Tulane once again got the best of LSU as they pick up a 4-1 win Tuesday night in New Orleans in front of a sold out crowd. Tulane right-hander JP France limited No. 8 LSU to one run through over 7 innings to lead No. 20 Tulane to the victory. LSU opens a three-game SEC series Thursday against Ole Miss.

No. 14 UL-Lafayette fell 7-2 to nationally ranked Southern Miss on the road. The Ragin Cajuns returns to action tonight as Louisiana Tech comes to Lafayette.

Stephen F Austin scored all of its runs in the 7th and 8th innings to get by ULM 6-2 last night.

McNeese State scored four runs in the top of the 7th but were unable to hold off Louisiana Tech with three runs in the bottom of the frame that led to a 9-7 win over the Cowboys.

UNO pounded Southeastern as the Privateers pick up a season high 25 hits on their way to a 23-3 victory in 7 innings against the Jags.

Northwestern State beat Mississippi Valley 10-7. They’ll play again today.

Former Louisiana Tech star Vernon Butler is in Chicago as he is one of 25 players that is attending the NFL draft after receiving a personal invitation from Commissioner Roger Goodell. Butler is confident he’ll hear his name called when the first round takes place tomorrow night…:
Cut 17 (07) “….true really”
He says he would love to be taken by the Saints, who have the 12th overall pick.

The NFL Network reports the Saints talked about trading some of their draft picks to acquire the number one overall pick, so they can select a quarterback. ESPN says that’s not true, but the team is interested in drafting a QB.

In men’s basketball, LSU guard Antonio Blakeney’s name showed up on a list of players who filed early for the NBA draft. Blakeney announced last week that he would return to school for his sophomore season, which coach Johnny Jones confirmed Tuesday.

Richie Riley was introduced as the new men’s basketball coach at Nicholls. The 33-year-old is the 11th head coach in Colonel men’s basketball history.

The NFL Network reports the Saints talked about trading some of their draft picks to acquire the number one overall pick, so they can select a quarterback. Mike Triplett with ESPN says those discussions never occurred, but the team is interested in drafting a QB as 37-year-old Drew Brees is entering the final year of his contract.

LSU and Tulane renew its rivalry on the baseball diamond when the two ranked teams meet at sold-out Turchin Stadium. The Green Wave is looking to sweep the season series as Tulane beat the Tigers 7-1 earlier this season at Alex Box Stadium.

UL Lafayette announced that it has added Houston to this year’s schedule. The Cajuns will travel down I-10 to play the Cougars on May 11th at 5 PM. Tonight, the Cajuns have another tough road midweek game as they visit Southern Miss.

Elsewhere tonight….ULM is at Stephen F Austin, Grambling hosts Alcorn and Northwestern State begins a two-game series against Mississippi Valley State.

Richie Riley was introduced as the new men’s basketball coach at Nicholls. The 33-year-old is the 11th head coach in Colonel men’s basketball hsitory. Riley was an assistant at Clemson the last two seasons. He’s also served as an assistant at UAB, Eastern Kentucky and Coastal Carolina. Riley played his college basketball at Eastern Kentucky.

The Pelicans television ratings on Fox Sports New Orleans dropped 32-percent from the previous season. That’s the fifth biggest drop in the league according to reasearch done by the Sports Business Journal. After making the playoffs in the 2014-15 season, New Orleans finished 22 games under five-hundred last season.

In the NBA playoffs…the Clippers have announced former Hornet Chris Paul is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to fix his broken hand. Paul’s teammate Blake Griffin is out for the playoffs with an injured left quad.

Former Louisiana Tech star, Paul Millsap, and the Atlanta Hawks face the Boston Celtics tonight. That series is tied at two games a piece.

The NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport reports the Saints discussed making a trade so they can get the number one pick and select a quarterback. But the trade was worth too many draft picks. However, Rapaport says the Saints are still looking to move up, as they are interested in selecting Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch. Lynch’s agent, Leigh Steinberg, was on WWL Radio last night and said the Saints are one of the team’s interested in Lynch.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees is entering the final year of his contract. Brees appeared on the Dan Patrick show and said contract negotiations are ongoing and still plans on retiring as a Saint.

Former LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell tells Sports Illustrated he would play for free if given another chance at the NFL. Russell hasn’t played in the NFL since 2009. The former number one pick says he still has the fire to play. He says he can start as a water boy and move his way on to the scout team.

In college baseball tonight…eighth ranked LSU is at 20th ranked Tulane. The game is a sell out as the Green Wave are looking for their first series sweep over the Tigers since 2007. Tulane beat the Tigers 7-1 earlier this season.

Elsewhere…the Ragin Cajuns are at 14th ranked Southern Miss. UL Lafayette is 27-13 and their RPI is 12. The Golden Eagles are 29-12 on the year. UNO visits Southern. The Privateers have won six in a row. Northwestern State faces Mississippi Valley State for the start of a two-game series. Grambling hosts Alcorn State and ULM visits Stephen F Austin. The Warhawks have lost four in a row.

Legislation that attempted to force changes with the LHSAA’s split playoff format was defeated in the House on a vote of 34 in favor and 51 opposed. River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot is the author of the measure and says it isn’t right that the playoffs are split between public and private schools…
cut 15 (05) “…that hunt”

A big college baseball rivalry in Louisiana hits the diamond tonight, as LSU travels to face Tulane. The Green Wave dominated the Tigers nearly a month a go in Baton Rouge. Tulane announced the meeting tonight at Turchin Stadium will be seen in front of a sold-out crowd. Baseball American ranks LSU as No. 5, while Tulane sits at number 20.

NO. 23 UL-Lafayette is at Southern Miss today. UNO plays Southern in Baton Rouge. ULM is at Stephen F Austin. Grambling hosts Alcorn State. Northwestern State welcomes MVSU.

Ahead of the 2016 NFL draft which begins on Thursday, the Saints have released safety Vinnie Sunseri and defensive end Tavaris Barnes.

The New Orleans Zephyr’s announced their field in Metairie could land an SEC baseball tournament. League officials are set to visit the site Saturday.

Nicholls State announced Monday that Richie Riley, an assistant at Clemson, will be the new men’s basketball coach. He’ll be introduced later this morning.

The full House sacks a bill aimed at putting an end to the public-private school playoff split in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. The lower chamber voted 51-34 against the legislation. Stonewall Representative Larry Bagley says the legislature shouldn’t get involved in the LHSAA’s matters…:
Cut 13 (11) “the LHSAA”
But supporters said the split is discriminatory which is why lawmakers have a right to step in. This effort is likely over for the current session.

Hunters in Sportsman’s Paradise could be soon allowed to wear florescent pink on their safety gear as an alternative to the mandated hunter orange. The measure heads to Governor John Bel Edwards desk for his signature. The bill’s author says she brought the bill in hopes that the girly color would encourage more women to explore the outdoors by hunting.

The LSU baseball team avoided a sweep to Mississippi State by beating the Bulldogs 11 to 8. Jake Fraley was one of the Tigers’ hitting stars, as he collected three hits, including an RBI triple. Fraley says it was a big win for the Tigers…
cut 19 (09) “….it into Tulane”
Tomorrow’s game against Tulane, begins a four-game road trip for the Tigers, who are ranked 11th in the latest D1 poll. The Green Wave, who swept UCF over the weekend, is ranked 22nd.

Elsewhere in college baseball, Louisiana Tech took two of three from Old Dominion. The Bulldogs host McNeese State tomorrow. The Cowboys are coming off a seven to six win over Southeastern Louisiana. But the Lions are still in first place in the Southland with a 15-3 league record. S-L-U is not in action again until Friday when they host Houston Baptist.

The Saints made a couple of roster moves today. They’ve released safety Vinnie Sunseri and defensive end Tavaris Barnes. Sunseri spent all of 2015 on injured reserve after he was drafted out of Alabama in 2014. Barnes appeared in a dozen games last year and registered just five tackles. With the release of Sunseri. That means only one player is still left from the 2014 draft class and that’s wide receiver Brandin Cooks.

Louisiana Tech football recruit, David Beasley, has been charged with first-degree battery and aggravated robbery following a weekend shooting in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Bulldog athletic officials have not commented on the incident.

Nicholls State will hold a press conference tomorrow to introduce their new men’s basketball coach. His name is Richie Riley, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant at Clemson. Riley also coached at UAB, Eastern Kentucky and Coastal Carolina.

The LSU Tigers got a much needed win yesterday as they defeated Mississippi State 11 to 8 to avoid a sweep by the Bulldogs at Alex Box Stadium. Coach Paul Mainieri got some good work out of his bullpen, including Russell Reynolds, who earned his first win of the season after throwing 2.2 innings…..
cut 18 (11) “…key innings”
LSU is in a three-way tie for second place in the SEC West. The Tigers are at 20th ranked Tulane on Tuesday. The Green Wave swept UCF in Orlando this weekend.

In the Sun Belt, UL Lafayette is now 12-6 in the league after taking two of three from Texas State. ULM is now 6-12 after getting swept by Arkansas State.

Southeastern Louisiana is still in first place in the Southland, despite losing to McNeese seven to six yesterday.

A bill dealing with the LHSAA playoff split will be heard on the House floor today. LHSAA member principals voted to expand the postseason split in January, but a special meeting will take place in June to vote on a metro-rural division plan, which would also combine 4A with 5A and B with C. But River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot says he’s still moving forward with his bill, even though it appears the LHSAA is taking a positive step to rectify the situation…
cut 6 (10) “…fair shake”
Talbot says he doesn’t believe schools should be divided based on whether they are a public or a private school.

In basketball, Nicholls State has called for a press conference tomorrow at 11:30 to announce Richie Riley as the new men’s basketball coach. Riley has been assistant at Clemson the last two seasons.

No. 5 LSU avoided a sweep against Mississippi State by beating the Bulldogs 11-8 on Sunday. The Tigers scored all of their runs in the three middle innings, after falling behind 3-0. Coach Paul Mainieri is happy they pulled off the victory…:
Cut 17 (13) “of em”

Also Sunday, Louisiana Tech blanked Old Dominion 12-0 in 7 innings. UL-Lafayette edged Texas State 1-0. McNeese State edged Southeastern 7-6. UL-Monroe fell to Arkansas State 5-4. Northwestern State beat Central Arkansas 7-5 in 10 innings. Nicholls State fell to Nebraska 4-2.

In NBA playoff local focus news, former Louisiana Tech star Paul Millsap scored a career high 45 points for the Hawks, but Atlanta ended up losing to Boston.

The New Orleans Pelicans cancelled today’s planned news conference with General Manager Dell Demps. There was no explanation about what prompted the change. Demps is expected to return, but the Pelicans fan base is not happy about it.

The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly fired former New Orleans coach Byron Scott. While with the Hornets in 2008, Scott was named Coach of the Year.

ESPN is reporting that Clemson assistant basketball coach Richie Riley is expected to be named the new head coach at Nicholls State.

A bill that would force the LHSAA to end its public-private school playoff split will be heard on the House floor today. River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot says, under his bill, schools wouldn’t get public funds if they belong to an athletic organization with split playoffs. He says the LHSAA’s current playoff split is discriminatory…:
cut 4 (05) “somebody else”
But opponents don’t think the legislature should be involved in this controversy.

A big Southeastern Conference baseball series begins tonight at Alex Box Stadium as LSU hosts Mississippi State. The Tigers and Bulldogs are chasing Texas A&M for first place in the SEC West. LSU is one game back, while State is two games back of the Aggies. Coach Paul Mainieri says it makes sense that a lot is on the line this weekend at the Box…
cut 18 (19) “…part of the country”
Good pitching match-up for tonight’s game. Jared Poche goes for LSU, while State counters with Dakota Hudson, one of the top draft prospects in this summer’s Major League Baseball draft. First pitch is at 7 PM.

The 20th ranked Ragin Cajuns begin a Sun Belt series tonight against Texas State at the Tigue. UL Lafayette is in second place in the Sun Belt as they’ve won 13 of its last 16. The Bobcats are in fourth place in the conference and have lost five straight.

Elsewhere…ULM is at Arkansas State. The Warhawks have lost four of their last six, but took a series from Georgia State last weekend.

Louisiana Tech begins a weekend series against Old Dominion tonight. The Bulldogs are tied for fourth in Conference USA as they are 8-7 in league play. The Monarchs are 7-8.

And there’s a big Southland series in Hammond as Southeastern Louisiana hosts McNeese State. The Lions lead the league with a 13-2 conference record, while the Cowboys are 12-6. There’s an outstanding pitching match-up in game one as Kyle Cedotal starts for SLU. McNeese counters with Kaleb Fontenot. Both have an ERA below 2.

Before tonight’s game against Mississippi State, LSU will retire the jersey of former baseball great Eddy Furniss. The all-american first baseman is the 10th LSU athlete or coach to have his jersey retired. Once the game begins, LSU’s pitchers will look to slow down a Mississippi State offense that has the third highest team batting average in the SEC and Coach Paul Mainieri says the key is to limit traffic on the basepaths.
cut 17 (13) “….certainly helps”
In the SEC West standings, both LSU and Mississippi State trail Texas A&M for first place. The Tigers are one game back, while the Bulldogs are two back.

Elsewhere…UL Lafayette hosts Texas State. The Ragin Cajuns are in second place in the Sun Belt, while the Bobcats are in fourth place. And in the Southland….McNeese is at Southeastern. The Lions are 13-2 in the league and the Cowboys are 12-6 and playing their best baseball of the season.

It’s been reported that wide receiver Robert Meachem will work out for his former team today at the Saints training facility. Meachem didn’t play in the NFL last season and only caught 23 passes in New Orleans during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

As an Orleans Parish grand jury considers the evidence to charge Cardell Hayes in the fatal shooting of former New Orleans Saints player Will Smith, Hayes’ lawyer wants his client to appear before the panel to answer their questions.

Louisiana Tech men’s basketball has signed a power forward. Omar Sherman is six-foot-eight, 250 pounds and played last season at Paris Junior College, where he averaged nearly 15 points and shot 56-percent from the field. Sherman started his college career at Miami and transferred out after one season.

After a late night at Alex Box Stadium, the LSU baseball team had a practice this afternoon as they get ready for a big SEC series against Mississippi State. The Tigers won their fifth straight last night as they defeated Southeastern Louisiana 11-4. The two teams had to wait out a two-hour, 24-minute rain delay.

Mississippi State also had a late night last night as they played a 14-inning affair against ULM. The Bulldogs won one to nothing in Biloxi.

ULM returns to Sun Belt play on Friday as they begin a three-game series in Jonesboro against Arkansas State. The Warhawks are six and nine in league play, while A-S-U is 5-and-13.

The 20th ranked Ragin Cajuns will host Texas State for three games at the Tigue. UL Lafayette has won 13 of its last 16 and they are in second place in the Sun Belt with a 10-5 record. Gunner Leger pitches tomorrow and first pitch is at 6 PM.

Saints guard Tim Lelito has announced on Instagram that he’s signed his restricted free agent tender, which keeps him in Black and Gold for another season. Lelito will receive a salary of one-point-six million dollars.

LSU announces Robert Kirby has returned to coach Johnny Jones’ coaching staff. Kirby has been named an associate head basketball coach. He’ll replace David Patrick, who took a job as an assistant at TCU. Kirby was also at LSU during the 2012-13 season, which was Jones’ first season.