The LSU Tigers host Northwestern State tonight. Last night the Bayou Bengals belted UNO 11-2 as Chris Sciambra had three hits and drove in four runs. The senior from Catholic High in Baton Rouge is now hitting .370 on the season….
cut 30 (16) “…ready to go”
Tonight’s game against the Demons gets underway at 6:30.

In other action tonight…the Ragin Cajuns, who had a walk-off win over 22nd ranked Houston last night, will face Southern University. Louisiana Tech hosts Arkansas Little Rock and McNeese State is at U-L-M.

In softball…number one ranked LSU is at Mississippi State, while ULM is at Louisiana Tech.

The Pelicans look to follow up last night’s win over Golden State, with another one tonight as they take on the Memphis Grizzlies. New Orleans moved past Oklahoma City last night into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. There’s just five games left and the Pels own the tie breaker over Thunder in case the two teams finish with identical records.

The NFL has its first-ever full-time female official. Here name is Sarah Thomas and she’ll work as a line-judge. Thomas has been a high school official in Mississippi and became the first female to officiate an NCAA game in 2007 and has been working as a Conference USA official.

LSU defensive back Jalen Mills’ will not have to go to trial on his simple battery charge. That’s because he’s enrolled in a one-year pretrial diversion program. Prosecutors say Mills has to perform 30 hours of community service and can’t get arrested or do drugs. The charge stemmed from a woman who claimed Mills punched her last May, which resulted in the female needing four stitches.

Big time win for the Pelicans last night as they defeated Golden State 103 to 100 to move into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with five games left. Anthony Davis scored 23 of his 29 points in the second half. New Orleans is at Memphis tonight.

Lead-off man Chris Sciambra drove in four runs as the Tigers routed UNO 11 to 2 tonight. LSU hosts Northwestern State tonight. The Demons lost to Sam Houston State eight to five last night.

Elsewhere…Tulane trounced Nicholls State seven to one, Southeastern Louisiana thumped South Alabama 12 to 2, Southern’s seven-game winning streak ended with a 12 to 9 loss to Jackson State. U-L-M upended McNeese State seven to five and the Ragin Cajuns scored three runs in the ninth to beat 22nd ranked Houston seven to six. Brian Mills drove in the winning run with a double down the right field line.

LSU defensive back Jalen Mills’ will not have to go to trial on his simple battery case. That’s because Mills has accepted a one-year pretrial diversion program to resolve the charge. Prosecutors say Mills has to perform 30 hours of community service, can’t get arrested or do drugs, undergo a psychological evaluation and take a decision making course as part of the program. The charge stemmed from a woman who claimed Mills punched her last May.

During an appearance on ESPN 104.5, 104.9 in Baton Rouge this morning, LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron called running back Leonard Fournette the most improved player on offense and quarterback Anthony Jennings has had his best spring since arriving at LSU and fellow QB Brandon Harris has gone through a transformation.

And Legendary girls high school basketball coach Steve McDowell is returning to the sidelines as he’s been named a co-head coach at Loyola Prep in Shreveport. McDowell has won 12 state championships as a coach.

The Pelicans are home tonight to face the Warriors, who have the best record in the NBA. The Pels enter tonight’s action a half game back of Oklahoma City for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Coach Monty Williams has told his team not to worry about O-K-C…
cut 20 (15) “…as well”
New Orleans has lost 11 straight games to Golden State. Tip-off is at 7 PM.

A twist in the Darren Sharper case today, as a New Orleans judge delayed the arraignment until the federal case of the drug charges is resolved. The former Saints star was expected to plead guilty in state court to charges related to drugging and raping women, in order to enact a global plea deal that would send Sharper to jail for 9 years

LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri is changing his weekend rotation. Austin Bain is the new Sunday starter after his solid outing against Alabama last weekend, while former Sunday starter Jake Godfrey will start tomorrow night instead. Godfrey has been rocked in his last two outings and Coach Paul Mainieri says the freshman from Illinois is having trouble locating his breaking ball in the strike zone and opposing hitters are sitting on his fastball…
cut 18 (16) “….bigger times”
LSU begins a six-game homestand tonight against UNO.

In other action…the Ragin Cajuns host 22nd ranked Houston. The home team has won the last eight games in this series. Also tonight…ULM hosts McNeese State, S-L-U hosts South Alabama and Nicholls State is Tulane.

There has been a surprise turn in the Darren Sharper case. The former New Orleans Saints star was expected to plead guilty to drug and rape charges in state court today in New Orleans, but the judge decided to hold off the arraignment until the federal case was resolved. Some analysts say this could be a sign there’s been a “snag” in Sharper’s global plea deal which would reportedly send him to jail for 9 years to cover the similar charges in four states.

Former LSU star and Arizona Cardinals defensive back Patrick Peterson says he’s battling diabetes. Peterson made the comment to the Arizona Republic, but did not go into details about his illness. During the season, Cardinals Coach Bruce Arians said Peterson was suffering from a blood sugar deficiency and it was impacting his play on the field. Peterson says the team docs found it and got it all under wraps.

LSU Baseball Coach Paul Mainieri says Austin Bain will start on Sunday against Auburn after he threw 6.2 shutout innings last week and earned SEC Co-Freshman of the week honors. Senior catcher Kade Scivicque likes the qualities that Bain brings to the mound….
cut 17 (11) “….to play”
Bain will take Jake Godfrey’s spot in the weekend rotation. Godfrey will start tomorrow night. Tonight, the Tigers host UNO to begin a six-game homestand.

Plenty of other college baseball action tonight….Northwestern State is at Sam Houston State, Nicholls State visits Tulane, S-L-U hosts South Alabama. McNeese State is at ULM, the Ragin Cajuns host Houston and Arkansas Little Rock is at Louisiana Tech.

LSU’s Austin Bain has been named SEC Co-Freshman of the week. Bain was outstanding out of the pen on Saturday as he pitched 6.2 shutout innings, allowing just three hits and a career-high nine strikeouts in a win over Alabama. Coach Paul Mainieri has announced Bain will start Sunday’s game against Auburn and the former Dutchtown star is looking forward to the opportunity…

cut 16 (07) “that I have”

LSU hosts UNO tonight.

Northwestern State’s Adam Oller has been named the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week. Oller tossed a complete game and tied a career-high with nine strikeouts in the Demons win over Southeastern Louisiana on Thursday.

And Nicholls second baseman Tanner Vandevere was named as the Southland Hitter of the Week as he had five hits, five RBI and five runs scored to help the Colonels put together a five-game winning streak.

Louisiana Tech hosts Arkansas-Little Rock tonight, while McNeese travels to Monroe to face ULM, Tulane welcomes Nicholls State, Northwestern visits Sam Houston State, South Alabama invades Southeastern Louisiana, and UL-Lafayette hosts Houston.

The Duke Blue Devils claimed the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament championship last night with a 68-63 win over Wisconsin in Indianapolis. This is Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s fifth national championship which puts him in second place on the all-time list behind John Wooden.

The Pelicans, who are fighting to get into the NBA Playoffs, will host Golden State tonight. The Warriors have the best record in the NBA and they are led by MVP candidate Stephen Curry. Pelicans guard Norris Cole on trying to slow down Curry…

cut 19 (13) “as possible “

The Pels enter tonight’s action just a half game back of Oklahoma City for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Someone is selling a 2009 Saints Super Bowl ring for 45-thousand dollars on Craigslist. It’s unknown who is selling the ring. The ad says “Don’t let this unique opportunity to own a piece of Saints history pass you by.”

Former NFL star and Saints safety Darren Sharper entered a not guilty plea this afternoon in US District Court in New Orleans. Sharper faces federal charges that he drugged women to rape them. It’s expected Sharper will issue a guilty plea at a later date. He’ll also appear in state court tomorrow on similiar charges. Sharper has already pleaded guility or no contest on related charges in three other state and faces a nine-year prison sentence.

If you go on Craigslist, you’ll find someone is selling a 2009 Saints Super Bowl ring for 45-thousand dollars. It’s unclear who is selling the ring. The ad says “Don’t let this unique opportunity to own a piece of Saints history pass you by.

The Pelicans will host the Golden State Warriors tomorrow night. With six games left, New Orleans finds itself a half game back of Oklahoma City for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. O-K-C hosts San Antonio tomorrow.

LSU right-hander Austin Bain has been SEC co-freshman of the week as he shares the award with Vanderbilt pitcher Kyle Wright. Bain came out of the bullpen on Saturday pitched a career-high 6.2 shutout innings, allowing three hits, no runs and struck out a career-high nine. Bain’s performance helped the Tigers complete a sweep of Alabama and today Coach Paul Mainieri named Bain the starting pitcher for this Sunday’s game against Auburn. Bain says he won’t change his approach…
cut 30 (08) “…every other week”
And because of that sweep over Alabama, LSU is once again ranked as the number one team in the country by Perfect Game.

In the Southland Conference…Northwestern State’s Adam Oller has been named Pitcher of the Week. Oller tossed a complete game and tied a career-high with nine strikeouts in the Demons win over Southeastern Louisiana on Thursday.

And Nicholls second baseman Tanner Vandevere was named as the Southland Hitter of the Week as he had five hits, five RBI and five runs scored to help the Colonels put together a five-game winning streak.

Former NFL star and Saints safety Darren Sharper is scheduled for arraignment this afternoon in federal court on drug and rape charges. It’s been reported that Sharper will get 20 years in Louisiana, but will serve just nine under a “global” plea deal. Legal analyst Chick Foret says many people aren’t happy about the leniency Sharper is getting for these very serious charges…
cut 11 (10) “been reduced”
Tomorrow Sharper will appear in state court for arraignment on aggravated rape charges.

The Pelicans are just a half-game back of Oklahoma City for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Thunder lost to Houston yesterday. New Orleans and O-K-C are in action tomorrow night, the Thunder host the Spurs, while the Pels host the Warriors.

The LSU baseball team gets back to work today after taking Easter Sunday off. The Tigers are coming off a sweep over Alabama to improve their SEC record to 8-and-4. LSU is a game and a half back of Texas A-and-M for first place in the SEC West.

Southeastern Louisiana is in first place by one game over McNeese State in the Southland. The Lions took two of three from Northwestern State, while the Cowboys swept UNO and they’ll visit ULM on Tuesday.

The Warhawks swept a doubleheader from UT Arlington on Saturday to improve to 5-and-7 in the Sun Belt. U-L Lafayette is 8-and-6 in the league after a five to one win over Georgia Southern yesterday.

New Orleans native Avery Johnson will reportedly become the next head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Johnson has been a head coach for Dallas and Brooklyn, but he’s never been a college coach before.

And tonight in the Final Four it’s Wisconsin versus Duke.

The New Orleans Pelicans picked up a win last night and the Oklahoma City Thunder lost so now the Pels are within a half game of OKC for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. New Orleans beat the Kings 101-85. Anthony Davis had a double-double for the Pels with 20 points and 10 rebounds. The Pelicans play the Portland Trail Blazers tonight.

The New Orleans Saints bring back receiver Joseph Morgan on a one-year contract. He was released last December.

The LSU baseball team once again picked up a victory over Alabama Friday to clinch the series after a crazy win Thursday night. Yesterday’s 6-2 victory improves the Bayou Bengals record to 26-5 overall and 7-4 in the SEC. LSU now looks to sweep Bama today at 2pm. Jake Godfrey will start on the mound for the Tigers.

The Ragin Cajuns baseball team fell 2-1 to Georgia Southern in the series opener Friday evening in Lafayette. The Cajuns are now 15-2 overall and 7-5 in the Sun Belt. UL-Lafayette and the Eagles return to action today at 6pm in game two of the series. The two teams wrap up the series at noon Sunday.

Louisiana Tech pounded out a rain-soaked 20-1 victory over Western Kentucky in Ruston on Friday. The C-USA series will conclude today with a doubleheader set to begin at 2pm.

ULM fell to UT Arlington Friday 10-6 Friday afternoon at Warhawk Field. The two teams will conclude the three game series this afternoon with a doubleheader.

Southeastern Louisiana got six runs early and held off Northwestern State late and regained first place in the Southland Conference yesterday with the 6-4 win over the Demons in Hammond.

It took extra innings for McNeese State to beat UNO 3-2 in Lake Charles Friday at Cowboy Diamond. The series concludes today at 3pm.

Nicholls State never trailed on Good Friday picking up an early lead over Incarnate Word and cruised to a 6-1 victory.

Drew Brees says the trade of tight end Jimmy Graham to Seattle was a total shock. In his first public comments in quite some time, the Saints Quarterback said Graham is one of his best friends and it’s going to be very different not seeing him in the locker room. There have also been rumors going around that the Saints were shopping Brees but No. 9 says he’s not paid any attention to that..:
CUT 1 (17) “from them”
Wide receiver Joe Morgan confirmed in a tweet last night that he has been re-signed by the Saints. The 27-year-old gets another chance despite a couple of rough seasons.

The New Orleans Pelicans take on the Sacramento Kings tonight at the Sleep Train Arena as they continue to look at overtaking the Oklahoma City Thunder for a final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Pels are a game and a half behind the Thunder with 8 games to go in the regular season. Oklahoma City plays the Memphis Grizzlies on the road tonight.

One voice for the three major sports. That’s what LSU says they are looking for to replace retiring play-by-play man Jim Hawthorne. Minimum qualifications for his replacement include a history of professional sports broadcasting and at least three years of experience at either the NCAA Division I or professional level. The deadline to submit an application is April 24th.

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees has made his first public comments since New Orleans traded tight end Jimmy Graham to Seattle. Brees appeared on WWL Radio yesterday and said the trade shocked everyone…
cut 30 (17) “…different team”
There were trade rumors involving Brees during this offseason, but the veteran QB says he didn’t pay attention to them.

The Saints have reportedly re-signed wide receiver Joe Morgan. Morgan was released by the team in December. He has caught 14 passes in his career and averages 34 yards a catch.

Also, the Jahri Evans contract extension that he signed earlier this week helps provide a reported four-point-six million dollars in salary cap space.

LSU baseball was involved in another crazy game last night, but the Tigers prevailed eight to five in 16 innings. Conner Hale had the big hit that gave LSU the lead for good…
cut 20 (20) “…two run lead again’
Most of LSU’s bullpen had a rough night as they gave up three leads, starting in the ninth inning. But freshman Doug Norman threw scoreless innings to get the win. Game two is this afternoon at 3 PM.

Northwestern State has moved into first place in the Southland Conference as the Demons topped Southeastern Louisiana three to one. Adam Oller improved to 5-and-1 with his third complete game of the year.

McNeese State knocked off UNO 7-3 and Nicholls State defeated Incarnate Word four to one.