A red hot LSU baseball team takes on the number one ranked team in the country tonight. Florida comes into the Box with an overall record of 43-9, 18-8 in conference play, which is the best record in the SEC. The Gators also have the top pitching staff in the league, with a team ERA of 2.92. Coach Paul Mainieri is impressed with the collection of arms Florida has…
cut 18 (16) “….better them”
Tonight’s starting pitcher for Florida is Logan Shore, who is 10-0 with a 2.29 ERA. Alex Lange will be on the bump for the Tigers, he’s 7-3 with a 3.76 ERA.

Elsewhere, UL Lafayette hosts ULM in the start of a Sun Belt series tonight. The Cajuns still have a chance at a regular season title, while the Warhawks are fighting to get in the Sun Belt Tournament.

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.

In the SWAC tournament…Grambling plays Southern in an elimination game.

Former LSU wide receiver and Barbe standout Trey Quinn announces he’s transferring to SMU. Quinn played two seasons for the Tigers, but wasn’t a big part of the offense his sophomore season.

There’s a report that four-star defensive tackle Travonte Valentine could return to LSU. He signed with the Tigers in 2014, but never played a down because he failed to clear NCAA academic hurdles. Valentine is now at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and still needs to complete 13 hours of summer work for him to have an opportunity to play for the Tigers this fall.

The LSU Tigers begin their final regular season series tonight against number one ranked Florida. Alex Lange will pitch tonight, but game two’s starter is Riley Smith. The junior right-hander from Texas has pitched well lately and Coach Paul Mainieri wanted to give him a shot against the Gators…:
Cut 17 (15) “we recruited”
First pitch tonight is at 6:30.

Southern University allowed 14 unanswered runs on 10 hits as top-seeded Alabama State cruised to a 27-9 win in the SWAC Tournament. The Jags will face Grambling today in an elimination round. Alcorn State took down Grambling 8-7 on the tournament’s first day.

No. 19 UL-Lafayette is set to close out the regular season as they host ULM in a three game series beginning today. The Ragin Cajuns are two games back of South Alabama for first place in the Sunbelt. The Warhawks have won three of their last five.

Southeastern Louisiana, who are among the best in the nation at putting runners on base and tied for fewest strikeouts in the Southland Conference, travels to face Central Arkansas.

In their final series before the Conference USA Championship, Louisiana Tech will host one of the league’s top teams on the diamond as 16th ranked Rice comes to Ruston.

Nicholls State and regional rival New Orleans will face off today in an away/home/away series with a Southland Conferece Tournament appearance on the line.

Tulane is at Houston, Northwestern State hosts Abilene Christian and McNeese State is at Washington State.

The Saints have signed defensive lineman David Onyemata (oin-yee-mah-tah) to a four year contract. New Orleans selected Onyemata in the fourth round of this year’s NFL Draft.

Former LSU star and three-time Super Bowl champion Kevin Faulk has been elected to the New England Patriots Hall of Fame. The Lafayette native is a member of the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and he was voted by fans to become the 25th entrant into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

The Saints are apparently looking to add a veteran wide receiver to the roster. Hakeem Nicks and Vincent Brown reportedly worked out for the coaching staff today. Nicks had back-to-back thousand yard seasons for the Giants in 2010 and 2011, while Brown’s most productive season came in 2013 when he caught 41 passes for San Diego.

The SEC announces they’ll have personnel at headquarters in Birmingham who will assist replay officials in the stadium when replay decisions are made during football games in 2016. Coach Les Miles likes the idea of a collaborative replay process…
cut 18 (11) “…probably the best”
The LSU baseball team who has won nine in a row begins a three-game series with Florida tomorrow night at Alex Box Stadium. Coach Paul Mainieri announced today that Alex Lange will start the first game of the series. Riley Smith will pitch in Friday’s game two and Jared Poche will pitch in the regular season finale on Saturday.

According to D-1 Baseball, they have LSU as a host regional site in their projection for the NCAA Tournament. D-1 baseball has Tulane as the second-seed in the Baton Rouge regional. They project Southeastern Louisiana to the Starkville Regional and Louisiana Tech would be in the Oxford Regional.

The Pelicans lucky rabbit foot did not work for last night’s NBA draft lottery. So instead of getting a top three pick, New Orleans will have the sixth pick in the draft. Shooting guards Jamal Murray and Buddy Hield, along with Providence point guard Kris Dunn and small forward Jaylen Brown from California are among the names that could be around when New Orleans picks sixth next month.

The Fighting Tigers baseball team won their ninth straight last night as they defeated Northwestern State seven to two. The top of the order was very good for LSU. Lead-off man Antoine Duplantis had three hits and the number two hitter, Jake Fraley, had a couple of RBIs. Jesse Stallings was the winning pitcher with two innings of relief.

UL Lafayette pounded UNO 17-4. It’s the first time the Cajuns have scored 17 runs since March 2014. Stefan Trosclair had three hits, drove in three and scored three times.

Nicholls upset 11th ranked Tulane two to nothing to sweep the season series. Adam Tarver struck out four in three innings to get the win.

In the latest NCAA Division one RPIs….LSU is 12, UL Lafayette is 20th, Tulane is 30th, Southeastern is 36th, Northwestern 40th and Louisiana Tech is 46.

The SWAC Tournament gets underway today in New Orleans at Wesley Barrow Stadium. At noon Grambling takes on Jackson State, while Southern battles Alabama State tonight.

LSU Football Coach Les Miles announces his coaching staff will hold “Satellite Camps” in north and south Louisiana during the first week of June. Miles says the new NCAA rule on satellite camps allow LSU to partner with instate schools to host these camps, which should benefit the likes of UL Lafayette, Louisiana Tech, Southeastern and other Louisiana schools….
cut 17 (20) “…they learn”
The first camp will take place June 2nd in Bossier City.

In the NBA…the 76ers won the draft lottery, so Philadelphia will have the first opportunity to select former LSU standout Ben Simmons. The Pelicans have the sixth pick. Last season, Sacramento selected Willie Cauley-Stein from Kentucky with the sixth pick.

In LSU’s final non-conference game of the regular season, the 8th ranked Tigers defeated Northwestern State 7-2 last night at The Box. LSU extended their win streak to nine games with the win and improved to 37-16 on the season. The Demons are 30-22. LSU hosts its final Southeastern Conference series against top-ranked Florida beginning Thursday.

The 19th-ranked Ragin’ Cajuns capped its five-game road trip with a 17-3 victory over UNO in seven innings last night in New Orleans. UL-Lafayette hosts ULM starting tomorrow in the final series of the year.

Nicholls State University upset No. 11 Tulane, earning a 2-0 shutout victory.

The New Orleans Pelicans, who had the 6th worst record in the league, will get to pick sixth in the June 23rd NBA draft. The 76ers, Lakers and Celtics will hold the top three picks. LSU forward Ben Simmons and Duke Forward Brandon Ingram are expected to be the first two players selected.

LSU Football Coach Les Miles announces his coaching staff will hold “Satellite Camps” in north and south Louisiana during the first week of June. The first camp takes place June 2nd in Bossier City and they’ll also have a kicking and specialist camp on June third at the Saints practice facility. Those camps will cost 20-bucks and Miles says there will be a free youth camp on June 7th at Joe Brown Park in New Orleans…:
Cut 16 (19) “positive thing”
LSU will participate in five satellite camps in addition to five other on-campus camps.

ESPN announces kickoff between LSU and Wisconsin has been set for 2:30 pm on Saturday September 3rd. The game will be played in the famed Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban has issued a statement in response to the two Crimson Tide football players who were arrested in Monroe overnight. Saban said he’s aware of the situation and is in the process of gathering facts. Hootie Jones and Cam Robinson were booked overnight, after guns and marijuana were allegedly found in a vehicle they occupied. KTVE-TV Sports Director Gene Ponti says this incident is shocking:
CUT 10 (07) “any sense”
Robinson played at West Monroe and Jones at Neville.

In other football news, former LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger has signed with the Chargers, one day after his release from the Tennessee Titans. The Saints have released kicker and former Louisiana Tech standout Josh Scobee. That leaves Kai Forbath as the lone kicker on their roster.

And former Texas linebacker Dalton Santos is transferring to Louisiana Tech. Santos will be eligible this season after missing all of last year with an an injury injury. He saw limited action two seasons ago.

The LSU baseball team hosts Northwestern State in a non-conference match-up tonight. After the game against the Demons, LSU will have three more games left with number one ranked Florida. The Tigers are currently tied with Ole Miss for third place in the SEC West, but Coach Paul Mainieri says the team still has the chance to move up in the league standings…
cut 16 (24) “…SEC Tournament”
IN other action tonight…Tulane hosts Nicholls, UL Lafayette is at UNO and ULM’s game at Southern Miss has been cancelled.

The Pelicans will be holding their lucky rabbit’s foot as tonight it’s the NBA draft lottery at 7 PM.

Two former northeast Louisiana prep stars and current Alabama football players are in trouble with the law after they were arrested on gun and marijuana charges early this morning in Monroe. Police say Cam Robinson and Hootie Jones were in a parked car in Forstyhe Park and an officer approached their vehicle, detecting a strong odor of marijuana. The officer ordered the two men out and allegedly found two guns in the vehicle, one of them stolen and a bag of weed. Robinson played at West Monroe and has started at Alabama at left tackle the last two seasons. Jones, who starred at Neville, has been a backup safetyfor the Tide.

LSU’s season opener against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay will kick-off at 2:30 PM. The game will air on ABC. It’s the first college football game at Lambeau since 1983 and the fourth all-time.

Tonight is the NBA draft lottery. After a 30-52 season, New Orleans has a 6-percent chance to get the number one pick. They have a 44-percent chance at the sixth pick. Pelicans executive vice president Mickey Loomis says it would be great if they got the top pick…
cut 30 (10) “…with that lottery”
That lottery is at 7 PM on ESPN.

Weather permitting, 11th ranked LSU hosts Northwestern State. The Tigers have won eight in a row and they are in position to host a regional, possibly a super regional. Tonight’s starting pitcher, John Valek, says Coach Paul Mainieri laid out the situation for them…
cut 18 (14) “…be exciting”
First pitch is at 6:30.

The LSU baseball team hosts Northwestern State in a non-conference match-up tonight. After the game against the Demons, LSU will have three more games left with number one ranked Florida. The Tigers enter the final week of the regular season with a 17-9 record in the SEC, and coach Paul Maineiri says that’s pretty darn good…:
CUT 17 (11) “our guys”
The Tigers are currently tied with Ole Miss for third place in the SEC West, but Mainieri says the team still has a chance to move up in the league standings.

No. 19 UL-Lafayette will close out its five-game road swing today as the Ragin Cajuns hosts UNO. This is a contest that was originally scheduled for April but was moved because of inclement weather. UL-Lafayette will then host ULM for the final series of the season beginning Thursday. The Warhawks play Southern Miss on the road tonight.

Nicholls State takes on No. 11 Tulane in New Orleans.

New Orleans Pelicans Coach Alvin Gentry is headed to New York today as he represents the team at the NBA Draft lottery. The position reveal will air on ESPN beginning at 7pm. The Pels finished with the 6th worst record in the NBA, so they’ll have the 6th spot in the draft lottery tonight.

The Arizona Cardinals are reportedly in negotiations with former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu which would make him among one of, if not the highest-paid safety in the NFL. The Honey Badger is entering the final year of his current four-year deal with the Cards. He is set to make roughly $1.5 million in 2016.

Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson won yet another round in his dispute with his estranged heirs over eventual ownership of the franchises. A federal judge on Monday said Benson does have the power to substitute assets previously established for the heirs. This battle however is not over.

The General Manager of the Louisiana Ice Gators says the team will suspend operations for the 2016-2017 hockey season due to renovations to the Cajundome.

Scientists are in the Gulf of Mexico studying the effects of the 88-thousand gallon oil spill from a Shell platform. Florida State University Oceanographer, Dr. Ian MacDonald says the leak is contained, but oil remains on the surface…:
CUT 7 (10) “metallic sheen”
He says they are working find out what impacts the oil will have on marine life once it starts to decompose.

The State Capitol and a nearby casino were evacuated Monday evening following apparent bomb threats, but was cleared about two hours later after no explosive devices were found. State Police said they had taken an unidentified man into custody in connection with the incident, but no arrest has been made at this time. The House had just convened for the day and there were only a few people were inside at the time. The investigation is ongoing.

The medical marijuana expansion bill is heading to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. The measure by St. Martin Parish Senator Fred Mills says those with cancer, epilepsy or HIV/AIDS will benefit from this measure…:
Cut 10 (10) “my daughters”
Governor Edwards is expected to sign the bill, but Mills says it will probably be another year or two before the public has access to medical marijuana.

Crews who were cutting the lawn in the median if I-10 in Ascension Parish discovered a body Monday, according to State Police. They did not identify the body as male or female, but they did say it appears to be a case of a hit and run crash.

The LSU Baseball Tigers are taking an eight game winning streak into the final week of the regular season. The Bayou Bengals completed a sweep of Tennessee by beating the Volunteers 10 to 7 yesterday. In the baseball rankings that came out today, LSU is ranked eighth by Baseball America and 10th by D-One-Baseball-dot-com. The Tigers host Northwestern State tomorrow night and then conclude the regular season by hosting number one ranked Florida on Thursday night.

In the Sun Belt, UL Lafayette is two games out of first place after taking two of three from league leader South Alabama. The Cajuns conclude the regular season at home with a three-game series against ULM. The Warhawks are in 9th place in the league and one game back of Arkansas State who occupies the final spot in the Sun Belt Tournament.

Grambling begins the SWAC Tournament on Wednesday. The Tigers finished second in the West Division and they’ll play Alcorn State in New Orleans on Wednesday.

The Arizona Cardinals are reportedly interested in making former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu the highest paid safety in the NFL, even though his season was shortened last year because of a torn ACL. The 24-year-old has become the anchor of the Cardinals defense after just three seasons in the league.

One other NFL note, the Titans released former LSU Quarterback Zach Mettenberger after two seasons in Tennessee. Mettenberger started 10 games for the Titans.

Tomorrow night is the NBA Draft Lottery and Head Coach Alvin Gentry will represent the team in New York in the hopes the team can receive a top three pick. If the Pels lottery ball doesn’t come up, the team will likely pick sixth in the June NBA Draft. New Orleans has a six-percent chance to get the number one pick.

The Barbe Buccaneers are now three-time defending state baseball champs in Class Five-A. Barbe added to their trophy case yesterday by beating Byrd five to two.