PHILADELPHIA - It's easy to wonder when former LSU pitchers Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson will be in the real-deal MLB All-Star Game, instead of the Futures Game, but for now, the latter is where they are.

Anderson, the former top-five draft pick, got the start for the American League and put away the National League on just ten pitches. Anderson is ranked as Seattle's No. 1 prospect and the No. 5 prospect in all of baseball.

Eyanson, the Red Sox No. 2 prospect, saw less action than Anderson did, with just a third of an inning pitched, but was still the winning pitcher. Down in the Minor leagues this year, Eyanson advanced from High-A to Double-A. With the Portland Sea Dogs, Eyanson's sitting with a 1.78 ERA in 35.1 innings pitched.

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GONZALES - Brock Matherne's group took a step forward in 2025, posting an 8-4 season and a playoff berth. They're looking to take another one in 2026 off the back of their returning experience and continuity on their coaching staff.

Dane Charpentier enters year two as the Spartans' offensive coordinator, and there just seems to be a higher level of comfort for East Ascension's starting offense. After all, eight out of the 11 that will start in 2026 for the Spartans started on this team a year ago.

A new face in the starting lineup, however, is running back Zion Delong. Coach Matherne has referred to the junior speedster as a "D1-type athlete". 

Paving the way for Delong up front is an offensive line that brings back four of its starters from last year. That's a lot to work with for Matherne and his staff.

On the other side of the ball, the Spartans bring back six starters, so not as many as the offense, but still a good amount. The secondary, however, will have a completely new look this season with four new starters in the EA defensive backfield.

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For the current LSU Tigers, Day two of the MLB Draft started off pretty quietly. The first LSU player of the day wasn't selected until round 10, when the Kansas City Royals took Grant Fontenot off the board.

Skip ahead to round 12 of the draft, and that's where the Toronto Blue Jays selected Santiago Garcia, the first LSU southpaw off the board in 2026. One round later, the Miami Marlins took Connor Benge. 

After Benge, once again, it would be a bit of a wait before another Tiger got called. The New York Mets ended that little drought by selecting Gavin Guidry in the 16th round.

Day one of the draft also saw a few Tigers get the call from the pro ranks, most notably Derek Curiel. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Curiel with the fifth pick in the draft. Later on in round two, the Seattle Mariners drafted Jake Brown with the 65th pick. Soon after in round four, the Philadelphia Phillies took Deven Sheerin.

TIGERS TAKEN IN THE MLB DRAFT

• CF Derek Curiel - No. 5 Pittsburgh Pirates
• RF Jake Brown - No. 65 Seattle Mariners
• RHP Deven Sheerin - No. 128 Philadelphia Phillies
• RHP Grant Fontenot - No. 299 Kansas City Royals
• LHP Santiago Garcia - No. 372 Toronto Blue Jays
• RHP Connor Benge - No. 385 Miami Marlins
• RHP Gavin Guidry - No. 480 New York Mets
• RHP Zac Cowan - No. 573 Cleveland Guardians

LSU HIGH SCHOOL SIGNEES TAKEN IN THE MLB DRAFT

• LHP Logan Schmidt - No. 59 Cleveland Guardians
• RHP Jensen Hirschkorn - No. 84 Atlanta Braves
• OF Wessley Roberson - #115 Miami Marlins
• RHP Dylan Blomker - #159 Chicago Cubs
• LHP Spencer Evans - #318 Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1B Will Adams - #336 Detroit Tigers
• OF Anthony Murphy - #466 Washington Nationals
• OF Malachi Washington - #528 Pittsburgh Pirates
• OF Dominic Santarelli - #550 Seattle Mariners

It should be noted that Malachi Washington and Dominic Santarelli have both posted on their respective social media accounts that they plan to come to LSU.

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BATON ROUGE - He had to wait a little while, but LSU pitcher Grant Fontenot finally heard his name called. The Kansas City Royals took Fontenot with the 299th pick in the MLB Draft.

The Lafayette native made 27 appearances during his two years at LSU, running up 47 strikeouts in that span. During the 2026 season, Fontenot emerged as one of the better arms in the Tiger bullpen and also set a college career high in appearances and innings pitched.

Fontenot becomes the second LSU pitcher to get taken in the draft, joining Deven Sheerin. In total, Fontenot is the fourth Tiger to be taken this weekend.

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BATON ROUGE - Derek Curiel joining Paul Skenes in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization kicked off what ended up being a pretty quiet day for LSU baseball. In total, only three Tigers were selected, and only three of LSU's high school signees were taken.

The draft is only four rounds in, so a lot can still happen in the remaining 16 rounds, but at the end of day one, Jay Johnson has 16 high school players who have not been drafted yet. A key member of that high school class, right-handed pitcher Coleton Brady, announced earlier today that he withdrew his name from the draft and he's going to attend LSU.

The only other Tigers selected were Jake Brown at No. 65 to the Seattle Mariners and Deven Sheerin at No. 128 to the Philadelphia Phillies.

TIGERS TAKEN IN THE DRAFT ON DAY 1:

• CF Derek Curiel - No. 5 Pittsburgh Pirates
• RF Jake Brown - No. 65 Seattle Mariners
• RHP Deven Sheerin - No. 128 Philadelphia Phillies

LSU HIGH SCHOOL SIGNEES TAKEN IN THE DRAFT ON DAY 1:

• LHP Logan Schmidt - No. 59 Cleveland Guardians
• RHP Jensen Hirschkorn - No. 84 Atlanta Braves
• OF Wessley Roberson - No. 115 Miami Marlins

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CENTRAL, La. - The name of the game for the Central Private Redhawks is experience. Head Coach Cole Holden believes that the experience of his roster will make or break the success his team has in the coming 2026 season.

That all starts at the quarterback position. Zack Browning is back for his senior year after starting the last three seasons. He'll have a good amount of experience in front of him as well with four starters coming back on the offensive line.

Expect the defense to be the biggest strength, but also a concern for this team this season. On the one hand, the defensive line has plenty of speed and athleticism and is expected to be the calling card of the entire unit.

The main issue with the defense is the linebacker room. Just one starter from last year's team returns for 2026.

Of course, the Redhawks are in pretty good shape with the number of guys they have coming back. Seven starters on both sides of the ball to make up 14 of Central Private's 22 starters is an enviable situation to be in.

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BATON ROUGE - The second LSU Tiger taken in the 2026 MLB Draft ended up being Tigers outfielder Jake Brown. The Seattle Mariners took Brown in the second round with the No. 65 pick in the draft.

The Sulphur native turned in three solid seasons at LSU and was a big part of the 2025 LSU national championship team. Before getting injured during the 2026 season, Brown led the Tigers in home runs and had already doubled his home run total from the 2025 season with 16 on the year. Brown had already set a career high in RBIs during the 2026 season as well.

Brown is now set to join the same organization as his former teammate Kade Anderson, whom the Mariners took in the first round of the MLB Draft in 2025.

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BATON ROUGE — The Pittsburgh Pirates selected LSU outfielder Derek Curiel as the No. 5 pick in the MLB Draft on Saturday.

Curiel, as a freshman at the university, started in all 68 games in the 2025 season, batting a team-high of .345 with 20 doubles, two triples, seven homers and 67 runs, leading LSU to the NCAA College World Series National Championship. 

Curiel finished No. 1 in the SEC in doubles, No. 3 in the league in walks, No.4 in hits and on-base percentage, No. 6 in runs scored and No. 10 in batting average for the 2025 season.

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BATON ROUGE - LSU baseball has seen its share of highly-touted draft picks, and Jay Johnson's tenure in Baton Rouge so far is no different, but the Tigers do not have a top-five draft prospect among the players they're sending to the MLB Draft in 2026.

The highest-ranked LSU pitcher in the MLB.com draft prospect rankings is Devin Sheerin. He's the only Tiger to make it into the top 250. It could be quite a while before a Tiger pitcher hears his name called this weekend, and whenever the call does come, it might not be until Sunday, when rounds 5 through 20 of the draft will be held.

Derek Curiel and Jake Brown have been the only two Tigers consistently mocked to be selected within the first two rounds, and both are in the top 60 on the MLB.com ranking.

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BATON ROUGE - Jay Johnson landed another big fish as Aledo, Texas, product and LSU baseball high school commit Lucas Nawrocki announced that he is withdrawing his name from the MLB Draft and will attend LSU.

Nawrocki played both ways in high school as a pitcher and position player, and per LouisianaSports.net, the plan is for him to play both ways at LSU. The future Tiger has a fastball that hits the mid 90s.

During his final year in high school at Aledo, Nawrocki was named the 2026 UIL state MVP as his Bearcats won their second straight 5A title. Nawrocki threw five no-hit innings in the championship to help Aledo finish the job and repeat. Nawrocki was the MVP of the Bearcats' championship run in 2025 as well. He is the first UIL baseball player to win multiple MVP awards.

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SLAUGHTER, La. - Slaughter Knights head coach Patrick Clarkson has had some of his seniors since their eighth-grade years, so he's had four full years to teach and instill his system. With the Knights coming off an 8-4 season, the best so far in Clarkston's tenure, Slaughter wants to continue that momentum heading into 2026.

The Knights run things a little bit differently. They run the old school Wing-T offense, which relies heavily on the run game and misdirection. Albert Eubanks will be one of the guys in the backfield expected to carry the load on that front. The offense only has three starters coming back in total, with Phillip McKnight and Dewayne Miller both returning on the offensive line.

On defense, the Knights return five starters, all of whom come from their front six. Not a single player in the Knights' secondary started last year, which is expected to be the main issue with their team this season. Eubanks is going to have time at free safety, however, and is expected to have a large role on both sides of the ball.

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GREENSBURG — A former "Ragin Cajuns" star and current Buffalo Bills guard held a youth football camp at Saint Helena High's football field.

O'Cyrus Torrence guided kids through several drills at the camp, which was open to ages 6 to 16.

Torrence talked about what he wanted the kids to take away from the experience.

"It's like the fundamentals of it," Torrence said. "Teach them how to work together. Like as an organized group, how to make yourself get better by competing without actually going at each other, but getting better off the guy next to you and kind of play football is the base of it, starts in there and learn how to compete and get better with the guy next to you."

Torrence also signed footballs for the kids during the camp.

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BATON ROUGE - LSU's relationship with Nike continues to grow as the apparel brand announced that it will feature LSU athletes Trey'Dez Green, Whit Weeks, Zakiyah Johnson and Kylee Edwards in its national "Back to School" NIL campaign.

Weeks and Edwards joined the roster of LSU athletes participating in Nike's Blue Ribbon Elite program.

All four Tiger athletes appeared in social media content shot in locations across LSU's campus in Baton Rouge.

“You grow up wearing Nike,” Johnson said in a release. “It’s one of the biggest brands in the world. Being able to represent that for myself, my team and for the school, and to be the first to do it – hard work pays off. This is what I came to LSU for: to create a brand for myself.”

The full roster of LSU's athletes to be added to the Nike Blue Elite program for 2026-27 is expected to be announced closer to the start of the school year.

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BATON ROUGE — LSU running back Caden Durham has signed an NIL deal with REIGN Total Body Fuel. 

The popular energy drink company signed Durham, a junior, and his former high school teammate, Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell, to represent their brand. Both athletes will be incorporated into the brand's marketing, social media content and community initiatives. 

"Together, they represent REIGN's core: speed, discipline and performance training. The former teammates and lifelong friends exemplify speed and versatility at their respective positions, driven by the same performance mindset," REIGN said in a news release. 

While the pair now play on rival teams, Durham said that his respect for his former teammate "will never change."

"Now we're doing it on the biggest stage. REIGN fits how we train and perform every day," Durham said. 

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BATON ROUGE — LSU's top 40 athletics donors have been summoned to an August meeting at the Governor's Mansion in Baton Rouge regarding the athletic department's financial future, according to Matt Moscona with LouisianaSports.net. 

Tiger Athletic Foundation President and CEO Matt Borman reportedly invited the donors to hear a presentation from LSU President Dr. Wade Rousse and Gov. Jeff Landry, who has involved himself in LSU athletics dealings in recent months. He played a part in the firing of football coach Brian Kelly and athletic director Scott Woodward, and even penned an op-ed about the "complete mess" that is college athletics. 

They are set to unveil "an alternative revenue-generating opportunity for LSU athletics that is first of its kind nationally and could quite possibly change the future of college sports in America," according to Moscona. 

The reported gatherings come as LSU is on the hook for millions of dollars in buyouts to Brian Kelly, Matt McMahon, Scott Woodward and others. Revenue sharing with student-athletes adds several million more to the department's expenses. 

LSU has tried ways to make some of that revenue back, including a sponsored jersey patch deal with Woodside Energy. Other athletic departments and conferences have explored similar avenues. On Tuesday, the Big 12 announced a major deal with Monster Energy. 

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ATLANTA, Ga. - Former LSU basketball stars Angel Reese and Flau'Jae Johnson both turned in solid performances, but with Kim Mulkey in attendance, Reese's Atlanta Dream came out on top against Johnson's Seattle Storm 89-78.

Reese turned in her league-leading 15th double-double while setting the WNBA record for most double-doubles in a player's first three seasons with 64 total. However, Reese did not finish the night on the floor.

With around 1:21 remaining in the fourth quarter, Reese appeared to roll her ankle while underneath the basket. She walked off the floor under her own power, but did not return to the game with what little time remained.

When asked about Reese's injury postgame, Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko did not have an update on its severity.

Reese finished her night with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and the Dream ended their five-game losing streak.

On the other side of the floor for Seattle, Johnson scored 14 on 5-of-12 shooting while tallying five assists. Tonight's loss was Seattle's third in their last four games.

That Bayou love runs deep ??

Head Coach of @LSUwbkb, Kim Mulkey, is in Atlanta showing all the love to her former LSU stars, Angel Reese and Flau'jae Johnson, ahead of their matchup!

?? SEA-ATL | 8pm/ET | Prime Video pic.twitter.com/X2uulYAkkq

— WNBA (@WNBA) July 9, 2026

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BATON ROUGE - Liberty Patriot football fans will see plenty of new faces this season. Sure, the Patriots have a new head coach with Devyn Baker taking the reins of the program, but Liberty is set to return only three starters from their 2025 team after graduating 30 seniors.

Just one of those starters played defense last year: cornerback Jermaine Williams, but that doesn't mean the Patriots lack talent on that side of the ball. Coach Baker expects the defensive line to be the main strength of his team, with Dakari Davis leading the way.

While inexperience is a concern throughout the roster, that is especially true in the quarterback room. There's a three-man battle for the starting job, but there are some nice pieces elsewhere on the offense. Jackson Broussard is set to be the workhorse for the Patriots in the run game, with Bryson Smith and Caleb Handy as options in the passing game at wide receiver.

Just a year removed from graduating all those seniors and a 4-6 record, Coach Baker himself said he expects the team to take some lumps during the 2026 season, but also said that he and his staff are in this for the long haul.

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BATON ROUGE - Ben Miles will start his coaching career in the same city that he grew up in and where his father would win a national title in the game.

The younger Miles is coaching at Southern as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator on a new staff for new Jaguar head coach Marshall Faulk. 

Ben is hoping to use his father Les' blueprint for relationship building to lay a foundation for future success both on the Bluff and throughout his coaching career.

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BATON ROUGE - The Parkview Baptist Eagles are looking to build on the foundation laid a season ago, but ascend to new heights in 2026 due to the large number of returning players they have on their roster.

Head coach Devin Ducote led the Eagles to a 6-6 record a season ago but with 12-14 players returning from that team he feels like they can level up this season and continue their cause to reach their potential.

Quarterback Grayson Rogers is back for a full-time starting role and running back Marquis Franklin returns after a 2,000 yard rushing effort in 2025.

A pair of starters on the offensive line and a veteran defensive unit has Coach Ducote feeling like they have the pieces on this years Eagle roster to playing deep into the playoffs once again.

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Baton Rouge - The Southern Jaguars are in the middle of a program rebuild, but there were two player on its current roster that garnered enough attention to merit landing on the SWAC's preseason awards list, safety Herman Brister III and running back Trey Holly.

Southern finished the 2025 season with a 2-10 record and fired head coach Terrence Graves opening the door for new head coach Marshall Faulk to take over before the new year.

A rebuilt roster and new leadership has the Jaguar faithful hoping that the end of the year awards list will not only feature more Jaguars than two, but also more wins than just two.

The preseason selections were voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.

More information and the entire preseason list can be found below in a release from the SWAC.
 
Alabama State quarterback Andrew Body was selected as the 2026 SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after earning First Team All-SWAC honors at quarterback. Jackson State defensive back Kam Sallis was named the 2026 SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year while also earning First Team All-SWAC recognition.
 
Alabama State paced all member institutions with a league-high nine preseason all-conference selections. Jackson State, Bethune-Cookman, and Alcorn State each followed with six selections to tie for second-most among SWAC member institutions. Prairie View A&M, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and Alabama A&M each placed five student-athletes on the preseason teams.
 
The 2026 SWAC football season is scheduled to begin on Thursday, August 27, with teams once again competing for division championships and a berth in the 2026 SWAC Football Championship Game.

A complete listing of preseason team selections is listed below.
 
2026 SWAC Football Preseason Awards

Offensive Player of the Year
Andrew Body, Alabama State

Defensive Player of the Year
Kam Sallis, Jackson State

2026 Preseason All-SWAC First Team

Offense
Quarterback: Andrew Body, Alabama State
Running Back: Jaylen Jennings, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Running Back: Chase Bingmon, Prairie View A&M
Offensive Line: Elijah Baker, Alabama State
Offensive Line: Calvin McMillian, Prairie View A&M
Offensive Line: Quaveon Davis, Jackson State
Offensive Line: Christian Loving, Bethune-Cookman
Offensive Line: Cameran Rogers, Alcorn State
Wide Receiver: Nate Rembert, Jackson State
Wide Receiver: D'Avery Robinson, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Tight End: Travon Jones, Prairie View A&M

Defense
Defensive Line: Malik Gucake, Prairie View A&M
Defensive Line: Eric Thomas Jr., Alcorn State
Defensive Line: Arenza Davis, Alabama A&M
Defensive Line: Michael Joiner Jr., Alabama State
Linebacker: Danarius Hilliard, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Linebacker: Wyatt Wright, Alabama A&M
Linebacker: Stephen Sparrow Jr., Bethune-Cookman
Defensive Back: Ta'Shaun Sims, Alabama State
Defensive Back: Kam Sallis, Jackson State
Defensive Back: Eric Zachery, Prairie View A&M
Defensive Back: Herman Brister III, Southern

Specialists
Place Kicker: David Faulk, Alabama A&M
Punter: Demetrion Duvall, Alcorn State
Return Specialist: Nehemiah Hixon, Alabama State
Long Snapper: Cole Hash, Bethune-Cookman

2026 Preseason All-SWAC Second Team

Offense
Quarterback: Jared Lockhart, Jackson State
Running Back: Trey Holly, Southern
Running Back: Jamarie Hostzclaw, Alabama State
Offensive Line: Dezmond Penn, Alabama State
Offensive Line: Abe Diallo, Alcorn State
Offensive Line: Jayden Daniels, Texas Southern
Offensive Line: Alexander Vigil, Grambling State
Offensive Line: Nick Carter, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Wide Receiver: Roriyon Richardson, Texas Southern
Wide Receiver: Jordan Chambers-Smith, Alabama A&M
Tight End: Kordell Rodgers, Texas Southern

Defense
Defensive Line: Marquis Cagle, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Defensive Line: Malik Stinnett, Bethune-Cookman
Defensive Line: Kenneth Andrews, Alcorn State
Defensive Line: Isaiah Washburn, Bethune-Cookman
Linebacker: Marcellius Johnson, Grambling State
Linebacker: Carmello Jones, Jackson State
Linebacker: Douglas Franklin, Mississippi Valley State
Defensive Back: Naim Lassiter, Bethune-Cookman
Defensive Back: Keon Handley Jr., Alabama A&M
Defensive Back: KJ Chisholm, Jackson State
Defensive Back: Tayvion Haney, Alcorn State

Specialists
Place Kicker: Andrew Abu-Akel, Alabama State
Return Specialist: Jay'Shaun Johnson, Grambling State
Long Snapper: Garrett Wilemon, Alabama State

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