The Saints announced the signing of veteran linebacker Anthony Spencer. The 31-year-old has played his entire eight-year career in Dallas and had a big season in 2012 with 11 sacks. Current Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was the D-C in Dallas that year. Spencer injured his knee in 2013 and only had a half sack last season.

The LSU baseball begins a weekend series tonight against Auburn. Jared Poche will toe the rubber for the Tigers, while Auburn counters with sophomore right-hander Cole Lipscomb. Coach Paul Mainieri says LSU’s hitters will see some good pitching this weekend…
cut 18 (19) “….against Arkansas”
First pitch, weather permitting is at 7 PM.

The Pelicans face the Phoenix Suns tonight as New Orleans continues its push to get into the playoffs. The Pels are tied with Oklahoma City for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and there’s just four regular season games left. Point guard Jrue Holiday, who has missed the last 41 games with a stress reaction in his right leg, is listed as questionable for tonight’s game, which tips off at 7 PM.

The first ever Grand Prix of Louisiana takes place Sunday at NOLA motorsports in Avondale. There are seven American drivers that are part of the field that also includes international stars Juan Pablo Montoya and Helio Castroneves. They will travel around the 2.7 mile course 75 times. The green flag is set to drop at 2:30.

The rainy forecast will have an impact on baseball games this weekend. U-L Lafayette and McNeese State have already decided not to play play their baseball games tonight and they’ll try to play a doubleheader tomorrow.

The Pelicans resume their playoff chase tonight as they host the Phoenix Suns. The Pels are a nine point favorite to win tonight as the Suns are struggling. They’ve lost seven of their last eight. New Orleans is tied with Oklahoma City for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

LSU baseball begins a weekend set tonight against Auburn, but the forecast doesn’t look great. There’s a 90-percent chance of rain on Friday and Sunday. Coach Paul Mainieri hopes the weather will not be a distraction…
cut 17 (13) “….same thing”
Jared Poche will get the start on the mound tonight for LSU. Auburn counters with sophomore right-hander Cole Lipscomb, who is 4-0 with a 2.65 ERA.

And former LSU Tiger and St. Thomas More star Mikie Mahtook has been called up to the Big Leagues by the Tampa Bay Rays.

It looks like former Saint Jimmy Graham doesn’t have the respect of one of his new teamamtes. Seattle defensive lineman Michael Bennett called Graham soft after the Seahawks played the Saints in the 2013 playoffs. Bennett was asked during a radio interview in Seattle if he still felt that way, and Bennett said he sure does.

The Saints have released their upcoming preseason schedule. New Orleans will begin the four-week exhibition slate at Baltimore and then host defending Super Bowl champion New England and the Houston Texans in week two and three. The Black and Gold visit Green Bay in the preseason finale. The only specific date and time that’s been finalized is the game against the Texans, which is scheduled to kick-off on Sunday August 30th at 3 PM.

Former Ragin Cajuns star Charles Tillman has signed with the Carolina Panthers. Tillman leads active defensive backs with 41 forced fumbles and is fourth with 36 interceptions, but has only played 10 games the last two seasons because of triceps injuries.

The LSU Tigers put their six-game winning streak on the line tonight when they host Auburn to begin a weekend set with the War Eagles. In their last 12 games, LSU has had at least 10 hits in each of those contests and shortstop Alex Bregman says there’s not an easy out in their line-up…

cut 16 (09) “keep doing that”

Jared Poche will get the start on the mound tonight while Auburn is expected to counter with sophomore right-hander Cole Lipscomb. Tonight’s game is set to begin at 7 PM, but the forecast doesn’t look good for the weekend as there’s an 80 to 90-percent chance of rain each day.

Former LSU standout Mikie Mahtook will get a taste of the big leagues tonight. The Tampa Bay Rays called up Mahtook from Triple-A Durham to replace John Jaso in the lineup. During his time at LSU, Mahtook batted .344, with 35 home runs, and 60 stolen bases. The Rays play the Marlins in Miami tonight.

The Saints have released their upcoming preseason schedule. New Orleans will begin the four-week exhibition slate at Baltimore and then host defending Super Bowl champion New England and the Houston Texans in week two and three. The Black and Gold visit Green Bay in the preseason finale. The only specific date and time that’s been finalized is the game against the Texans, which is scheduled to kick-off on Sunday August 30th at 3 PM.

In other NFL news…former Ragin Cajuns star Charles Tillman has signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. The 34-year-old cornerback has 36 interceptions in his career, but only played two games for the Chicago Bears last year because of a triceps injury.

Former LSU running back Stevan Ridley has signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets. Ridley spent his first four seasons with the Patriots, but his season ended last year in October with an ACL injury.

The Pelicans are tied with Oklahoma City for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Both teams are in action tonight as the Thunder host the Kings while the Pels take on Phoenix in the Smoothie King Center. There are just four games left in the regular season.

The Saints have released their preseason schedule. New Orleans will begin the four-week exhibition slate at Baltimore and then host defending Super Bowl champion New England and the Houston Texans week two and three. The Black and Gold visit Green Bay in the preseason finale. The only specific date and time that’s been finalized is the game against the Texans, which is scheduled to kick-off on Sunday August 30th at 3 PM.

In other NFL news…former Ragin Cajuns star Charles Tillman has signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. The 34-year-old cornerback has 36 interceptions in his career, but only played two games last year because of a triceps injury.

Former LSU running back Stevan Ridley has signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets. Ridley spent his first four seasons with the Patriots, but his season ended last year in October with an ACL injury.

The Pelicans are off tonight after taking a beating in Memphis last night. The Grizzlies mauled New Orleans 110 to 74. The loss puts New Orleans in a tie with Oklahoma City for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. There’s four games left in the regular season, the Pels host Phoenix tomorrow, while the Thunder host the Kings.

Last night in college baseball…the LSU Tigers defeated Northwestern State nine to six. That’s six straight wins for the Bayou Bengals, who will host Auburn for a weekend set starting Friday. Auburn is 4-and-8 in league place.

In other action this weekend….U-L-M is at Georgia State. The Warhawks are 5-and-7 in the Sun Belt, while the Panthers are 8-and-3 and in first place in the league.

In the Southland…Southeastern Louisiana is in first place, but the Lions are at Utah this weekend for a three game series. McNeese State is a half a game back of S-L-U. The Cowboys will host Lamar for three.

LSU belted three home runs last night as they defeated Northwestern State nine to six. Jake Fraley, Chris Sciambra and Jared Foster were the ones who homered. Demons catcher Garrett Logan homered for Northwestern, who fell to 17-and-15 on the season.

In other action…the Ragin Cajuns crushed Southern 14 to 1. Stefan Trosclair homered for the fourth time in five games in the victory. Louisiana Tech topped Arkansas Little Rock seven to one. Brandon Bristo was the winning pitcher as he allowed one run on six hits in seven strong innings.

ULM played two games against two different teams yesterday. They started the day with a three to two loss to Nicholls State in ten innings. The Colonels won, despite only getting five hits. But ULM won the second game of the day as they defeated McNeese State four to three. Brayden Bouchey was the winning pitcher to improve his record to 3-and-1.

Looking ahead to tomorrow,,,LSU begins a series at home against Auburn.

After a great win on Tuesday, the Pelicans laid an egg last night in a 110-74 defeat to Memphis. Anthony Davis was held to 12 points and five rebounds. New Orleans is now tied with Oklahoma City for the final playoff spot in the west. The Pels host Phoenix on Friday.

Former LSU Tiger Stevan Ridley has signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets. Ridley spent his first four seasons with the Patriots, but his season ended last year in October with an ACL injury.

Metairie state Representative Joe Lopinto files a bill that would essentially make playing fantasy football online for money legal. He says under the measure, Louisiana residents wouldn’t be restricted from collecting money online if they win at fantasy…:
cut 14 (08) “state of Louisiana”
Right now in Louisiana, “play-for-cash” computer fantasy football violates state gambling laws.

There is a bill filed for the upcoming legislative session that would essentially make playing fantasy football online for money legal. Right now in Louisiana, “play-for-cash” computer fantasy football would violate state gambling laws. The measure is by Metairie Representative Joe Lopinto who says there are numerous states which create gambling exceptions for fantasy…

cut 13 (08) “game of skill”

Lopinto says the bill specifies that no winning outcome would be based on scores, point spreads or on any single performance of a certain athlete. The legislative session begins Monday.

The Pelicans fall back into a tie with Oklahoma City for the last Western Conference playoff spot after last night’s 110-74 beat down by the Memphis Grizzlies. Anthony Davis’ 12 points lead the Pels and Quincy Pondexter added 11 as the team shot a dismal 35 percent from the field. Only four games remain on the Pelicans’ regular season schedule, the next one is in Phoenix Friday night.

LSU had 15 hits last night, including three home runs, as they held off Northwestern State 9-6. Freshman Jake Godfrey picks up the win for the Tigers, who improve to 29-5. The loss goes to the Demons’ Evan Tidwell. LSU hosts Auburn for a three-game SEC series beginning Friday. Northwestern will try to bounce back when they host UNO this weekend.

ULM split a double header with a couple of Southland Conference teams yesterday. In the first game, the Warhawks fell to Nicholls State 3-2 in 10 innings. Pinch runner Byron Cobb scored the game winner on David Zorn’s fielder’s choice. ULM bounced right back to hold off McNeese State in the second contest 4-3. The Cowboys’ three runs came off three solo home runs. The Warhawks are now 17-15 and hit the road for a Sun Belt Conference weekend series against Georgia State. McNeese hosts Lamar in a Southland series beginning Friday and Nicholls travels to take on Central Arkansas.

Louisiana Tech completed a two game mid-week sweep of Arkansas-Little Rock with a 7-1 win.

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.