, Southeastern, Louisiana Tech and UL Lafayette. All are on the bubble after failing to win their respective conference tournaments. D-1 baseball and Baseball America has S-L-U in, but not the other schools.

The LSU Tigers will face South Carolina at noon in the semi-finals of the SEC Tournament. The Bayou Bengals were off yesterday and this will be their third game in the tournament, while the Gamecocks will play their fifth game in as many days. South Carolina advanced to the semis with a 3-1 win over Kentucky yesterday. The other semi-final match-up today is Florida versus Arkansas. The Razorbacks routed Mississippi State nine to two yesterday, while the Gators also beat Mississippi State yesterday 12-3.

In the Sun Belt Tournament…the Ragin Cajuns sufffered a heart breaking loss. UL Lafayette was up 5-1, but gave up five runs in the ninth inning to Georgia Southern who ended up beating the Cajuns 7-to-6 in 11 innings. Rough outing for Dylan Moore, who gave up four runs. So UL Lafayette will have to wait if they will receive an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament.

All three Louisiana teams in the Southland Tournament have been eliminated. UNO beat Southeastern Louisiana 7-to-4, and top-seeded McNeese fell to Houston Baptist 5-4. And then the Privateers were sent packing when they lost to Sam Houston State 7-1. McNeese and Southeastern Louisiana are on the bubble to make the NCAA Tournament.

In softball, Florida State took Game 1 of its Super Regional Series with LSU by scoring two runs in the sixth inning to beat the Tigers 3-1. LSU will look to even up the series at 2 PM in Tallahassee.

The Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District approves funding to develop a master plan on renovating the Superdome. Saints officials say a master plan will also begin discussions for a long-term agreement between the state and the two professional franchises owned by Tom Benson. The teams’ existing lease agreements with Louisiana end in 2025.

The red hot LSU baseball team is enjoying a day off in Hoover, Alabama today after beating Kentucky 10-0 to advance to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. The game ended in the middle of the seventh inning thanks to the league’s mercy rule in tournament play. The Fighting Tigers have scored 10 plus runs in four consecutive SEC games, which is the most LSU has done since 2000.

LSU will take the field tomorrow at noon. They’ll play either Kentucky or South Carolina. Those two teams are playing each other now and the winner advances.

The top two seeds in the Southland Conference Tournament were eliminated today. UNO defeated second-seeded Southeastern Louisiana seven to four. The Privateers were led by Hezekiah Randolph who homered and drove in three runs.

And Houston Baptist knocked off top-seeded McNeese Five to four. So now we’ll wait to see if both McNeese and Southeastern receive at-large bids. The NCAA unveils the regionals on Monday.

The Ragin Cajuns baseball team begins play in the Soun Belt Tournament tonight when they face Georgia Southern. Because of all of the weather related problems in Georgia, it’s just a single-elimination tournament. Gunner Leger will start for UL Lafayette.

After playing just nine games during his rookie season, Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins says a big goal for him in 2017 is to stay healthy. The former first round pick says if he does play in all 16 games, defensive tackle can be a big strength for this team….
cut 18 (25) “…of everyone”
Rankins recorded four sacks and a forced fumble, even though he played just a half a season.

The LSU baseball team faced the SEC Pitcher of the Year last night, but it didn’t matter. The red-hot Tigers scored five runs in the 2nd inning and five more in the 5th inning off of Sean Hjelle and ended up run ruling Kentucky 10-0 in seven innings. LSU shortstop Kramer Robertson completed the scoring with this three run blast….
cut 30 (14) “…10-nothing Tigers”
That’s Chris Blair on the LSU Sports Radio Network. Alex Lange was also sensational as he pitched seven shutout innings, allowed six hits and struck out seven. He moved past Ben McDonald to number two on LSU’s all-time strike out list. The Tigers are off today and they’ll play either South Carolina or Kentucky tomorrow at noon.

UL Lafayette finally gets a chance to play in the Sun Belt Tournament tonight. Heavy rain in Georgia has pushed back the start of the tournament and it’s now single elimination. The Cajuns who are on the bubble to make the NCAA Tournament, can win three straight games this weekend to receive an automatic bid. UL Lafayette faces Georgia Southern tonight.

In the Southland Tournament…UNO, Southeastern and McNeese are all battling to avoid elimination today.

Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas had an impressive rookie campaign, 92 catches for 1,137 yards and nine touchdowns. All three numbers broke Saints rookie records. Following an OTA session, Thomas said he can still take his game to another level….
cut 17 (13) “….stuff like that”
Thomas says he’s also added 10 pounds.

LSU scored five runs against the Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year in the 2nd inning and never looked back as the Fighting Tigers advanced to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament by run ruling Kentucky 10-0 in seven innings. Kramer Robertson had a three-run home run and had 4 RBI on the night. Kentucky’s Sean Hjelle gave up all 10 runs. Alex Lange pitched seven shutout innings and struck out seven. The Tigers are off today and they’ll play Saturday at noon versus the winner of today’s game between South Carolina and Kentucky.

Elsewhere, Louisiana Tech is two and bar-b-que from the Conference USA Tournament. Southern Miss beat the Bulldogs five to two. Tech will now wait and see if they get an invite to the NCAA Tournament. They have an RPI of 43.
And UL-Lafayette finally begins play in the Sun Belt Tournament in Statesboro, Georgia. The rain is all gone and the Cajuns will face Georgia Southern tonight.
The top two seeds in the Southland Tournament suffered losses yesterday in Sugar Land, Texas. McNeese gave up five runs in the 5th inning and lost 5-3 to Central Arkansas. The Cowboys will face Houston Baptist at noon today.
At 9 AM, it’s Southeastern Louisiana versus UNO. The Lions lost to Sam Houston State eight to four. S-L-U scored four runs in the first inning and that was it. The Privateers kept their season alive with a 4-3 10-inning victory.

Saints Coach Sean Payton is glad the NFL relaxed its touchdown celebration rules. The league announced that after a touchdown is scored, players can use the football as a prop, celebrate as a group or even do snow angels. Payton says it’s good for the fans, the players and the referees
Cut 16 (20)  “be good”

The LSU Baseball Tigers are off to a good start in the SEC Tournament as they defeated Missouri 10-3. Caleb Gilbert was the winning pitcher as he allowed one run in five innings. Cole Freeman was four for four at the plate and hit a three-run home run. Kramer Robertson had two hits and scored three times. The Tigers shortstop on succeeding in the post season…
cut 30 (10) “…every year”
LSU will face Kentucky tonight at around 8 PM. Alex Lange will start on the hill for the Tigers. A win for LSU and they’ll move into the semi-finals of the SEC Tournament.

Louisiana Tech needs to beat Southern Miss this afternoon to avoid elimination in the Conference USA Tournament. The Golden Eagles swept the Bulldogs during the opening weekend of conference play. Tech lost to Charlotte seven to two last night.

At the Southland Tournament, Southeastern Louisiana and McNeese State have advanced to the winner’s bracket. The Lions will face Sam Houston State this afternoon at about 4 PM and then at seven o’ clock McNeese will battle Central Arkansas. The Cowboys defeated Lamar 7 to 5 yesterday. Dustin Duhon and Austin Nelson homered and Collin Kober earned his ninth save by striking out the only two hitters he faced.

Former Louisiana Tech head baseball coach Greg Goff is out after one season as the head man at Alabama. The Crimson Tide went 19-34-and-1 this past season and won only five conference games. The Tuscaloosa News also reported that Goff violated NCAA rules by telling up to 10 players their scholarship would not be renewed.

LSU basketball team attempted to sign former Wright State guard Mark Alstork, but he has decided to sign with Illinois. But Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worshman says head coach Will Wade is looking to sign four-star Connecticut point guard Tremon Waters.

LSU advances in the SEC baseball tournament following an easy 10-3 win over Missouri in the opening game. This was coach Paul Mainieri’s 500th win at the helm. The Tigers, who are the tournament’s No. 2 seed, will play third-seeded Kentucky at about 8 tonight. All-SEC 1st teamer Alex Lange will start on the mound for the Tigers.

Because of continuous downpours in Georgia, the Sun Belt has decided to make its tournament a single elimination contest. UL-Lafayette will play tomorrow night against Georgia Southern. A win and the Cajuns will advance to the semi-finals. This is an important tournament for UL-Lafayette, who are on the bubble from receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

McNeese State was awarded the 2017 Southland regular season championship trophy prior to last night’s game against Lamar in the conference tournament. The Cowboys then went on to beat the Cardinal’s 7-5 in the SLC first round. McNeese will play the winner of the Houston Baptist-Central Arkansas game at 7 tonight in a winner’s bracket contest.

Also in the Southland, Southeastern rallied past UNO yesterday afternoon on the opening day, coming back to beat the Privateers 12-7. The second-seeded Lions advance to face Sam Houston State on this afternoon at 4.

Louisiana Tech fell to Charlotte 7-2 last night in the C-USA Tournament opener in Biloxi. The Diamond Dogs will now play nationally-ranked Southern Miss this afternoon in an elimination game set for 12:30 at MGM Park.

The Tulane game against Central Florida in the AAC tournament was rained out yesterday. The contest is slated to be played this morning at 10am.

The NBA All-Star game will be played in Charlotte in 2019, two years after the city was to host the event. The league announced Wednesday the contest will be played at Spectrum Center, home of the Hornets. The All-Star game had been set for Charlotte last February, but the NBA moved the game to New Orleans because of the state law restricting the rights of LGBT people.

Former LSU linebacker Kendell Beckwith has signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Clinton native was selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Bucs.