Alex Lange will start on the mound tonight for LSU as they visit Arkansas. The Tigers have failed to score runs for their ace in his last two starts. LSU shortstop Kramer Robertson says they know they only have to score a few runs the nights that Lange pitches…
cut 19 (08) “…for success”
LSU is 2-and-6 in games away from Alex Box Stadium this season.

The Cajuns and Louisiana Tech are also on the road this weekend. UL Lafayette visits Coastal Carolina, who is the defending national champs. The Bulldogs are at Rice in a battle of last place teams in Conference USA.

ULM hosts South Alabama. The Warhawks are 4-and-5 in league play.

In the Southland…Nicholls has a big series at Sam Houston. The Bearkats are undefeated in conference play and lead the Southland in hitting, pitching and fielding.

The Pelicans begin their final road trip of the season tonight in Denver. New Orleans has been eliminated from playoff contention. Before the team left the Big Easy, Head Coach Alvin Gentry was asked about his job status…
cut 30 (20) “…can do”
The Pelicans are 33-and-45 this year.

Louisiana Tech junior guard Jacobi Boykins has declared for the NBA draft. The shooting guard averaged nearly 15 points a game last season and set a school record with 89 made three-pointers.

New LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade announced today that former Tiger great Tasmin Mitchell has been added to his staff. Mitchell will serve as Director of Student-Athlete Development.

The LSU baseball team begins a series tonight up in Arkansas. The Razorbacks are tied for first in the SEC West with a 7-2 league record. The Hogs are 24-6 overall. They’ve hit 40 home runs on the season, which leads the SEC. They’ve scored 214 runs, which is tied for third in the league. LSU starting pitcher Jared Poche says they’ll need to execute their pitches to have success…
cut 17 (12) “….should be okay”
Arkansas also has some excellent pitchers. They lead the league as they’ve struck out 317 hitters.

The Ragin Cajuns also have a big series this weekend as they visit the defending national champs, Coastal Carolina. Gunner Leger starts on the hill tonight for UL Lafayette. He’s 5-1 with a 1.27 ERA.

There are several spring football games tomorrow. The Red-White spring game in Lafayette begins at noon. The La Tech spring game is at noon as well. The McNeese Blue-and-Gold spring game begins at 1:00 in Lake Charles.

New LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade has announced that former Tiger great Tasmin Mitchell has joined his staff. Mitchell will serve as the director of student-athlete development. Mithcell was on the Tigers 2006 Final Four team. Also Nelson Hernandez has been named Director of Basketball Operations and Greg Goldin is the team’s new strength and conditioning coach.

The LSU baseball team begins a huge series tonight in Fayetteville against the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Hogs are tied for first in the SEC West with a 7-2 record, while the Tigers are 5-4 and have lost their last two conference series. But LSU senior starting pitcher Jared Poche says knows they can play better…:
Cut 16 (11) “see what happens”
Alex Lange will start on the mound for LSU tonight. He’s 3-3 with a 3.73 ERA. The Tigers have failed to score runs for him in his last two starts. Senior shortstop Kramer Robertson says they know they only have to score a few runs on the nights that Lange pitches…:
Cut 19 (08) “for success”
First pitch is 6:30.

Elsewhere on the diamond this weekend, In the Sun Belt, UL-Lafayette will face the defending national champion No. 26 Coastal Carolina in a three game set on the road. The Ragin Cajuns and Chanticleers are the two division leaders in the SBC. ULM hosts South Alabama. Both the Warhawks and the Jaguars dropped two of three in SBC play on the road last weekend.

Conference USA rivals Louisiana Tech and Rice are sure to play some fierce baseball to each turn their season around during a three game series in Houston that begins today. Nate Harris of the Diamond Dogs’ was named a midseason All-American by both D1Baseball and Perfect Game Thursday.

McNeese State travels to face Abilene Christian for a Southland weekend series. Southeastern continues Southland play at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Nicholls State looks to improve its Southland Conference record in a three-game series against Sam Houston State.

The Saints are scheduled to meet with veteran running back Adrian Peterson next week according to the NFL Network. The 11 year pro has rushed for nearly 12-thousand yards, but only played in three games last season, because of a knee injury.

It’s been reported that one of the best running backs of all-time will visit the Saints. The NFL Network is reporting Adrian Peterson will meet with the Black and Gold next week. The 11 year pro has rushed for nearly 12-thousand yards, but only played in three games last season, because of a knee injury.

The Saints are coming off three consecutive 7-and-9 seasons. New Orleans has five picks in the first three rounds in this month’s NFL draft and General Manager Mickey Loomis says the front office understands the urgency to make them count…
cut 19 (22) “…trying too”
Loomis described the visit he had with Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon as a good meeting.

The 13th ranked LSU baseball team left today for a three-game series at 14th ranked Arkansas. The Tigers are 5-4 in league play, while the Razorbacks are 7-2 and tied with Auburn for first place in the SEC West. The Tigers are 31-12 against Arkansas over the past 12 seasons.

Last night in college baseball….Nicholls defeated Mississippi Valley State four to three. Northwestern State knocked off ULM 5-4 to sweep the midweek series. And McNeese State rallied to beat Louisiana Tech five to three. The Cowboys are at Abilene Christian this weekend, while the Bulldogs are at Rice.

Conference USA announced TV selections for two Louisiana Tech football games. The Bulldogs mathcup with Mississippi State on September 9th will air on the CBS Network at 6:30 PM. And Tech’s final regular season matchup of the campign versus UTSA will be shown nationally on either ESPN, ESPN Two or ESPN U and kickoff will be announced at a later time.

Since Sean Payton took over as Head coach of the Saints in 2006, the Black and Gold have drafted only one player from LSU. After leaving LSU’s pro day, General Manager Mickey Loomis says they do not avoid players from Tiger Town…
cut 18 (17) “…worked out”
Loomis was asked if Leonard Fournette was available would they select the New Orleans native with the 11th overall pick. Loomis said he can’t answer that question.

Fournette weighed in at 228 pounds at LSU pro day. A dozen pounds lighter from his weigh in at the NFL combine a month ago. Fournette says he’s healthy after missing several games with an ankle injury…
cut 17 (10) “…that’s it”

New LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade has hired former Tiger great Tasmin Mitchell. The Denham Springs native who was on LSU’s 2006 Final Four team, will serve on Wade’s staff in a player development role. That’s according to Tiger Rag dot com.

Tiger Rag also reports sophomore pitcher Cole McKay has left the baseball progame. McKay was a highly recruited player out of Texas and pitched eight innings last year. He hasn’t pitched at all this season, after undergoing a minor surgical procedure in January.

On the baseball diamond, Louisiana Tech scored three runs in the first inning last night, but lost to McNeese State five to three. Dustin Duhon’s single in the seventh inning gave the Cowboys the lead for good.

Northwestern State nipped ULM five to four to sweep the midweek series against the Warhawks. Regan Kaufman ended last night’s game with a walk-off home run in the bottom fo the ninth. It was Kaufman’s first home run since 2014.

Nicholls edged Mississippi Valley State four to three.

At LSU Pro Day, running back Leonard Fournette weighed in at 228, 12 pounds lighter than what the scale read at the NFL combine a month ago. Fournette says he wanted to show NFL teams that he has the discipline to lose weight and maintain…:
Cut 16 (12) “that’s it”
18 players participated in LSU pro day and NFL executives from every team were on hand, including the Saints. Only one LSU player has been drafted by the Black and Gold in the Sean Payton era. But General Manager Mickey Loomis says they don’t intentionally avoid players from Tiger Town..:
Cut 18 (17) “worked out”

On another Saints note, it’s reported that the Black and Gold are looking to release backup quarterback Luke McCown. Some say the writing was on the wall with this potential move as New Orleans signed quarterback Chase Daniel last week.

The LSU Baseball team has lost its fourth player since the start of the year as Coach Paul Maineri reportedly says pitcher Cole McKay is leaving the program. The sophomore hasn’t pitched this season as he recovered from what was called a minor surgical procedure.

On the diamond last night Northwestern State walked off with a solo home run in the bottom of the 9th to hand ULM a 5-4 lost in Natchitoches.

A late rally by McNeese State lift the Cowboys to a 5-3 victory over Louisiana Tech in Lake Charles.

In Thibodaux, Nicholls State picked up a 4-3 win over Mississippi Valley State.

A student who used to play football for UL-Lafayette but was kicked off the team in March, has been accused of raping someone in a residence hall. According to campus police, Artez Williams was booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on a charge of second degree rape with a $100,000 bond.

At LSU Pro Day, running back Leonard Fournette weighed in at 228 pounds. That’ down from the 240 weigh-in at the Draft combine in Indianapolis. Also safety Jamal Adams ran a 4.33 in the 40 yard dash. Draft analyst Mike Detillier says putting up good numbers is not essential for Adams and Fournette, but today is a big day for other players who will be selected in the later rounds like wide receiver Malachi Dupre…
cut 17 (15) “….fourth”
Detillier says today’s pro day is also big for defensive lineman Davon Godchaux as NFL teams are looking to see more upper body strength from him.

It’s being reported that the Saints are planing to release backup quarterback Luke McCown. The 35-year-old has been Drew Brees backup since 2013 and started one game in 2015.

It’s Pro Day at LSU, a chance for every professional football franchise to get a look at the former Tigers eligible for next month’s NFL draft. Each player will be measured, perform a bench press drill and timed in various running drills. Some mock drafts have running back Leonard Fournette’s stock falling, but NFL analyst Mike Detillier doesn’t see it:
Cut 16 (16) “Panthers”
Detillier says safety Jamal Adams is also expected to be a top eight pick.

It didn’t start pretty for LSU, but the Baton Rouge Tigers eventually ended up getting it together in a 13-2 win over the Grambling Tigers last night at Alex Box Stadium. Grambling took the 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but bats lost fire as LSU soared to the victory. With the win, LSU improved to 20-10 on the season while Grambling fell to 9-19.

In the Sun Belt, UL-Lafayette pounded out a season-high 21 hits as the Cajuns route visiting Nicholls 18-2. Northwestern State handed ULM an 11-2 in loss in Monroe in the first of the teams’ home-and-home midweek contests. They play again tonight in Natchitoches.

Louisiana Tech overpowered Stephen F Austin in Ruston with a 10-8 win. It’ll be the final home game for the Diamond Dogs before an 8 game away trip starting with McNeese State tonight in Lake Charles.

Southeastern knocked out a 12-9 victory over South Alabama. UNO dropped Tulane 9-5.

The Pelicans are officially eliminated from the playoffs following a 134-131 tough loss to the Denver Nuggets. Anthony Davis played his heart out for the Pels though racking up 41 points and four blocks. Nice effort by DeMarcus Cousins too who added 31, along with 14 rebounds and two late 3-pointers. But New Orleans failed to execute in the final minutes.

Former Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon visited with the Saints Tuesday. Analysts say Mixon is a first round talent, but his arrest for punching a woman that was caught on video has many teams scared to draft him.

The Louisiana State Police Academy graduates 46 men and women today who are now full-fledged State Troopers. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 1 (27) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Raising the minimum wage and closing the gender wage gap will be big issues for Governor John Bel Edwards in the regular session. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Business leaders support a higher gas tax if they know how the dollars are being spent. Halen Doughty has more on the coalition that will be known as Build It…

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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46 men and women graduate this morning from the Louisiana State Police Training Academy. This is L-S-P’s 95^th Cadet Class. Sgt. Jared Sandifer says they lost about 20 cadets during training, but the ones who made it through the vigorous 22-week training program are the state’s best and the brightest.

Cut 4  (08) “next level”

During the ceremony, cadets will receive their golden Louisiana badge, but their training isn’t over just yet. Sandifer says they will team up with a senior trooper to learn more about profession…

Cut 5  (09)  “like that”

Sandifer says the 46 new troopers will be spread out across the state.

Cut 6 (08) “all over”

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Governor John Bel Edwards testifies before a Congressional panel today looking at FEMA’s response to the deadly flooding last August in south Louisiana. The Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Julie Baxter Payer says Edwards will be accompanied by local officials who can also testify on the roadblocks to recovery.

Cut 7 (10)  “federal level”

Payer says the state faced challenges in administering every federally funded program, from FEMA manufactured homes to the new Shelter At Home program. She says the governor will discuss improvements that can be made to make the recovery process shorter and homeowner friendly.

Cut 8 (10) “a disaster”

Payer says the governor will also use this trip as an opportunity to urge federal leaders to allocate more money for Louisiana’s flood recovery. She says we’re far short of the money needed to help the 193-thousand families impacted by the two devastating floods in 2016.

Cut 9 (09)  “so far”

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Business leaders in Louisiana are coming together to support the passage of a higher gas tax. The new coalition is called Businesses United for Improving Louisiana’s Development by Investing in Transportation. Baton Rouge Area Chamber President Adam Knapp says BUILD IT will back proposals to increase the state’s gasoline tax to fund highway construction.

Cut 10 (11) “this session”

Knapp says it is imperative revenue is raised this session, because the state might not have another chance to up the gas tax until the fiscal session in 2021. The state has a $13 billion backlog of transportation needs, and more than $10 billion in megaprojects needed. More than 20 organizations have joined BUILD IT, including One Acadiana and its president Jason El Koubi.

Cut 11 (12) “our people”

El Koubi adds Louisiana ranks in the bottom five for every measure of road conditions. Knapp says an LSU survey shows there’s bipartisan support for a gas tax increase, with 61 percent of respondents supporting a 15 cent increase. He says they are issuing a call to action to business leaders.

Cut 12 (09) “build it”

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Governor John Bel Edwards is once again asking lawmakers to increase the state’s minimum wage and guarantee equal pay for equal work. Both measures failed in last year’s session. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says raising the minimum wage is never easy.

Cut 13 (11) “uphill battle”

Edwards says he supports a Senate bill that raises the minimum wage to $8.50 over a two year period. The Louisiana Workforce Commission says the minimum wage has not been increased since 2009. Fellow political analyst Bernie Pinsonat he doesn’t foresee these bills getting any more traction this year than they have in the past.

Cut 14 (09) “don’t like them”

The governor says Louisiana has the highest gender wage gap in the country, but Pinsonat says the equal pay bill has even less of a chance than raising the minimum wage. He says business groups have historically opposed these measures because provisions in the bills allow people to sue their employers over pay inequity.

Cut 15 (11) “would cause”

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It’s Pro Day at LSU, a chance for every professional football franchise to get a look at the former Tigers eligible for next month’s NFL draft. Each player will be measured, perform a bench press drill and timed in various running drills. Some mock drafts have running back Leonard Fournette’s stock falling, but NFL analyst Mike Detillier doesn’t see it…

Cut 16 (16) “Panthers”

Detillier says safety Jamal Adams is also expected to be a top eight pick. He says putting up good numbers is not essential for Adams and Fournette, but other players who will be selected in the later rounds like wide receiver Malachi Dupre…

Cut 17 (15)  “fourth”

Detillier says today’s pro day is also big for defensive lineman Davon Godchaux as NFL teams are looking to see more upper body strength from him…

Cut 18 (13)    hurt afterwards “

The 15th ranked LSU Tigers are back on the baseball diamond tonight as they host Grambling State. The Bayou Bengals have lost five of their last seven games. But Coach Paul Mainier expects the players will bounce back from a rough couple of weeks…
cut 18 (16) “…my livelihood”
LSU returns to SEC play on Friday when they visit 16th ranked Arkansas.

In other action tonight…Nicholls State is at UL Lafayette. The Colonels beat the Cajuns 3-1 to earlier this season in Thibodaux. Northwestern State is at ULM. The all-time series between these two teams is knotted at 109-and-109. Elsewhere…Louisiana Tech hosts Stephen F Austin and Southeastern faces South Alabama.

This year football fans will see quarterback Tony Romo in the broadcast booth, instead of the football field. Romo has retired after a long career with the Cowboys and he’ll become the lead NFL analyst on CBS. That means he’s taking Phil Sims place, who has been working with Jim Nantz. It’s unclear what role Sims will have with CBS going forward.

Former Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon visited with the Saints today. Analysts say Mixon is a first round talent, but his arrest for punching a woman that was caught on video has many teams scared to draft him.

The Pelicans final home game of the season is tonight against Denver. There’s five games left in the regular season and the next loss for New Orleans knocks them out of playoff contention.

There are nine former LSU Tigers on opening day rosters in the Major Leagues. One of those players is Jacoby Jones and the Tigers center fielder hit a three-run home run as Detroit beat the White Sox today in Chicago.