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SULPHUR — Winning an LHSAA title is a dream come true for most high school athletes. But to do it in your last game? Lutcher’s Jordan Bailey got that storybook ending. Bailey came on to pitch with two Berwick runners on and no outs in the bottom of the seventh. He needed just eight pitches to preserve a 5-4 Lutcher win over the top-seeded Panthers in the Class 3A title game at the LHSAA nonselect baseball tournament at McMurry Park. “I knew when I came in it was going to decide the way the game would go,” Bailey said. “So, my mindset was to stay calm and do my best. It worked. “I pitched against them earlier this year in extra innings. We won that one, and I knew what to expect. To do this as a senior and in my last game … it means everything.” Bailey struck out the first batter he faced and then got a fly-out and a ground-out to end the game, igniting a celebration with the Bulldogs players rushing to the mound. It is Lutcher’s first title since winning the 4A crown in … [Read more...] about Grand slam, clutch relief pitching power Lutcher to 5-4 victory in Class 3A final

After two days of "almost" for the UL Ragin’ Cajuns in their anticipated road series against first-place Texas State — ranked No. 12 nationally by Collegiate Baseball — the Bobcats delivered the finishing blow in the series finale Sunday by holding off UL's late rally for an 11-9 win in San Marcos, Texas. The Cajuns fell to 30-20 overall and 17-10 in league play after the sweep, while Texas State secured the top spot in the league race at 41-11 and 23-4. UL fell to fourth place in the league standings and will try to rebound when it closes out the Sun Belt regular season against Little Rock next weekend at Russo Park. Shaky bullpen efforts late cost the Cajuns over the first two days. Trailing 5-4 in the sixth inning Friday, Texas State added on late for a 7-5 win. On Saturday, UL actually led 4-3 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, only to give up home runs to John Wuthrich and Peyton Lewis in a 6-4 loss. On Sunday, the Bobcats chose a … [Read more...] about Texas State completes sweep of Ragin’ Cajuns to drop UL to fourth place in Sun Belt

UL coach Matt Deggs said it was a very quiet bus ride back to Cajun Country on Sunday evening after his club was swept by nationally-ranked Sun Belt leader Texas State in San Marcos, Texas. It wasn’t anger as much as it was disappointment after the Ragin’ Cajuns fell to 30-20 on the season with the three losses. “It was going to be an offensive series and we just stranded too many guys in layup-type situations — runner at third, less than two, etc,” Deggs said. “Saying that, I’m proud of our guys. They’re a little bit heartbroken right now. They’re sad and disappointed. I hurt with them and for them, but nothing’s over yet.” The next step is preparing for the final midweek game of the season at 6 p.m. Tuesday against Nicholls at Russo Park. “We’ll regroup, come out and get after it (Tuesday) night against a really scrappy Nicholls team and get ready for Little Rock this weekend,” Deggs said. The Colonels (25-22) proved their worth with a 6-5 win over … [Read more...] about Cajuns look to regroup against Nicholls in final midweek game after frustrating road sweep

LSU Eunice standouts Peyton LeJeune, Luke McGibboney and Brendan Moody are all hoping to finish out their junior college baseball careers in style as the defending national champion Bengals begin postseason play this week in Mississippi. But in the back of their minds is also their Division I futures for the Ragin' Cajuns. LeJeune initially committed to UL out of high school but was released from the team before the season. He then joined LSUE’s baseball team where he helped them capture the school’s seventh national championship. The former Teurlings Catholic standout said it was a dream of his to play Division I baseball and an even bigger dream to play for UL in his hometown. Although he did not make the Cajuns’ roster his first attempt, LeJeune said going to LSUE was best for him. “Hindsight is 20-20 but I think playing junior college was the best thing for my development as a player,” said LeJeune, who hit .302 in the regular season this spring … [Read more...] about LSUE standouts LeJeune, McGibboney, Moody look forward to careers at UL

The Southern baseball team hasn’t had much luck in nonconference games this season, but the Jaguars’ performance at UNO on Tuesday hints that they are nearing postseason mode. Southern dropped a 5-4 heartbreaker at UNO while playing a solid all-around game going into the final weekend of Southwestern Athletic Conference play at home against Alcorn State. The surging Jaguars (21-29, 18-9) are tied with Prairie View for the West Division lead. They need a sweep against the hapless Braves (2-36, 2-25) and a loss by PVU to get the No. 1 seed in their bracket for next week’s conference tournament at Regions Field in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern coach Chris Crenshaw said his team has been living up to the program standards lately and still has room for improvement. He’s also reminding his team that the job isn’t finished. “We’re getting close to (the top of our game),” Crenshaw said. “We’ve got our best baseball ahead of us. “I let them know we can’t take (Alcorn) lightly. We’ve … [Read more...] about Southern seeking No. 1 SWAC tournament seed in series vs. Alcorn State

Of course, she was nervous and even a little unsure of herself. UL senior outfielder Raina O’Neal hadn’t seen live pitching in almost two months with a thumb injury. And the year before that, a broken wrist reduced her to only six games all season long. The final days of her college career were flashing before her eyes and the opportunities were dwindling. Instead of yielding to that pressure, the Richmond, Texas native did exactly what her coaches and teammates expected her to do. After all, she’s Raina O’Neal. In her first at-bat since March 5 in that first game back as a starter on April 29 against Coastal Carolina, O’Neal tripled off the wall. “That’s just experience at the end of the day,” said UL pitching coach Justin Robichaux , whose Cajuns will take on Auburn at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the NCAA Clemson Regional opener in South Carolina. “Being able to be in a frame of mind where you can let yourself play the game and to reflective on, ‘I’m not prepared.’ She … [Read more...] about Raina O’Neal making the most of her final days as leader of UL’s softball program

It’s not often that a Beth Torina-coached team goes on the road to play in the NCAA regionals. This year will be only the third time LSU has played outside of Baton Rouge in the first round of the NCAA tournament since she took over the program 10 years ago. The second-seeded Tigers (34-21), along with San Diego State and Cal State Fullerton, are visitors in the double-elimination tournament hosted by Arizona State in Tempe, Arizona. LSU will kick off the regional Friday against the champions of the Mountain West, San Diego State (37-14, at 7 p.m. The last time Torina’s squad played a regional on the road was 2014, when it lost to Arizona in the championship of the Tucson regional. The first time was two years prior, in 2012, when the Tigers ran through College Station and host Texas A&M to advance to the super regionals. Don’t tell either of those teams, but Torina thinks this one is the best of the three. “This team is just a very complete team,” she said Sunday, … [Read more...] about LSU softball is in unfamiliar postseason territory — on the road in an NCAA regional

BOSTON -- Trevor Story had 3 homers, 4 hits, 7 RBIs and a stolen base to help the Boston Red Sox rally from a four-run deficit to beat the Seattle Mariners 12-6 Thursday night. He became the first second baseman in MLB history to steal a base in a three-homer game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He also joined Jim Tabor as the only Red Sox players with 5 runs, 3 dingers and 7 RBIs since RBI became an official stat in 1920. Story slugged a pair of two-run homers and a three-run shot in the eighth, and he also singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth with the help of a wild throw. In the first season of a $140 million, six-year contract, Story had just two homers in 32 games entering Thursday. "The at-bats are getting better," manager Alex Cora said. "He keeps working hard at it and he's a good athlete. He will hit. We know that. He's feeling comfortable in the environment and it's just a matter of time. Today was outstanding.'' Story entered the game batting … [Read more...] about Boston Red Sox star Trevor Story hits 3 HRs in historic performance for second baseman

With the SWAC West Division title within its grasp, Southern didn’t just get off to a fast start, it threw a knockout punch against Alcorn State on Thursday. Second baseman Jovante Dorris capped a nine-run first inning with a grand slam as the Jaguars rocked the visiting Braves 21-2 at Lee-Hines Field in a game shortened to seven innings by the mercy rule. The victory allowed Southern (22-29, 19-9 SWAC) to move into first place with two games to play by virtue of Prairie View’s 12-2 loss at Texas Southern, which is tied with Prairie View; Grambling is one game back at 18-10. Jaguars starter Joseph Battaglia (8-4) blew the Braves away with a five-pitch first inning. Battaglia went four innings for the win while getting some rest in preparation for next week’s SWAC tournament, allowing one earned run on two hits with two strikeouts and no walks. “We came out and got some hits early, swung the bats productively,” Southern coach Chris Crenshaw said. “Big Joe gave us a good start; … [Read more...] about Southern slams Alcorn State, moves into first place in SWAC West

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — LSU’s offense was enough to silence the crowd at Charles Hawkins Field on Thursday night in the final series opener of the regular season, reducing the fans to a golf-crowd volume level. By night's end, the Tigers even quieted the two infamous Vanderbilt whistlers. After a six-run second inning and a five-home run performance, the Tigers had silenced one of the best pitching staffs in the Southeastern Conference, capturing the first game of the series 13-2. The Tigers (35-18, 15-13 SEC) returned Jacob Berry to their starting lineup as the designated hitter, invigorating what had been a lackluster offensive performance against Ole Miss the previous weekend. Berry, a switch hitter who's nursing a broken right middle finger, was able to bat right-handed off the Commodores' left-handed starter, Devin Futrell. Meanwhile, LSU starter Ma’Khail Hilliard went 5⅓ innings, allowing one earned run on eight hits, striking out four and walking two of the 26 batters he … [Read more...] about LSU roughs up Vanderbilt pitching for 13-2 victory in series opener