The NFL has awarded Super Bowl 53 to Atlanta over New Orleans, as the Georgia city received more votes from the league’s owners than the Crescent City. It’s a second consecutive defeat for New Orleans, who also placed a bid to host the Super Bowl in 2018, but lost to Minneapolis. In both cases, New Orleans lost out to cities, who were building new stadiums.

Tonight, LSU faces Tennessee in the SEC Tournament. The Tigers have won 11 of their last 12 games and they’ve put themselves in a position to possibly be a Top 8 National seed and host up until the College World Series. Coach Paul Mainieri says his team is worthy of Top 8 national seed consideration….
cut 18 (10) “….NCAA Tournament”
If LSU loseses tonight, they are elimianted from the SEC Tourney, a win, then it’s double-elimination until Saturday of the tournment.

Louisiana Tech and Rice will meet tomorrow in the Conference USA Baseball Tournament. It will be the fourth meeting in the last six days between the two teams as Tech just swept a three-game series from the Owls. The Bulldogs have won 10 of their last 12, since losing a tough heart breaking extra inning game to Texas San Antonio. Shortstop Chandler Hall says the team learned a tough lesson from that loss…
cut 20 (14) “….at today”
Louisiana Tech is seeking its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1987.

In other conference baseball action….Tulane faces Central Florida in the first round of the American Athletic Conference tonight. Tomorrow morning, McNeese battles Northwestern State in the Southland Tourney at 9 AM. At noon, it’s UNO versus Southeastern Louisiana.

UL Lafayette is the top seed in the Sun Belt and the Cajuns will play Arkansas State.

We’ll find out today if New Orleans will host a Super Bowl in 2019. A vote by the league’s owners, who are in meeting in Charlotte, is expected after the various cities make their pitches. Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Miami are New Orleans main compeition for Super Bowl 53. Jason La Canfora, with C-B-S Sports-dot-com says the league loves having the game in New Orleans…
cut 8 (09) “…destination spot”
But Atlanta is building a brand new stadium and Miami’s stadium is also undergoing a massive renovation.

Organized Team Activiites begin today for the Saints as it’s the first time they’ll be on the field as the Black and Gold will be able to do some 11-on-11 drills, but no contact is permitted. It’s a chance for some of the new Saints players, like linebacker James Laurinaitis and the recent draft picks, to get used to their new teammates.

LSU begins it’s effort to win a 12th SEC Baseball Tournament championship today as they play Tennessee in the late game in Hoover, Alabama. Freshman left-hander Jake Latz will start on the mound. Coach Paul Mainieri also had the option to use seven-game winner Alex Lange, who last pitched three innings on Thursday. Mainieri says Lange will pitch tomorrow night against Florida, if the Tigers win tonight…
cut 17 (08) “…rush him back”
First pitch tonight is expected around eight o’ clock.

The American Athletic Conference Tournament also begins tonight. Tulane is the top-seed in the double-elimination tournament after losing just one conference series on the season. The Green Wave will face Central Florida in Clearwater, Florida at 6 PM.

UL Lafayette will have a chance to host a regional if they perform well in the Sun Belt Tournament, which starts tomorrow in San Marcos, Texas. The Cajuns faces Arkansas State tomorrow night.

LSU freshman left-hander Jake Latz will start on the mound tonight for the Tigers when they take on Tennessee in the SEC Tournament. Latz has only appeared three games this season as he recovered from elbow surgery. But Coach Paul Mainieri says Latz pitched well on Saturday and hopes his arm troubles are behind him…:
Cut 16 (05) “this season”
LSU has put themselves in a position to possibly be a Top 8 National seed and host up until the College World Series.

Louisiana Tech will look to beat Rice for a fourth consecutive time when the two teams meet in the Conference USA Tournament on Wednesday morning in Hattiesburg. Bulldogs Coach Greg Goff…:
Cut 19 (15) “this tournament”
Louisiana Tech is seeking its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1987.

New Orleans sports officials present their pitch to the NFL owners in Charlotte today to host the 2019 Super Bowl. Emelie Gunn has more…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

In more college baseball tournament action today, Tulane is the No. 1 seed in the ACC as they take on UCF in the first round.

LSU fans are still sad today over the news that Mike the Tiger has been diagnosed with a rare form of terminal cancer. Mike VI was out playing yesterday and enjoying visitors and didn’t appear to be in pain Monday.

LSU’s live mascot, Mike the Tiger, has been diagnosed with a rare, incurable form of cancer. Mike’s attending vet, Doctor David Baker, says depending how well the treatment goes, Mike may only have a couple of more years to live. But Baker says Mike doesn’t appear to be in any pain…
cut 8 (09) “…of greeting”
Mike’s cancerous tumor is located in his face. He’ll turn 11-years-old this summer.

LSU Baseball Coach Paul Mainieri announced today that freshman left-hander Jake Latz will start on the mound when the Tigers take on Tennessee in tomorrow night’s SEC Tournament. LSU will need to win to win four games to get to the SEC Tournament championship game and shortstop Kramer Robertson says he’s looking forward to the challenge…
cut 18 (13) “…win the championship”

Louisiana Tech baseball left today for the site of the Conference USA Tournament, which is in Hattieburg, Mississipppi. The Bulldogs will play Rice on Wednesday morning. Tech just swept an emotional three-game series from the Owls to finish CUSA with a 19-10 record. That’s 11 more league wins than a year ago. Head Coach Greg Goff is proud of what his team has accomplished…
cut 30 (18) “…for a championship”
Many believe Tech has done enough to receive an at-large berth into the tourney.

The Saints announce the signing of kicker Connor Barth and wide receiver Vincent Brown. Barth has made 85-percent of his field goals during his eight-year career, mostly with Tampa Bay. Brown has played most of his five-year career with the Chargers and has caught 60 passes for 801 yards.

Sad news to report involving LSU’s live mascot, Mike the Sixth. The ten-year-old Tiger has a rare form of cancer. If left untreated, he’ll only have one to two months to live. But with treatment that includes radiation, Mike could live another year or two. His doctors believe Mike is not in any pain at this time.

Tomorrow at the NFL league meetings in Charlotte, New Orleans officials will present a bid for the Crescent City to host the Super Bowl in 2019. President and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, Jay Cicero, says they’ve worked hard with the Saints to improve their proposal after losing the 2018 Super Bowl to Minneapolis…
cut 9 (07) “….maybe thinking”
Atlanta, Miami and Tampa Bay are the other contenders for the 2019 Super Bowl.

And the Saints have anounced they’ve signed veteran free-agent wide receiver Vincent Brown. The former Charger and Raider has only caught 13 passes the last two seasons.

The LSU baseball team is on its way to Hoover, Alabama, where they’ll play Tennessee tomorrow night in the opening round of the SEC Tournament. It’s the first time LSU will have to play in the opening round of the SEC Tournament since it expanded in 2012. LSU has won the SEC Tournament five times under Coach Paul Mainieri and admits it will be more difficult this year, because they have to play on Tuesday….
cut 17 (13) “…to do so”
If the Tigers lose on Tuesday they are eliminated and then wait to see if they’ll host an NCAA regional.

After sweeping Rice, Louisiana Tech will have to play the Owls for a fourth straight time on Wednesday morning as the two teams will meet in the opening round of the Conference USA Tournament. The Bulldogs finished the regular season with 37 wins, the most since 1989.

The LSU Baseball team leaves for Hoover, Alabama today where they’ll play tomorrow night in the SEC Tournament against Tennessee. The Tigers nearly swept top ranked Florida over the weekend as they took two of three from the Gators. But it wasn’t enough to get a first round bye in the SEC Tourney. Coach Paul Mainieri is not disappointed…:
Cut 16 (13) “ashamed of”
If the Tigers lose on Tuesday they are eliminated and then wait to see if they’ll host an NCAA regional.

19th ranked UL-Lafayette completed the sweep of ULM with a 6-2 win in the series finale. The Ragin Cajuns share in the Sun Belt regular season crown with South Alabama, but they will be the NO. 1 seed in the conference tournament where they will play No. 8 seed Arkansas State Wednesday in San Marcos, Texas.

Louisiana Tech swept No. 16 Rice following a 10-5 victory Saturday. The Bulldogs will be a 5-seed in the C-USA Baseball tournament which starts Wednesday where they will face NO. 4 seed Rice.

The Tulane baseball team has won its first ACC regular season title since 2005, following a 4-3 victory at Houston. The Green Wave will be the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament against Central Florida tomorrow.

Southeastern Louisiana is the No. 2 seed in the Southland Conference Tournament. The Lions face No. 7 seed New Orleans Wednesday. Game 1 will be No 6 McNeese and No. 3 Northwestern State.

New Orleans officials are in Charlotte for the NFL owners meetings, ready to make their presentation tomorrow to host the Super Bowl in 2019. Emelie Gunn has more…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Based on released court records from a deposition, Saints and Pelicans Owner Tom Benson says his daughter and grandchildren “tried to kill him” during a confrontation at the Mercedes Benz Superdome. The deposition took place at the end of March and Benson gave that answer when he was asked why he was looking to remove control of his sports franchises from Renee Benson and Rita Benson LeBlanc.

An evidence hearing in the criminal case against the man suspected of killing retired Saints defensive end Will Smith has been pushed back to June 1st. Attorneys met in court today and said they are still waiting for the final work to be done on the autopsy report. Cardell Hayes is facing a second-degree murder charge in the shooting death of Smith.

It’s a big recruiting weekend for LSU as they host the Bayou Picnic. Quarterback Myles Brennan from Mississippi who has committed to LSU will be on campus. So will one of the state’s top wide receiver prospects, Amite’s Devonta Smith.

After bad weather halted the start of the big SEC series between LSU and Florida, the two teams will try again tonight at Alex Box Stadium. Last night’s game was suspended in the third inning. There was no score and it will resume tomorrow morning at 11 AM. Tonight’s game is the regularly scheduled game two and Jared Poche will be on the hill for the Tigers.

ULM and UL Lafayette will complete their game from last night that was cut short in the 5th inning because of strong thunderstorms. The Warhawks led 1-0 when the contest was halted. They’ll also play the regularly scheduled game two contest.

Elsewhere…Louisiana Tech will look to repeat its impressive performance from last night when they defeated 16th ranked Rice 12-2. Game two is at 6 PM in Ruston.

In the Southland…Southeastern Louisiana looks to remain in first place as they visit Central Arkansas. Northwestern and Nicholls can clinch series victories in their respective series.

In the SWAC Tournament…Southern outscored Alcorn 11-10 today and the Jaguars will play Alabama State at 6 PM.

Big win for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs last night as they cooked the 16th ranked Rice Owls 12-2. It’s the most runs the Owls have given up in a Conference USA game this year. Chase Lunceford hit hits 9th home run of the season and had three hits on the night. Catcher Brent Diaz had a triple and drove in five runs. Tech is now 17-11 in Conference USA. The 17 league wins is a program record. The series continues tonight in Ruston.

After last night’s game was suspended in the third inning because of severe weather, LSU and Florida will try to restart their series tonight at 6 PM. Jared Poche will pitch tonight for the Tigers. Last night’s game suspended in the third inning, will be picked up again tomorrow morning at 11 AM and Game 3 of the series will be a seven inning contest starting at 3:30 PM.

ULM and UL Lafayette’s series has been postponed until 4 PM today. Bad weather halted game one of the series in the 5th inning with the Warhawks leading 1-0. So they’ll resume the game at 4 PM and then play game two of the series shortly after the conclusion of game one.

Federal court documents released reveal that Saints and Pelicans Owner Tom Benson said in a deposition that Renee and Rita LeBlanc Benson tried to kill him during a confrontation in a Mercedes Benz Superdome Suite. Benson made that statement after he was asked why he was seeking to remove his daughter and granddaughter from having control of his sports franchises. The Benson family remains in a succession battle over who will control the Saints and Pelicans once Mr. Benson passes away.

Southeastern Louisiana’s lead in the Southland is down to a half-game over Sam Houston State after the Lions lost to Central Arkansas 13-5 last night. Northwestern State is third place as the Demons blanked Abilene Christian two to nothing. Adam Oller improved to 8-0 on the season after pitching six shutout innings.

Nicholls kept its hopes alive to make the Southland Tournament by beating UNO 5-4. McNeese thumped Washington State 10-2.

The opening game of the series between No. 8 LSU and top-ranked Florida was suspended last night due to severe weather with the score tied at 0-0 in the bottom of the third inning. That’s where the game will resume at 11am on Saturday and it will be a full 9 inning game. The second game of the series will start at 6 tonight.

Also affected by the weather was the ULM/Ragin Cajuns game in Lafayette. The two will resume in the top of the fifth today at 4 in the top of the fifth with runners on first and seecond and two outs as the Cajuns trail 1-0.

The series opener between No. 11 Tulane and Houston was postponed due to Thursday’s rough weather.

In a three game series in Ruston, Louisiana Tech plated more runs against NO. 16 Rice than any other team in Conference USA this season in a 12-2 win over the OWls. The series continues today.

Grambling was eliminated in the SWAC tournament Thursday after falling to Southern 6-3. The victory sends the Jags into another elimination game today against Alcorn State.

The Southeastern University baseball team couldn’t overcome an eight-run outburst by Central Arkansas in the third inning as the Lions fell 13-5 in Southland Conference action.

Nicholls State kept their post season hopes alive following a come from behind 5-4 victory over New Orleans last night. The teams will meet for game two at 6 p.m. on Friday in Thibodaux.

McNeese opened its final regular season series with a 10-2 victory over Washington State on the road. They’ll do a doubleheader today.

Northwestern State shutout Abeline Christian 2-0.

Cardell Hayes, the suspect in the death of former Saints defensive end Will Smith, gets a hearing today in New Orleans. Hayes was indicted on a second-degree murder charge in April, and more details in the case could be revealed today.

The final SEC series of the year for the LSU Tigers gets underway tonight as the Bayou Bengals host number one ranked Florida. The Gators have the best team ERA in the Southeastern Conference at 2.92. But LSU center fielder Jake Fraley says his teammates are confident they can hit good pitching…
cut 19 (14) “…nine innings”
Tonight’s starting pitcher for Florida is Logan Shore, who is 10-0 with a 2.29 ERA and he’s only walked 17 hitters in 112 innings. First pitch is at 6:30.

The final regular season series of Southland Conference play also begins tonight. First place Southeastern is at Central Arkansas. Nicholls is at UNO, Northwestern hosts Abilene Christian and McNeese goes out of conference to play Washington State.

At the SWAC Tournament in New Orleans….Southern defeated Grambling 4-2, eliminating Grambling for the tournament. The Jaguars advance to play the loser of tonight’s game between Alcorn and Alabama State.

There’s a big baseball series in Ruston starting tonight as Louisiana Tech hosts 16th ranked Rice. The Bulldogs have won 16 of their last 20 and they are in fifth place in the Conference USA standings.