06:45 Sportscast, March 28th, 2017

Sixth ranked LSU will host instate rival Tulane tonight at the Box as the Tigers begin a five-game homestand. The Bayou Bengals are coming off a 10-6 victory over Florida. They trailed 5-0 in that contest. Coach Paul Mainieri says a win like that can mean a lot during a long season…:
Cut 16 (11) “for our team”
The Green Wave won two games over the Tigers last season.

McNeese infielder Joe Provenzano has been named the College Sports Madness Southland Conference Baseball Player of the Week. The junior hit .500 in the Cowboys’ last four games this past week, going 8-for-16 at the plate.

McNeese is 9-0 in conference action. They’ll host UL-Lafayette tonight. The Cajuns are coming off of a 2-3 week that saw the squad fall out of the Baseball America top 25 while also dropping in the D1Baseball rankings

ULM makes the trip down I-20 today to square off against Louisiana Tech. The Diamond Dogs have lost seven of its last 10 games, while the Warhawks have fallen 6 of its last 10.

Nicholls State hosts Alcorn State, and Northwestern State hosts Lamar.

In Major League Baseball, the Orioles announced Monday that former LSU standout Kevin Gausman will start against the season opener against Toronto on April 3rd. The right-hander was 9-12 with a 3.61 ERA last season.

The Pelicans fell last night on the road to Utah 108-100. Anthony Davis had 36 points and 17 rebounds for New Orleans, which played again without injured center DeMarcus Cousins. Jrue Holiday scored 19, but the Pelicans lost for only the third time in nine games. New Orleans now trails Denver and Portland by 4.5 games with eight games remaining in the regular season.

And the big story in the NFL right now is that the league’s owners, including the Saints’ Tom Benson, has approved the Raiders move from Oakland to Las Vegas.

 

16:45 LRN Sportscast March 27th

The LSU baseball team escaped Gainesville with a victory on Sunday as they railled from a 5-0 deficit to beat Florida 10-6. The Tigers hit three two-run homers in the eighth inning to erase a 6-2 deficit. Beau Jordan hit one of those home runs and finished with 4 RBIs. Cole Freeman smacked a two-run shot over the wall to break a six-six tie. LSU hosts Tulane tomorrow night. The Green Wave is 9-15 on the year.

McNeese is 9-0 in the Southland after sweeping a series from Nicholls. The Cowboys have won 16 straight games at home. The Colonels and Southeastern Louisiana are 5-4 in league play. The Lions have lost five in a row as they were swept by Houston Baptist.

Louisiana Tech is now 1-5 in Conference USA. The Bulldogs dropped two of three to Charlotte. Tech hosts ULM tomorrow. The Warhawks won their series over Little Rock and the Cajuns won their series over Troy and UL Lafayette is 4-2 in league play.

Former Tigers Quarterback Brandon Harris posted on Facebook that he’ll transfer to North Carolina once he graduates from LSU this summer. Harris started 15 games for the Bayou Bengals over three seasons and he’ll be eligible to play for North Carolina this fall.

Former Saints running back Deuce McAllister has been named an athletic consultant for St. Martin’s Episcopal School in New Orleans. McAllister will continue to serve as color analyst on the Saints Radio Network.

And the big story in the NFL today is that the league’s owners, including the Saints Tom Benson, has approved the Raiders move from Oakland to Las Vegas. The Raiders will play in Oakland this season and possibly longer as a 65-thousand seat domed stadium will be built in Sin City.

The Pelicans pummeled the Denver Nuggets 115 to 90 last night. They did it without DeMarcus Cousins who has an ankle injury and he’s listed questionable for tonight’s game against Utah. New Orleans is four-games back of Portland for the final playoff spot in the West.

11:40 LRN Sportscast March 27th

A big come from behind win for the LSU Tigers yesterday. Trailing 6-2 in the eighth inning, the Bayou Bengals belted three two-run homers to take an 8-6 lead. Beau Jordan’s two-run blast tied the game at six. Here’s how it sounded on the LSU Sports Radio Network as Chris Blair has the call…
cut 30 (14) “…Gainesville”
A couple of batters later, Cole Freeman clubbed his first home run of the year to give LSU the lead and the Tigers went on to win 10-6.

McNeese is now 9-0 in the Southland after sweeping Nicholls. The Cowboys clipped the Colonels 11 to 8 yesterday to stay perfect at home. Nate Fishbeck got the scoring going as he drove in three runs with a double and and finished with 4 RBIs on the day.

Former LSU quarterback Brandon Harris says he plans on transferring to North Carolina. Harris made a trip to the Tar Heel state over the weekend and the Bossier City native said in a facebook post that he looks forward to playing for Coach Larry Fedora at UNC. He will be be able to play for the Tar Heels next season, once he graduates over the summer.

And unless something strange occurs, NFL owners are expected to approve the Raiders desire to move to Las Vegas. It will take 24 yes votes from the 32 owners.

The Pelicans easily defeated Denver last night 115 to 90 to help keep their slim playoff chances alive. DeMarcus Cousins did not play because of a right ankle sprain, but they didn’t need the big guy. Anthony Davis led the way with 31 points and 15 rebounds. It’s the 14th time he’s scored more than 30 points and had more than 15 boards in a game this season. So New Orleans, is now four games back in the loss for the final playoff spot in the West. The Pels are at Utah tonight. Cousins is listed as questionable.

06:45 Sportscast, March 27th, 2017

Florida was on the verge of sweeping LSU on Sunday afternoon in Gainesville, then the Bayou Bengals erupted for six runs in the 8th inning for a 10-6 win over the Gators. Cole Freeman clobbered a two-run homer to give LSU an 8-6 lead in the 8th inning. Chris Blair had the call on the LSU Sports Radio Network….:
CUT 25 (20) “of the year”
LSU is 18-7 overall, 4-2 in the SEC. They host Tulane on Tuesday night and then Texas A&M comes to the Box for a three-game series starting Thursday night.

No. 15 UL-Lafayette defeated Troy 7-2 on Sunday in Alabama to claim the Ragin Cajuns’ 5th straight series win this season. Also in the Sun Belt, ULM got a 7-1 victory yesterday over Little Rock as the Warhawks took two of three in the series.

Elsewhere in college baseball, Houston Baptist completed the sweep of a Southland Conference series against Southeastern with a 6-3 win Sunday at Husky Field. McNeese stays perfect at home following an 11-8 victory over Nicholls to complete the conference sweep of the Colonels. The Pokes have a 9-0 league record. Tulane was defeated 12-10 by Stetson Sunday in New Orleans.

In the NBA the Pelicans soared past the Denver Nuggets 115-90 in a must-win game for New Orleans. Anthony Davis had 31 points and 15 rebounds which helped make up for the absence of DeMarcus Cousins who didn’t play because he was hurt. The Pels are now 11th in the West with nine games remaining.

A report by Delta Waterfowl finds the number of duck hunters declining nationwide. Luke Laborde with the LSU School of Natural Resources says we’re seeing a similar trend in Louisiana. He says they have research to indicate youth are less interested in Sportsmans Paradise.
Cut 14 (11) “an iPad”
Laborde says LSU and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are doing what they can to get more people interested in duck hunting.

16:45 Sportscast, March 24th, 2017

The LSU Baseball team has arrived at the field in Gainesville as the Tigers are set to face Florida in a three game series. The pitching match-up for tonight is Alex Lange versus Florida right-hander Alex Faedo. Both are considered top prospects in this year’s Major League Baseball draft. LSU right fielder Greg Deichmann says runs will probably be at a premium tonight…:
Cut 18 (09) “be a blowout”
The last time LSU went to Gainesville, Florida swpet the Tigers in a three-game series in 2014.

The New Orleans Pelicans are all set for their game tonight against the Rockets in Houston. DeMarcus Cousins is coming off a monster 41 point, 17 rebound game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, and the Pels have now won three straight and five of their last 6. The Rockets have won three straight at the Toyota Center.

Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton and Youngstown State’s Derek Rivers are scheduled to visit New Orleans for pre-draft visits. Charlton revealed the visit to reporters at Michigan’s Pro Day today. Rivers’ agency appeared to confirm his visit by retweeting a report by NFL Draft Diamonds. Both players are pass rushers who could compete for the defensive end spot opposite Pro Bowl end Cameron Jordan,

LSU defensive lineman Isaiah Washington will miss the rest of spring practice after being ruled ineligible, a source told The Advocate on Thursday. Washington, a redshirt sophomore from New Orleans, fell below the minimum number of courses needed to remain eligible for this semester.

No. 15 UL-Lafayette will look to win its fifth straight weekend series of the season as the squad continues conference play with a three-game series at Troy.

Louisiana Tech is set to return to conference action with a three away game series against Charlotte kicking off this afternoon.

ULM will continue its four-game homestand this weekend welcoming Little Rock in the Warhawks’ first Sun Belt Conference series of the season.

 

06:45 Sportscast, March 24th, 2017

The Black and Gold fan base has strong feelings about the report that Saints coach Sean Payton met with former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, who is also a Heisman Trophy winner. Ian Rapaport with the NFL Network said Payton and Manziel had breakfast together during Super Bowl week. Manziel is infamous for having major off-field issues and he did not play in the NFL last season.

New Orleans has re-signed veteran defensive end Darryl Tapp to a one year contract. In his first season with the Saints last year, Tapp played in all 16 games an accumulated 33 tackles and a half sack in rotational back-up duty on the defensive line.

The Pelicans return to action tonight to take on likely MVP candidate James Harden and the Houston Rockets in the Toyota Center. New Orleans is chasing the No. 8 spot in Western Conference standings. They have 11 games left this season, 7 of those on the road.

LSU defensive lineman Isaiah Washington will miss the rest of spring practice after being ruled academically ineligible, according to reports.

The 4th ranked LSU Baseball team begins a three-game series against Florida tonight in Gainesville. The Tigers swept Georgia last weekend to begin SEC play, while the 11th ranked Gators were swept by Auburn. Junior right-hander Alex Lange starts on the mound tonight for LSU and knows Florida will be ready to play tonight…:
Cut 16 (14) “they got”
The last time LSU went to Gainesville, Florida swept the Tigers in a three-game series in 2014.

No. 15 UL-Lafayette will look to win its fifth straight weekend series of the season as the squad continues conference play with a three-game series at Troy.

Louisiana Tech is set to return to conference action with a three away game series against Charlotte kicking off this afternoon.

ULM will continue its four-game homestand this weekend welcoming Little Rock in the Warhawks’ first Sun Belt Conference series of the season.

16:45 LRN Sportscast March 23rd

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Saints Coach Sean Payton has met with former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel as Johnny Football looks to get back in the league after his poor choices away from the football field led to his release by the Cleveland Browns. ESPN’s Mike Triplett says there are no indications the Saints are planning to sign him.

The Saints have re-signed Darryl Tapp. The 32-year-old defensive end had 17 tackles last season.

Former LSU Tiger Ricky Jean Francois has signed a one-year deal with the Green Bay Packers. This will be Francois’ fourth team. He had a career-high 32 tackles with Washington last season.

Former Louisiana Tech standout Quinton Patton has signed with the Jets. He caught 40 passes during four seasons in San Francisco.

LSU third baseman Josh Smith went four for four with four runs driven in as the Tigers trounced Southeastern Louisiana eight to two last night. The Bayou Bengals left today for a three-game series against Florida. Game one in Gainesillve is tomorrow night at 6 PM.

Will Wade is settling in as the new men’s basketball coach for the LSU Tigers. One of the first things on his to-do list is to speak with Antonio Blakeney. The Tigers leading scorer could leave college early and enter the NBA draft. Wade says he looks forward to having that discussion with Blakeney…
cut 28 (23) “…for him”

Grambling is looking for a new men’s basketball coach. Shawn Walker has been fired after a 25-63 record in three seasons.

The Pelicans begin a three game road trip in Houston tomorrow. New Orleans is four-games back of Denver for the final playoff spot in the West.

11:40 LRN Sportscast March 23rd

The Saints have added linebacker Manti Te’o to their roster. Te’o starred at Notre Dame and was a runner-up for the 2012 Heisman Trophy. He was drafted by the Chargers in the second round and appeared in 38 games in four seasons. NFL analyst Mike Detillier says the Saints new linebackers coach Mike Nolan, was an assistant in San Diego and coached Te’o in 2015….
cut 20 (16) “….Te’o”
And the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says it appears Saints coach Sean Payton has taken an interest in free agent quarterback Johnny Manziel. The two were seen having breakfast together during the Super Bowl weekend. Rapoport goes on to say Payton could make the most of Manziel’s talent and Drew Brees would

Greg Deichmann drove in three runs and Josh Smith drove in four runs as the LSU Tigers topped Southeastern Louisiana eight to two. Deichmann hit his eighth homer of the season, while Taylor Schwaner hit is sixth homer of the year for the Lions.

Also last night…Nicholls upended Southern 10-9, Lamar doubled up Northwestern State 12 to 6 and Tulane topped the Cajuns six to four.

New LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade says failure is not an option as he begins the difficult task of making the Tigers a consistent winner on the hardwood. Wade says his first priority is to change the culture…
Cut 16 (17) “anything you do”
The Nashville native believes the LSU basketball program is a sleeping giant.

And Grambling State has fired men’s basketball coach Shawn Walker. He had a record of 25-and-63 during three seasons as head coach.

11:40 LRN Sportscast March 22nd

The Pelicans are now 3.5 games back for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference after their big 95-82 win over the Grizzlies. DeMarcus Cousins had his best game since arriving in New Orleans, scoring 41 points hauling in 17 rebounds. The Pels next game is Friday at Houston.

Will Wade will be introduced to the public today as the new men’s basketball coach at LSU. ESPN college basketball writer Jeff Goodman says Wade sees tremendous upside with the LSU job and Wade believes he can recruit Louisiana and Texas.

There’s a big college baseball game tonight at Alex Box Stadium as 4th ranked LSU hosts Southeastern Louisiana. Freshman righthander Zack Hess will start for the Tigers. He’s 2-0 with a 3.26 ERA. The Lions have won 10-of-their last 11 and they are led by third baseman Taylor Schwaner, who is hitting .362 with five home runs and 30 RBIs. First pitch is at 6:30.

Free-agent cornerback Sterling Moore is returning to the Saints as he’s agreed to a one-year deal with the Black and Gold. Moore started 12 games last season for New Orleans and intercepted two passes and had 13 pass break ups.

Former LSU linebacker Kevin Minter has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. The 2013 second round pick of the Cardinals, made 37 starts in Arizona and had 174 tackles and five sacks.

LSU football coach Ed Orgeron says running back Derrius Guice was not at practice yesterday, because of an ankle injury. But he says it’s not serious. Orgeron says they are still waiting to see how serious the injury is to Sci Martin, who is an edge rusher that was hurt in a scrimmage on Saturday.

In college baseball last night…Houston blanked the Cajuns four to nothing. Louisiana committed two errors and was held to five hits. ULM downed Grambling seven to one. Tulane trounced McNeese State 10 to two and Louisiana Tech lost its fourth straight as they fell to Stephen F Austin six to two. It’s just the second time the Bulldogs were held to two runs or less.

06:45 Sportscast, March 22nd, 2017

LSU will officially introduce its new men’s basketball coach, Will Wade, during a news conference today at noon. Wade, whose hiring was announced late Monday, comes to LSU after serving as head coach at VCU for the two years where he led the Rams to 51 wins and back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

In the NBA the Pelicans playoff hopes got a boost last night with the help of impressive action by Demarcus Cousins. In the 95-82 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, Cousins scored 41 points and the Pels are now within 3.5 games of the of the Denver Nuggets for the eighth and final playoff seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.

Black and Gold officials held a private workout with Texas Tech QB Pat Mahomes II on Tuesday. Mahomes finished his college career with 11,252 yards passing and 93 touchdowns and is expected to be a late first- to second-round pick. The Saints and cornerback Sterling Moore have agreed to terms on a one year contract according to his agent. Moore appeared in 13 games last season with two interceptions. Also Tuesday, the Saints agreed to terms on a two year contract with veteran linebacker Manti Te’o.

Around the diamond, 15th ranked UL-Lafayette was shutout by Houston 4-0 Tuesday. The Cougars have won their sixth straight and outhit the Cajuns 11-5, but it was UL-Lafayette miscues that gave Houston its first two runs. The Cajuns host Tulane at 6 today in a rescheduled game after a rain out in New Orleans last week. McNeese State was upset by the Green Wave last night 10-2. ULM began a four-game home stand with a 7-1 victory over Grambling in Monroe.

The Southeastern Louisiana baseball team is taking the trip down I-12 today to face No. 4 LSU at Alex Box Stadium today. The Lions and the Tigers first pitch is slated for 6:30 in Baton Rouge. LSU won four of five games last week, including a three-game sweep of Georgia to open SEC play. Southeastern has won 10 of its past 11 games.

LSU and McNeese will play each other in football in 2021. The two schools are scheduled to face-off on September 11th in Tiger Stadium.

Southern Football Coach Dawson Odums has signed a contract extension through 2019.