An SEC west battle in baseball between LSU and Alabama begins today with a doubleheader, starting at two PM. Game two is scheduled for 6:30. These two teams tried to play last night, but it was rained out.

Also rained out…16th ranked UL Lafayette and Little Rock. The two teams will play a doubleheader today at two PM at the Tigue.

ULM’s three-game series with 26th ranked Dallas Baptist has been shifted from Warhawk Field to DBU’s Horner Ballpark. The two teams will play a doubleheader today at 3 PM.

La Tech lost its conference opener with UAB, seven to nothing as the Blazers scored six runs in the first inning.

Southeastern won its sixth straight as the Lions rallied from a three to nothing deficit to beat Abilene Christian four to three. Northwestern scored seven runs in the 9th inning to beat Sam Houston seven to five. Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi edged Nicholls five to four and McNeese blanked Incarnate Word 4-0.

The biggest upsets in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament involved teams from Conference USA and the Southland. 15th seeded Middle Tennessee shocked the Michigan State Spartans 90-81. 14th seeded Stephen F Austin won easily over 3rd seeded West Virginia 70-56.

UL Lafayette faces Furman in a second round CIT matchup today. Tip-off is at 1 PM. Kasey Shepherd is coming off a career-high 28 point performance in a Round one win over Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi. While Furman rallied back from ten down in the final two minutes to beat ULM on Monday.

The Pelicans lost to Portland 117 to 112 last night as the Trail Blazers Damian Lillard had 33 points. New Orleans Anthony Davis did not play in the second half because of a sore left knee. The Pels have lost nine of their last 11 and they’ll host the Clippers tomorrow.

The Saints will wear a special patch on their uniforms in 2016 to commemorate their 50th season as an NFL franchise.

Conference play begins tonight for the LSU baseball team as they host Alabama for the start of a three-game series. Alex Lange will be on the mound for the Tigers, while Chris Reid will start at third base for the injured O’ Neal Lochridge, who has a stress fracture in his back. Coach Paul Mainieri says he likes what he’s seen from Reid a freshman from Baton Rouge…
cut 18 (20) “…really well”
Alabama has not been good at the plate, they are last in the SEC in batting average, slugging percentage and runs scored.

Conference play also begins tonight for Louisiana Tech. The 9-and-4 Bulldogs are at 6-and-11 UAB. First pitch at Regions Field begins at 6:30.

The 16th ranked UL Lafayette baseball team begins the home portion of its Sun Belt schedule when they host Little Rock in a three-game series. The Cajuns have won three of their last four and they’ll start sophomore left-hander Gunner Leger on the mound. He’s 1-1 with a 1.52 ERA.

Severe weather in the Monroe area has led to the postponement of ULM’s home game against 26th ranked Dallas Baptist. There’s no word on when this game will be made up.

The LSU Board of Supervisors approves a new three-year contract for LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. The 55-year-old will make 300-thousand dollars less than he did last year as his annual salary for 2016 is one-point-two million. It will rise slightly over the next couple of years.

If you had Michigan State winning the NCAA Tournament, you might as well tear up your bracket. Conference USA’s Middle Tennessee upset the second-seeded Spartans 90-81. The Blue Raiders are coached by former LSU assistant Kermit Davis.

The sixth ranked LSU baseball team begins SEC play tonight against Alabama. Coach Paul Mainieri has made a change to his weekend rotation. Last year’s national freshman of the year, Alex Lange, has been starting the second game of the three-game sets, but tonight he’ll get the ball to start the series and he’s looking forward to it…:
Cut 16 (16) “to that“
First pitch is scheduled for 7pm.

The ULM baseball team will play its final non-conference weekend series of the season as it welcomes No. 26 Dallas Baptist to Monroe for three games starting today.

As former LSU and Saints star and current Black and Gold radio analyst Hokie Gajan battles cancer, he suffered a setback in fight and had to undergo an emergency surgery after a tumor in his thigh caused his femur bone to fracture.

The New Orleans Saints have signed former Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis (Laura-nie-dus). The 2009 second round draft pick was the Rams’ all time leading tackler in 2015, and indicated he was shocked at being released by the team in February due to salary cap purging. Sources say New Orleans hosted free agent defensive tackle Nick Fairley on Thursday. On another Saints note, the Black and Gold is on the verge of its 50th season, and to commemorate the big milestone, players will wear a special “50th Season” patch on their uniforms next season.

LSU wrapped up the first round of spring practice Thursday, and Leonard Fournette returned after missing Tuesday’s drills with a minor injury. Coach Les Miles said the team needs some correction and they aren’t there yet, but they have a lot of talent and will be better. He added that he told players to practice moderation during their spring break and have fun at that rate.

The Saints have inked free agent linebacker James Laurinatis to a three-year contract. Laurinatis spent his first seven seasons in St. Louis, where he never missed a start. But he’s coming off a season where he didn’t perform well and it’s unclear if he’ll play in the middle or as an outside linebacker.

New Orleans is not done rebuilding its defense. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says the Saints plan to meet with free-agent defensive tackle Nick Fairley. The former first-round pick could help a Saints run defense that was ranked next to last in 2015. The Eagles and Jets are also reportedly interested in the former Auburn star.

Former LSU and Saints star and current Black and Gold radio analyst Hokie Gajan has suffered a setback in his battle against cancer. Gajan had to undergo an emergency surgery after a tumor in his thigh caused his femur bone to fracture. A go fund me page has been established to help with Gajan’s mounting medical bills.

Details of LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s new contract have been released. Cameron’s three-year deal is worth 3.75 million dollars for the next three years, which is a slight decline in what he made in his last contract. Tigers defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator, Ed Orgeron, gets a boost in pay and he’ll make 600-thousand dollars a year.

Schools in the LHSAA are not satisfied with the current state of affairs in Louisiana, so Paul Rainwater and others are proposing a new option, the Louisiana High School Sports Cooperative. Rainwater says it will take 60 schools’ commitments to form a new organization, and they have extended the offer to schools throughout the state. Rainwater says, at the end of the day, it’s all for the kids…:
cut 30 (04) “all about”
Schools would pay a one-time membership fee of 15-thousand dollars to join the LHSSC and the new high school sports organization could begin play in 2016-17.

The Saints have been busy the last 24 hours trying to improve their defense and special teams units. The Black and Gold have signed 29-year-old linebacker James Laurinatis, who has has been a productive and durable player for the St. Louis Rams since he was drafted seven years ago. New Orleans has reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with safety Jamarca Sanford. Sanford played in all 16 games for New Orleans last season. New Orleans has also agreed to a three-year deal with free agent linebacker Nate Stupar, who was a special teams standout for the Falcons.

Details of LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s new contract have been released. Cameron’s three-year deal is worth 3.75 million dollars for the next three years, which is a slight decline in what he made in his last contract. Tigers defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator, Ed Orgeron, gets a boost in pay and he’ll make 600-thousand dollars a year.

The Southern Jaguars have been boosted from the NCAA Tournament after losting to Holy Cross 59-55. The Jaguars were just 3-of-20 from three-point land.

The Ragin Cajuns won their first round CIT matchup as the Cajuns defeated Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi 96-72.

The Pelicans snapped a four-game losing streak with a 123-108 win over Sacramento. Ryan Anderson had 29 points, while Anthony Davis had 27 points.

There are many high schools displeased with the direction the LHSAA is heading, because of the public-private split in the postseason. Former Bobby Jindal staffer, Paul Rainwater, has sent out a letter to schools seeking their interest in starting another organization and holding their championship events at LSU….
cut 11 (07) “…out costs’
Rainwater says they need at least 60 schools to commit.

Southern will face Holy Cross tonight in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Crusaders tallest player in their starting five is six-foot-seven center Malachi Alexander. Jaguars Coach Roman Banks believes they can dominate the paint tonight…
cut 17 (13) “…good at”
The game will be shown on the True TV channel at 5:40.

The Ragin Cajuns host the Islanders of Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi in the first round of the CIT. A-and-M Corpus Christi is coming off a loss to Stephen F Austin in the Southland Conference Championship. The Cajuns are led by Sun Belt player of the Shawn Long.

The Saints ahve signed linebacker Nate Stupar to a three-year contract. He’s been a special teams standout for the Atlanta Falcons.

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley delivered some harsh criticism against LSU’s Ben Simmons. Barkley said on the Dan Patrick Show that the freshman just went through the motions this past season. Simmons is expected to announce he’s entering the NBA Draft. Tigers Coach Johnny Jones is very complimentary of his superstar player….
cut 20 (20) “…program”
Simmons was named the national freshman of the year by the United States Basketball Writers Association.

The 7th ranked LSU Tigers will host UNO tonight in baseball. The Privateers are led by former LSU star Blake Dean, who is in his first season head coach. Dean has the Privateers off to a great start, they are 13-3.

Southern University takes on Holy Cross tonight in the NCAA Tournament. Both teams are 16-seeds as they meet in the First Four Round. Jaguars coach Roman Banks says they would like to push the tempo tonight…:
Cut 16 (12) “get em rotating“
Tipoff is scheduled for about 5:40.

LSU men’s basketball Johnny Jones stands by his decision to reject an opportunity to play in the NIT. Jones says a season-ending injury to Keith Hornsby and an illness to shooting guard Antonio Blakeney would have made it a tough to put a competitive team on the court…:
Cut 18 (16) “popular decision”

In the opening round of the CollegeInsider.com tournament last night, ULM dropped a heart breaker to Furman 58-57 at the buzzer. ULM shot 11-22 from the field and 5-10 from three-point range in the first half, but were held to a 10-31 clip from the field and 0-8 from beyond-the-arc in the second.

Today in the CIT, UL-Lafayette takes on Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

In college baseball, Nicholls State gets the win over Tulane Tuesday 2-1. McNeese State trumped ULM 11-2. Southeastern beat South Alabama 9-2. Grambling fell to Arkansas 14-4.

LSU will start junior right hander Alden Artwright tonight against UNO at the Box.

The No.4 LSU softball team set numerous school records last night after beating Louisiana Tech, 30-8. The Tigers got 30 runs on 27 hits and 48 at-bats which — both new program best marks as the team exploded for 15 in the 6th inning alone.

In the NBA, tonight the Pelicans take on the Kings in California.

Southern University is in Dayton, Ohio, getting ready for its NCAA Tournament game against Holy Cross tomorrow night. Jaguars Coach Roman Banks says they are thrilled to have the opportunity to play in the First Four Round…
cut 30 (16) “…perform well”
Tip-off tomorrow is at 5:40.

ULM plays tonight in the opening round of the CIT as they visit Furman, who is 18-15 on the year and 13-and-1 at home. The Warhawks have played well on the road lately, winning five straight. It’s the first ever meeting between the two teams on the hardwood. Tip-off is at six o’ clock.

UL Lafayette is in the same tournament and they’ll host Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi tomorrow night.

LSU Coach Johnny Jones met with reporters today to explain why the Tigers decided against playing in the NIT. He says the injury to Keith Hornsby and an illness to Antonio Blakeney would have made it tough for them to put a team on the floor that represents the LSU Tigers…
cut 29 (22) “…for our team”
Jones says the team is disappointed they didn’t play well enough to make the NCAA Tournament and he takes full responsibiblity for that.

In the NBA…the Pelicans are off tonight, but they are in Sacramento tomorrow night after losing to Golden State last night.

In college baseball around the state…McNeese State hosts ULM, Southeastern takes on South Alabama in Hammond and Tulane visits Nicholls State.

The Pelicans were no match last night for the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry had 27 points, five rebounds and five assists as the Warriors won their 60th game of the season by beating New Orleans 125 to 107. The Pelicans continue their road trip on Wednesday when they visit Sacramento.

The ULM men’s basketball is in Greenville, South Carolina for its CIT Opening Round matchup with Furman. The Warhawks have won five in a row on the road, while Furman is 13-and-1 at home this season.

Louisiana Tech will participate in the inaugural Vegas 16 Tournament. It will be an eight-team tournament that will begin on March 28th at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The Bulldogs first game is a week from Monday against East Tennessee State at 10:30 PM.

Southern leaves today for its opening round matchup with Holy Cross tomorrow night in Dayton, Ohio. The Crusaders are 14-19, but are in the tournament because they won the Patriot League Tournament.

At LSU’s annual pro day Monday, players put on an impressive showing as linebacker Deion Jones ran a 4.38 40-yard dash and safety Jalen Mills a 4.48. Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis was in attendance there, and said free agency is not over for New Orleans. He wouldn’t comment on a possible contract extension with Drew Brees.

In college hoops news, it’s reported that LSU freshman star Ben Simmons has already decided to sign with an agent for his pro career. Speculation increased that Simmons would leave college to enter the NBA draft after the Tigers’ ended their season on Sunday evening.

Tulane has fired their men’s basketball coach, Ed Conroy. He finished off his 6th season on Saturday in a loss to Memphis in the semifinals of the American Men’s Basketball Championship.

Louisiana Tech isn’t done with basketball as the Bulldogs will take part in the inaugural Vegas 16 which is an 8 team, single elimination three day event. It’s slated for March 28-30 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

The ULM men’s basketball team begins their post-season today as the Warhawks travel to face Furman in the opening round of the CIT.

Also in the CIT, UL-Lafayette will host Southland Conference opponent Texas A&M Corpus Christ tomorrow.

In the NCAA tournament, Southern takes on Holy Cross Wednesday.

Former LSU basketball coach Trent Johnson was fired Monday by TCU after 4 seasons.

In college baseball, McNeese State will host ULM in a pair of mid-week contests today and tomorrow in Lake Charles. They school’s athletic department says it will be collecting canned goods during the games for those affected by floods in Northeast and Southwest Louisiana.

Tulane is at Nicholls, Grambling is at Arkansas, South Alabama is at Southeastern.

Lions left-hander Kyle Cedotal has been named the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week. The senior from Denham Springs carried a perfect game into the 8th inning of SLU’s conference opener against UIW.

In the NBA the Pelicans fall to the Warriors 125-107 Monday night. New Orleans plays at Sacramento on Wednesday.