BATON ROUGE - LSU women's basketball announced Wednesday three transfer guards joining the Tigers and bolstering LSU's perimeter depth.

LSU added Mjracle Sheppard from Mississippi State, Kailyn Gilbert from Arizona and Shayeann Day-Wilson from Miami.

Our Three Newest Tigers ????

Shayeann Day-Wilson, Kailyn Gilbert and Mjracle Sheppard ?? pic.twitter.com/S6x22bxIGF

— LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) April 24, 2024

Gilbert averaged 15.1 points per game at Arizona, while Day-Wilson averaged 10.8 points per game and Sheppard averaged 5.1 points per game.

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BATON ROUGE - LSU's explosive offensive weapons from 2023 include a Heisman winner, Biletnikoff runner-up and the nation's leader in receiving touchdowns that project to hear their name called in Thursday's NFL Draft.

Jayden Daniels, who finished with 5,061 total yards of offense, 50 total touchdowns, and the Heisman Trophy, is heavily projected to go second overall to the Washington Commanders. ESPN's Matt Miller projected him there in his mock draft, saying "Daniels would be a great fit with the Commanders." DraftKings currently has Daniels as the favorite for the pick as well, as he sits at -550.

Past Daniels, Malik Nabers is projected to go within the top 10 picks. The Biletnikoff runner-up and all-time receiving yards leader in LSU history is projected to go sixth overall by Yahoo Sports' Charles McDonald and Nate Tice. According to McDonald and Tice, "Nabers can take any touch to the house."

Brian Thomas Jr., a breakout star who led the nation with 17 receiving touchdowns, should go in the first round at some point. CBS Sports' Dave Richard had him going to the Buffalo Bills at 28th overall, saying Thomas "still has some work to do as far as route running and technique go, but his height, wingspan, vertical and break-neck speed will make him a popular choice."

While there's no guarantee in mock drafts, LSU's 2023 offensive weapons appear to be coveted by NFL teams.

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LAFAYETTE - The LSU softball team lost their first non-conference game of the season Tuesday evening.

After posting a 24-0 record out of the SEC this Spring, the LSU softball team fell on the road to Louisiana-Lafayette Tuesday, 9-4.

Raelin Chaffin started the game for the Tigers but did not get a single out before allowing five Rajin' Cajun runs. UL-L took a 6-2 lead after the first inning and cruised to the victory.

Karli Petty was the only LSU player with two hits in the game. The Tigers had just five hits all evening.

LSU is now 35-11 this season. The Tigers host Arkansas for a three-game series starting Friday.

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BATON ROUGE - The LSU baseball team used a great pitching performance and five home runs to beat Nicholls 9-0 Tuesday night.

Kade Anderson started the game on the mound for the Tigers, tossing four shutout innings while allowing just two hits. After Anderson left the game, Christian Little, Sam Dutton, Justin Loer, and Thatcher Hurd combined to allow just one hit in five innings of work.

LSU's Tommy White went 4-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs. Josh Pearson, Jared Jones, and Steven Milam also hit home runs Tuesday.

The Tigers are now 26-16 overall this season. They welcome Auburn to Alex Box Stadium Friday night at 6:30.

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BATON ROUGE - Join in the celebration during a parade being held to honor the LSU gymnastics team, who took home the program's first NCAA championship over the weekend. 

The parade will be held on Wednesday starting at 6:30 p.m. followed by a celebratory ceremony inside the PMAC. 

The first national championship in program history calls for a big time celebration ??

Get ready to celebrate with the Tigers on Wednesday, April 24 with a parade starting at 6:30 p.m. CT and a ceremony following inside the PMAC!#GeauxTigers | #GetThere pic.twitter.com/54e0jiiJ8K

— LSU Gymnastics (@LSUgym) April 22, 2024

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FORT WORTH, TX - LSU Gymnastics won their first national championship in program history with a score of 198.2250.

The Tigers started on floor exercise. Junior KJ Johnson fell during her second tumbling pass and was scored a 9.2875, but the Tigers were able to drop her score and count every score at 9.9 or above.

Haleigh Bryant led the way on floor with a 9.9375 and Kiya Johnson anchored the team with a 9.925.

LSU was in first place after the first rotation with a team score of 49.6125.

On vault, LSU was led by Haleigh Bryant who scored a 9.95 with her front pike half.

The vault squad scored a 49.4000.

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KNOXVILLE, Tennessee - Kelley Lynch tossed a gem to carry LSU softball to a shutout win over No. 4 Tennessee.

Lynch allowed just four Volunteer hits in seven innings while striking out six en route to a 1-0 win. The only run of the game came on a Raeleen Gutierrez home run in the fourth inning.

LSU improves to 35-9 overall and 11-9 in SEC play. The No. 7 Tigers go for the series win on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

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KNOXVILLE, Tennessee - The LSU softball team once again struggled at the plate Sunday, getting shut out by No. 4 Tennessee in the series finale and losing 3-0.

It was a 0-0 game until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Volunteers finally got to Syndey Berzon and used a two-RBI double and an RBI single to take the lead.

LSU head coach Beth Torina was ejected after the sixth inning for arguing balls and strikes with the umpire, according to the broadcast.

The Tigers mustered up just four hits Sunday, getting shutout for the second time in three games. LSU only had eight hits and one run in the series at Tennessee.

The Tigers have lost two out of three games in their last three SEC series. LSU is now 35-10 overall and 11-10 in SEC play.

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Watch Big Guys No Ties with Michael Cauble and Hunter McCann for April 21, 2024.

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COLUMBIA, Missouri - The Missouri baseball team chased LSU ace Luke Holman from the mound in the fifth inning and held on late to win 8-7 Saturday.

Holman pitched 4.2 innings and allowed six runs (five earned). It ties Holman's most runs allowed in an LSU uniform.

Missouri took a 7-2 lead into the eighth inning, but LSU fought back. Hayden Travinski hit a two-run home run in the eighth, and Tommy White blasted a two-run home run in the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate. Jared Jones struck out, and then Ashton Larson grounded out to end the game.

LSU falls to 24-16 overall and 4-13 in SEC play. LSU still has a chance at their first SEC series win, playing Missouri in the rubber match Sunday at 2 p.m.

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FORT WORTH, Texas - The LSU gymnastics team is the favorite heading into Saturday's NCAA Championship Final.

The No. 2 Tigers will face off with No. 3 California, No. 4 Florida, and No. 5 Utah in a quest for LSU's first-ever national title. The two-time defending national champs, (1) Oklahoma, was surprisingly eliminated in Thursday night's semifinals.

WBRZ spoke with LSU Head Coach Jay Clark Friday about not having to face Oklahoma, and how it doesn't change his teams preparation.

"They're human and we've all been there and it can happen to anybody, I have tremendous respect for Oklahoma and those coaches," said Clark. "They've been the gold standard in our sport for a lot of years. And you know, it's been a long time since something like that happened to them, so they're a tremendous program. But, it just goes to show that on any given night, anything can happen, and that's why you hear me say what I'm saying is that we can't change our mindset, all this noise going on around us, we got to make sure that we stay true to the things that have worked for us all year."

Coverage of the NCAA Gymnastics final begins at 2:30 p.m. on WBRZ Saturday afternoon. The competition begins at 3 p.m.

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COLUMBIA, MO - LSU baseball defeated Missouri 12-1 with a run-rule Friday night.

The Tiger bats erupted for 13 hits and four home runs. Freshman Steven Milam hit his first career collegiate home run in the third inning, while Hayden Travinski, Brady Neal, and Jared Jones also went yard for LSU. 

On the mound, Gage Jump (3-1) tossed a seven-inning complete game, allowing just one run and striking out 14.

The win breaks LSU's five-game SEC losing streak. LSU is now 24-15 overall and 4-12 in SEC play.

LSU's series against Missouri continues Saturday at 4 p.m.

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BATON ROUGE - Former LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux, who is all-too-familiar with the NCAA Championships with 35 appearances, commented on LSU's appearance in the final round of the tournament.

When asked if this particular team is any different from LSU's past teams, Breaux said she did not think it was any different, but praised current coach Jay Clark as "the man," saying him being in charge of the team and the team knocking on the door of a national championship is "as gratifying as if I were there myself."

"This team is so talented and so deep and so ready," Clark said. "But Skip Bertman used to tell me, 'you gotta have a little bit of luck,' so I think there's a little bit of luck involved in this, and I think this team is ready. It's going to be an exciting meet, it's going to be a Texas shootout in there, it's going to be fabulous."

When asked if the elimination of Oklahoma, the number one team in the country, changes the pressure for the teams, Breaux said it opened the door for four teams with a "tremendous amount of parity" to get the victory.

Breaux also discussed how gratifying it was to see a program she helped define and build make it this far once again, and she used it as an opportunity to promote other successful LSU sports programs, as she attends many games across sports.

"It's a tremendous amount of gratification, and going to every event is important to me," Breaux said. "I mean, go out and follow our tennis team, our men's tennis team is knocking on the door of an SEC Championship! Go watch them. But it's the gratification of building something great and seeing it continue to be great when I'm not driving that train; Jay is, and he's doing a great job."

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Hunter McCann has the best bets for the March Madness, NBA, college baseball, NHL, and MLB!

Friday

NBA:

Bulls @ Heat: Heat -1.5

Kings @ Pelicans: Over 210 Total Points

MLB:

White Sox @ Phillies: Phillies ML

Astros @ Nationals: Astros -1.5

Mets @ Dodgers: Dodgers ML

College Baseball:

Florida @ Vanderbilt: Vanderbilt -1.5

Kansas @ Baylor: Kansas ML

LSU @ Missouri: LSU ML

Saturday

NBA:

Magic @ Cavaliers: Magic +4.5

Suns @ Timberwolves: Timberwolves -1.5

76ers @ Knicks: Knicks -2.5

NHL:

Islanders  @ Hurricanes: Hurricanes -1.5

Maples Leafs @ Bruins: Over 5.5 Goals

MLB:

Rays @ Yankees: Yankees ML

Athletics @ Guardians: Guardians ML

Rangers @ Braves: Braves ML

College Baseball: 

Ole Miss @ Georgia: Georgia -1.5

ULL @ Coastal Carolina: Coastal Carolina ML

UNC @ NC State: UNC ML

Sunday

NBA:

Mavericks @ Clippers: Clippers +2

Pacers @ Bucks: Bucks ML

NHL:

Lightning @ Panthers: Panthers ML

Avalanche @ Jets: Avalanche ML

Predators @ Canucks: Predators ML

MLB:

College Baseball: 

For an in-depth analysis of all these picks, tune into ESPN 104.5 on Saturday from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. to hear Hunter on Sports Shorts Radio. 

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KNOXVILLE, Tennessee - The No. 7 LSU softball team couldn't get anything going offensively Friday night.

The Tigers dropped the first game of a three-game series at No. 4 Tennessee, 3-0.

LSU mustered up just two hits against Tennessee's Payton Gottshall, who tossed 6.1 scoreless innings. Tiger Sydney Berzon pitched six innings and allowed just one earned run in the loss.

The Volunteers, 32-8 overall and 13-3 in the SEC, and the Tigers, 33-9 overall and 10-9 in the SEC, play again Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.

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LSU baseball begins their road weekend series on Friday night against the Missouri Tigers.

The Tigers hold a 23-15 record for the season, including a 3-12 record in SEC play.

Missouri is 17-21 on the year with a 5-10 record in SEC play. 

So. LH Gage Jump (2-1, 4.79 ERA) will take the mound for LSU while So. RH Logan Lunceford (1-2, 6.13 ERA) will be on the bump for Missouri. 

LSU has a record of 18-3 all-time versus Missouri dating back to their first series in 1986.

First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will air on the SEC Network. 

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BATON ROUGE — The Baton Rouge Zydeco announced plans for their sophomore season at a press conference Thursday morning. Headlining the announcements was the news that the team would be re-signing two players from its record-breaking inaugural season.

Forward Scott Shorrock and right winger Bradley Richardson will return for the 2024-25 season, head coach Everett Thompson announced. Thompson was announced as head coach back in February.

Richardson is a legacy Baton Rouge hockey player, with his father, Bryan Richardson, serving as captain during the Baton Rouge Kingfish's final season in 2002-2003 as their all-time goal scorer. He is the sole Baton Rouge native on the roster.

"It's pretty special to me and my family to be able to come back down here and kind of experience it again a second time," Richardson said. "I'm kind of old enough to enjoy it now because last last time I was here I was too young to really realize anything."

Wayne Hodes, general manager of the Raising Cane's River Center, reiterated the team's commitment to remaining in Baton Rouge for the long haul, highlighting the Zydeco setting attendance records for the Federal Prospects Hockey League.

The Zydeco averaged 3,958 fans per game, or two more than a team at Binghamton, New York. The previous league record was set by Binghamton last year, at 3,507. Attendance numbers for the season exceeded 110,000, team president Don Lewis said.

Hodes also cited an economic impact study by Visit Baton Rouge that showed the hockey team brought $18.1 million into the local economy, particularly downtown.

"Notwithstanding the fact that we ended on a great 6-2 run and a three-game sweep of the rival Mississippi Seawolves," Hodes said.

After signing a three-year lease with the city last April, the team plans to expand to a full promotional schedule and a more consistent 7:05 p.m. start time for games, Lewis said.

"We asked a lot of our fans and sponsors what they preferred and that's what they preferred," Lewis said. "And that's who we're here for."

The presser comes less than 24 hours after the team was honored by the Metro Council for completion of their season. Another goal for the team's next season stated at the presser, echoed by sentiments at the Metro Council ceremony, was to make the league playoffs after ending with a record of 15-36, the second lowest amount of wins league-wide.

"At the end of the season, we obviously learned how to win the games and next year our mindset is going to be how to win a championship," Edgars Ozolinich, a defenseman from Riva, Latvia, said Wednesday. "Let's bring that cup next year."

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FORT WORTH, Texas - The No. 2 LSU Gymnastics team finished in first place at the semifinals at the NCAA Championships on Thursday.

LSU finished with a score of 198.1125, with No. 3 California following behind at 197.7125. Both will advance to the finals; this will be the Tigers' second straight appearance there and 10th overall.

LSU will face Utah and Florida in the final. Notably, Oklahoma, last year's national champion, placed third, meaning they will not advance.

This LSU's 33rd appearance in the NCAA Championships.

The NCAA Championship Final will air Saturday at 3 p.m. on WBRZ. 

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FORT WORTH - Kiya Johnson has been one of the biggest names in LSU gymnastics over the past few years. She's known for her difficult skills, big scores and infectious smile. 

Johnson has been one of LSU's most reliable weapons as an All-American and former SEC Freshman of the Year, but her road has not been easy.

In her fourth year with the program, Kiya tore her achilles during the second week of the season and was sidelined for the rest of the year. 

"The recovery process was definitely long and pretty difficult at times, but again my goal was to just to get back to contributing in any way that I could for my team. I didn't really know what that would look like in the beginning of the year," Johnson said.

Now, Johnson is back to competing and averages 9.95 on floor exercise in the team's anchor spot and is competing on the biggest stage in college gymnastics in the All Around competition.

Johnson is a Dallas native, so she will get to end her collegiate career on the national stage.

"Having an ending to my career in the place that I grew up I think is going to be really fun, and I also have some old teammates that I'll get to see, so it's kind of like a homecoming or a hometown reunion that I'm really excited for, but I'm also going to keep my focus on the team and the job at hand," Johnson said.

LSU will compete in the national semi finals Thursday at 3:30 p.m.

If they are one of the top two teams by the end of the meet, they will advance to the finals on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. on WBRZ.

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