16:45 LRN Sportscast May 22nd

Two LSU Tigers have been named to the All-SEC First team, right fielder Greg Deichmann and starting pitcher Alex Lange. Deichmann is hitting .320 wtih 17 home runs, ten doubles and 63 RBIs. Lange is 7-and-5, with three complete games and an ERA of 2.29. Shortstop Kramer Robertson was named to the SEC Second-team, while catcher Michael Papierski and third baseman Josh Smith were named to the All-Defensive team.

The LSU Tigers left today for Hoover, Alabama where they’ll play on Wednesday in the SEC Tournament. The Bayou Bengals will face the winner of Tuesday’s game between Missouri and Texas A&M. Coach Paul Mainieri said today that Todd Peterson will start on the mound for the Tigers on Wednesday.

Gunner Leger has been named the Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year. The junior has 10 victories on the season to go along with a 2.03 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 84.1 innings pitched.

The LSU softball team is heading to the Tallahassee Super Regional after beating UL Lafayette five to one. It was the Tigers second victory over the Cajuns in as many days after UL Lafayette defeated LSU on Saturday. Today, the Cajuns took a 1-0 in the 1st inning, but LSU took over from there, with two runs in the third inning and three more in the fourth inning. Emily Griggs drove in two runs, while Sydney Springfield hit a two-run home run down the left field line. Carley Hoover pitched five shutout innings of relief to record the win. Alex Stewart suffered the loss for the Cajuns.

Former Saints star Reggie Bush says he wants to play in 2017, but so far no teams have signed veteran running back. Bush played in 13 games with Buffalo last season and rushed for negative three yards on 12 carries.

In the NBA, former Louisiana Tech star Paul Millsap will reportedly opt out of his 21-million dollar contract with the Atlanta Hawks next season.

11:40 LRN Sportscast May 22nd

The LSU Baseball Tigers are co-champions of the Southeastern Conference after sweeping Mississippi State. The Tigers finished league play with a 21-9 and they’ve possibly nailed down a national seed. The Bayou Bengals will begin play in the SEC Tournament on Wednesday when they face the winner of Tuesday’s game between Missouri and Texas A&M.

Six other teams are competing in conference tournaments this week. The Ragin Cajuns and Louisiana Tech are couple of teams who need good performances this week in order to make sure they reach the NCAA Tournament. UL Lafayette will play Georgia Southern on Wednesday night in Statesboro, Georgia in the Sun Bel Tournament. The Bulldogs will play in Conference USA Tournament and they’ll face Charlotte on Wednesday night.

Three Louisiana teams are in the Southland Tournament, led by top-seeded McNeese State. The Cowboys will face Lamar on Wednesday in Sugar Land, Texas and Southeastern Louisiana is the second-seed and they’ll take on seventh seeded UNO at noon.

LSU and UL Lafayette softball will attempt to play a winner takes all regional championship game today, but the weather forecast does not look good. Because of extensive delays both Saturday and Sunday, the Tigers and Cajuns met late last night, with first pitching coming at 10:37. LSU won the game six to one. If the game can’t be played today, LSU will advance to the Super Regional in Tallhassee, because they are the higher seed.

The Louisiana Tech softball team’s season is over after a five to two loss to Minnesota on Sunday afternoon in the Tuscaloosa Regional. Head Coach Mark Montgomery was proud of his team’s fight after losing to Minnesota 11-3 in the first game of the regional….
cut 30 (15) “…for a win”
Louisiana Tech’s season ends with a 38-24 record.

06:45 Sportscast, May 22nd, 2017

There are seven teams from Louisiana competing in conference tournaments this week. Highlighting the group is the LSU Tigers, who will be the #2 seed in the SEC Tournament and they’ll play on Wednesday at around 1 PM.

There are three Louisiana schools that will compete in the Southland Tournament in Sugar Land, Texas. 2nd seeded Southeastern Louisiana will face 7th seeded UNO at noon on Wednesday. Top-seeded McNeese State will play Lamar. The Cowboys and Lions have a high enough RPI that they could make the NCAA Tournament, without winning the Southland tournament championship and receiving an automatic bid.

Louisiana Tech and UL Lafayette probably need to win a couple more games to make sure they get an invite. The Bulldogs will play Charlotte on Wednesday night in Biloxi. Charlotte won two of three from Tech earlier this season and the Diamond Dogs are coming off a disappointing series loss to Middle Tennessee.

The Cajuns are the four-seed in the Sun Belt Tourney. UL-Lafayette will play Georgia Southern on Wednesday night. The Eagles defeated the Cajuns in a series in Lafayette two weeks ago.

Tulane is the 5th seed in the American Athletic Conference. They’ll play South Florida in the championship opener on Tuesday afternoon in Clearwater, Florida.

Nicholls State University pitcher Cole Stapler was named the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week Sunday. The Prairieville native concluded his senior campaign in style, recording his first career shutout Thursday against the University of Central Arkansas.

In softball, No. 18 LSU defeated No. 14 UL-Lafayette early this morning, forcing a Game 7 to determine the champion of the Baton Rouge Regional. The Tigers will be the home team in today’s game, and the Ragin’ Cajuns will be the visitor.

Louisiana Tech took No. 1 ranked Minnesota into extra innings before the Gophers went on to defeat the Lady Techsters in the Tuscaloosa Regional.

Bruce Peddie will no longer be the head coach for ULM baseball. The Warhawks finishing a program worst 12-43, including 6-24 in the Sun Belt and ending the year on a 13 game losing streak. The announcement comes just days after ULM President Nick Bruno announced that athletic director Brian Wickstrom would also not be returning next year.

 

16:45 LRN Sportscast May 19th

If LSU wins tonight, they’ll clinch the SEC West. The Tigers defeated Mississippi State three to one last night, behind strong pitching from Alex Lange and two relievers, Zach Hess and Hunter Newman. Zach Watson drove in two runs and fellow freshman Josh Smith drove in the third run…
cut 30 (16) “…head start”
Smith and the Tigers will battle the Bulldogs tonight at 6:30.

McNeese State clinched the regular season Southland Conference title last night with a 10-2 win over Lamar. The Cowboys are now 21-7 in the league. Nicholls improved their chances of making the Southland tourney with a five to nothing win over Central Arkansas. Southern was eliminated from the SWAC Tournament.

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees told the Dan Patrick Show that he would not tell his wife, Brittany, if he had suffered a concussion. Brees made the comments in response to Tom Brady’s wife, who said Brady has had multiple concussions inlcuding one last year. Brees says he wouldn’t want his wife to worry about it. The Saints QB also said on the Dan Patrick Show that the NFL’s proposal to limit overtime to 10 minutes is a bad idea and he prefers the overtime in college football.

ESPN’s Marc Stein reports the Pelicans are close to hiring Denver Nuggets assistant coach Chris Finch. Finch got credit for helping Denver improve its offensive numbers last season and Pelicans management reportedly believes he can capitalize on the skills of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins.

Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler says she would like to see a dowtown arena built that can be used various events and be home to a minor league basketball team. The Pelicans are launching their own NBA D-League team and they are looking at several different cities in the Gulf South.

11:40 LRN Sportscast May 19th

Senate President John Alario says the upper chamber is committed to fully funding the TOPS scholarship program. Alario says the budget plan approved by the House takes money away from the Department of Health to fully fund TOPS and they are taking a close look at that proposal.
cut 9 (07) “…TOPS funding”
Alario also says the Senate also disagrees with a House bill to raise the minimum GPA in order to recieve the TOPS scholarship.

State Police say three young adults from St. Amant were killed when their vehicle veered off the road, went airborne, striking a tree and splitting in half. All three victims were found outside the vehicle. State Police Trooper Bryan Lee says there’s still a lot of questions…
cut 8 (09) “….a factor”
A family member of one of the victims found the dead bodies last night.

Crews are in the process of taking down the statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee. One of the most recognizable monuments in New Orleans. It’s the fourth Confederate-related statue to be removed in the last couple of weeks. Mayor Mitch Landrieu has called a press conference this afternoon to discuss this issue further.

A Senate-approved proposal to alter the state’s film tax credit program has the support of the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association. Halen Doughty has more…
Voicer 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

06:45 Sportscast, May 19th, 2017

LSU starting pitcher Alex Lange made one bad pitch. That was to the first man he faced in Thursday’s SEC series opener with Mississippi State. After giving up the long ball, Lange put together his third straight dominant performance in a 3-1 win over the Bulldogs. LSU can clinch the SEC West with a win today over State.

McNeese State picked up the program’s first Southland Conference regular season championship since 2006 following its incredible 10-2 win over Lamar. A strike out by relief pitcher Aidan Anderson for the final out of the ballgame emptied the McNeese dugout as the Cowboys dog piled near the pitcher’s mound in celebration. Game 2 of the series is today.

Nicholls State blanked Central Arkansas 5-0 on the road in the first of three, and – senior Cole Stapler tossed his first career shutout. The win puts Nicholls at a four-way tie for fourth. The top 8 advance to the Southland tournament.

Southeastern lost the series opener to Seton Hall big time as the Lions fall 16-3.

Elsewhere, Louisiana Tech dropped a three game series opener to Middle Tennessee, 6-3. The Diamond Dogs now sit in a tie for fourth place in Conference USA.

In the Sun Belt, UL-Lafayette dominated ULM as the Ragin Cajuns defeat the Warhawks 16-2 in the series opener in Monroe. The win moves the Cajuns a game and a half out of first place in the west division with two games to go.

The NCAA softball regional in Baton Rouge begins today and three of the four teams are from Louisiana. They are No. 13 LSU, UL-Lafayette, McNeese State. Louisiana Tech is in Tuscaloosa for the regional hosted by Alabama.

New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis has been named to the first-team All-NBA. This is the second time Davis has earned the distcinction.

Former and current Saints players will participate in a weekend of fishing, shooting and entertainment at the Black and Gold Classic in Grand Isle. Former Saints tackle Stan Brock hosts the event and says today teams will participate in a private shooting event and tomorrow the fishing rodeo begins at 6 a.m. He says all the proceeds go to the Green Beret Foundation and All American Caliber, groups which support veterans:
Cut 4 (09) “for them”

 

16:45 LRN Sportscast May 18th

It should be a fun next three days for LSU baseball fans as the Tigers can win an SEC West championship by beating the Bulldogs in the final regular season series of the season, which starts tonight in Starkville. Mississippi State is one game back of LSU in the division standings. They have one of the top players in college baseball. Brent Rooker is hitting .406 with 20 home runs and 71 RBIs. Rooker is the SEC leader in all three of those categories, along with doubles. LSU pitcher Jared Poche is hopeful the Tiger pitchers can limit Rooker’s impact…
cut 18 (18) “….get em out”
First pitch is at 6:05.

ULM President Nick Bruno announced today that athletics director Brian Wickstrom will not seek to renew his contract, which is set to expire on June 30th. Wickstorm has been with the Warhawks since July 2013. In a statement, Wickstorm said it’s his destire to make a long-term move to a bigger program.

Pelcians star Anthony Davis has been named to the All-NBA first team, along with LeBron James, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard.

The top high school basketball player in the state, Scotlandville’s Javonte Smart, has LSU among the six schools he’s considering. The others are national powers Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA, Oklahoma State and Florida State.

Former LSU Tiger Tre’Davious White has signed his rookie contract with Buffalo and now seeks a starting spot in the Bills secondary.

And the Steelers have released former Ragin Cajuns tight end Ladarius Green after injury riddled 2016 season.

11:40 LRN Sportscast May 18th

LSU and Mississippi State begin a three-game series tonight where the winner will be declared the champions of the Western Division. The Tigers arrive in Starkville playing their best baseball of the season, winning eight of their last nine SEC games. LSU right fielder Greg Deichmann is not surprised with how the team has responded down the stretch….
cut 17 (20) “…this weekend”
The series also features two of the better power hitters in college baseball. Deichmann has 17 bombs, while Mississippi State’s Brent Rooker has 20 home runs to lead the SEC. Rooker is also hitting .406 with 26 doubles and 71 RBIs. First pitch is at 6 PM.

KNOE Sports is reporting that ULM athletic director Bruce Wickstrom’s contract will not be extended. Wickstrom was hired in 2013 and the Monroe TV station is also reporting that Wickstrom did not want his contract extended.

This could be the last series for ULM baseball Coach Bruce Peddie. His Warhawks host the Ragin Cajuns. ULM has lost 10 in a row and they are 12-and-40 on the season. Meanwhile, UL Lafayette needs a sweep to help boost their NCAA Tournament resume. The Cajuns enter the series with an RPI of 41.

Louisiana Tech is also looking to increase its chances of making the NCAA Tournament as they face Middle Tennesseee. McNeese State can clinch a Southland Conference regular season title with a win over Lamar and a Houston Baptist Loss. Southeastern Louisiana looks to finish the regular season strong by hosting Seton Hall and Nicholls is trying to secure a spot in the Southland Tournament as they begin a series at Central Arkansas.

06:45 LRN Sportscast May 18th

LSU and Mississippi State battle for the SEC West championship starting tonight with a three-game series in Starkville. The Tigers lead the Bulldogs by one game in the standings. To add a little spice, former LSU assistant coach Andy Cannizaro is in his first season as the head coach of Mississippi State. Bayou Bengals right fielder Greg Deichmann…
cut 16 (17) “…this weekend”
The Tigers are playing their best baseball of the season as they’ve won nine of their last eleven. First pitch is at 6:05.

La Tech has won six consecutive conference series for the first time in program history and they visit Middle Tennessee tonight. McNeese can win the Southland title tonight win a win over Lamar and if Houston Baptist loses.

UL Lafayette is at ULM as the Warhawks finish up a disappointing season. Bruce Peddie’s club is just 12-and-40. And Grambling and Southern both lost yesterday in the SWAC Tournament.

Former LSU running back Leonard Fournette has signed his rookie contract with Jacksonville. Fournette’s four-year deal is expected to be around 27 million dollars, including an 18-million dollar signing bonus. Fournette says the money is money, but he’s in Jacksonville to win.

Former LSU Tiger Leonard Marshall says he’ll donate his brain to research after he passes away. The former defensive lineman and two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants says he already has short-term memory and erratic behavior.

LSU men’s golf won its first ever NCAA Regional title by beating Duke by eight strokes at the University Club in Baton Rouge.

The LSU-Alexandria softball team is heading to the N-A-I-A World Series for a third time in four years.

16:45 LRN Sportscast May 17th

The fifth ranked LSU baseball team hit three home runs last night in a 9-3 win over Northwestern State. Greg Deichmann hit his 17th home run, Kramer Robertson and Zach Watson also had balls that left the yard. Today, the Tigers left for Starkville, where they begin a three-game series against Mississippi State tomorrow night. LSU has a one-game lead for first place in the SEC West over the Bulldogs.

McNeese baseball can clinch its first Southland Conference championship in 11 years tomorrow when they begin a three-game series against Lamar in Lake Charles. The Pokes are 20-7 in league play and their magic number to clinch a title is two. If McNeese wins and Houston Baptist losses, the Cowboys can claim the title.

Louisiana Tech started 1-and-7 in Conference USA action. Now they are 16-11 and tied for third place in the league. The Diamond Dogs conclude the regular season with a three-game series at Middle Tennessee starting tomorrow.

Former LSU Tiger Leonard Fournette has signed his contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The franchise selected Fournette with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. By league rules, it’s a four-year deal and the team has an option for a fifth year.

ESPN.com is reporting that NFL owners will likely vote for a proposal next week that would shorten overtime from 15 to 10 minutes during regular-season games.

LSU Hall of Famer Leonard Marshall says he’ll donate his brain to research after he dies. Marshall, who is also a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Giants, says he’s struggling with short-term memory loss and erratic behavior. Marshall made the announcement at the annual Brain Trust conference, which is hosted by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Conference USA men’s and women’s Basketball championships in 2018 and 2019 will be held in Frisco, Texas.