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.

The LSU Tigers are battling the Missouri Tigers in the SEC Tournament. Mizzou eliminated the Aggies with a 12 victory. If LSU wins, they’ll play Thursday night in a winner’s bracket game, a loss and the Tigers will be facing elimination against the Gamecocks on Thursday.

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

The Southland Tournament got underway today in Sugar Land, Texas. Southeastern Louisiana rallied back from a 4-0 deficit to beat UNO 12-7. Webb Bobo, Derrick Mount and Drew Avans homered for the Lions. At this hour, top seeded McNeese is facing Lamar.

Linebacker Jonathan Vilma and offensive guard Carl Nicks will be inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame later this year. Both players were on the 2009 Super Bowl 2009 team.

The NFL has loosened the restrictions on touchdown celebrations. This year players can use the football as a prop, celebrate as a group and or even do snow angels on the ground. But players will still be penalized if the celebation mimics the use of a weapon or embarrrass opponents.

Also, starting in 2017, the overtime period for preseason and regular season games has been cut from 15 minutes to 10 minutes. Commissioner Roger Goodell believes this will NOT lead to more ties.

The Sun Belt will have two five-team divisions for football starting with the 2018 season. UL-Lafayette and ULM will play in the West Division, along with Arkansas State, South Alabama and Texas State. The winners of each division will play in a title game.

The LSU Tigers go after their sixth SEC Tournament Championship in the Paul Mainieri history as they begin play this afternoon in the tourney by taking on Missouri. Todd Peterson was scheduled to start on the mound, but he’s been suspended for one game for a violation of a team rule. Caleb Gilbert will get the start instead. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran doesn’t think the change in starting pitchers will have a negative impact on the Tigers….
cut 18 (19) “….little bit”
Missouri will start on the mound freshman left-hander TJ Sikkema, who is 8-and-1 with a 2.28 ERA. The game is expected is expected to start at 4:30.

UL-Lafayette’s game in the rain-drenched Sun Belt Tournament is at 2:30 against Georgia Southern. The tournament did not get started as scheduled, because of inclement weather, so the league will be using two fields in order to catch back up.

The Southland tournament starts today in Sugar Land, Texas. Second-seeded Southeastern Louisiana will take on seventh seeded UNO and then it’s top-seeded McNeese State versus eighth seeded Lamar. Cowboys Coach Justin Hill says the key to winning this tournament is staying out of the losers bracker….
cut 20 (18) “….here and there”
In Southland action this morning, Sam Houston State thumped Stephen F Austin 13-1.

In NFL news…the league has announced that Pro Bowl will return Orlando in 2018.

Former LSU Tiger Odell Beckham has signed the biggest shoe deal in NFL history. The Giants wide receiver re-upped with Nike for five-years 25 million dollars.

LSU will play either Missouri or Texas A-and-M in the SEC Tournament tomorrow in Hoover, Alabama. The Aggies and Mizzou are playing each other today and the winner advances to play the Tigers, who have won 11 of their last 12 conference games. LSU Shortstop Kramer Robertson says the hot bats they are swinging have been a big factor in their success…
cut 17 (15) “…since then”
Todd Peterson will start on the hill for the Tigers. He’ll make his fourth start of the season.

Southeastern Louisiana’s Taylor Schwaner has been named Southland Player of the Year. The junior from Slidell completed the regular season with a 321 average wiht 13 home runs and 68 RBIs. McNeese State’s Shane Selman has been named Southland Hitter of the Year and his coach Justin Hill is coach of the year.

Louisiana Tech begins play tomorrow in the Conference USA Tournament. The Diamond Dogs are coming off a disappointing series loss to Middle Tennessee, but head coach Lane Burroughs says a new season begins tomorrow….
cut 20 (24) “…new season now”
Tech’s RPI is 38, so they are in a good position to receive an at-large bid if they don’t win the tournament and get an automatic bid.

UL Lafayette is really on the bubble. They have an RPI of 52. The Cajuns are scheduled to begin play tomorrow in the Sun Belt Tournament but heavy rain in Statesboro, Georgia is causing a scheduling nightmare for conference officials.