Wheels fell off in the 6^th inning: LSU had an 8-5 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning thanks to a three-run home run by Cade Arrambide, a two-run homer by Steven Milam, and a two-run homer by Omar Serna.

But Mississippi State erased a three-run deficit with a four-run sixth inning.

Tell me if you’ve heard this before when it comes to LSU pitching.

Mississippi State’s rally started with a lead-off walk, and it really got going with a throwing error.

Deven Sheerin, who threw 43 pitches on Friday, did not have it on Sunday. He came in as a reliever after Dax Dathe walked the lead-off man and started the next batter with a 2-0 count.

Sheerin would give up a base hit to put runners at first and second.

The next batter hits a tapper back to Sheerin, who panics after not handling it cleanly and throws it away while trying to get an out at first base. Two runners scored on that play.

Ace Reese had an RBI double to tie the game, and the go-ahead run came across on a fielder’s choice.

You knew after Mississippi State took the lead, LSU was not going to win. State would add two more runs in the 7^th and 8^th innings to win comfortably.

The series was doomed before it started: When LSU had to scratch Casan Evans because of arm discomfort before his scheduled start on Friday, it put the Tigers at a major disadvantage. They had to start Gavin Guidry, and they used a total of seven pitchers in an 11-inning loss.

Coach Jay Johnson went for the win that night, but they came up short, and then on Saturday and Sunday, they had to use low-leverage guys in high-leverage situations, and it didn’t work.

History you don’t want to make: LSU has lost 9 straight SEC games. That’s never happened in program history.

Freshmen position players were a positive: Because of injuries and ineffectiveness from older guys, the Tigers had to rely on four freshmen and two of them played really well.

Omar Serna had eight hits for the weekend and homered in all three games. 8-for-14 at the plate.

Mason Braun led off for the second straight game and had four hits on Sunday, including an RBI triple. Braun had seven hits for the weekend.

Jack Ruckert played solid defense at second base.

What’s next: LSU is now 6-18 and in 15^th place in the SEC standings.

I really can’t believe I wrote that sentence. It’s just amazing how this season has gone unhinged.

Give the Tigers credit for really battling against a good Mississippi State team, but to be swept three consecutive weekends is just demoralizing.

LSU will host Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday and then host South Carolina at the Box this weekend. The Gamecocks are a bad team, too, so a chance to win a game or two for the Tigers.

“Markell is being arrested for first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon,” Morse explained.

Morse says four other people who were detained shortly after the shooting have been released. He says they are confident Lee was one of the shooters.

“Our detectives worked throughout the night, drafting an arrest warrant for Lee’s arrest and executing a search warrant at his known residence,” Morse said.

Morse says Lee has an extensive criminal history in the juvenile court system. Police have released an image of the second person they are looking for in the hopes the public can help identify that person.

The 17-year-old girl who was fatally shot has been identified as Martha Odom. She attended Ascension Episcopal High School in Youngsville. Odom loved ballet, writing and Dr. Pepper. East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore grieves for her family.

“I cannot imagine this family picking up their lovely child and bringing them home,” Moore said.

“Looking through surveillance videos, it looks like it was kind of targeted. Two groups of people got into an argument inside the food court and started shooting at each other,” Baton Rouge Police Chief T.J Morse said.

Five of the victims were taken to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital.

“Found out about the shooting, and we did what we are here to do, which is be there for people in a situation that none of us want to be in,” FMOL president Chuck Spicer said. “We treated five victims and unfortunately we lost one.”

Sources say the person who died from his injuries was a 17-year-old. Three of the victims are seniors at Ascension Episcopal High School in Lafayette Parish.

Morse says at least five people are in custody.

“If you are going to act like this in Baton Rouge and you are going to do these things, you are going to be caught,” Edwards said.

Edwards says the public’s assistance led to the cops finding the suspects right away.

“I want to thank the people who contacted crime stoppers and the people that had the video and the people who had the evidence, God Bless You,” Edwards said.

This is the second mass shooting in Louisiana in the last week. Eight children were killed in Shreveport on Sunday when the father of seven of the children killed his kids and a nephew execution style. Morse says they have a good idea on what happened inside the Mall of Louisiana at about 1:22 this afternoon.

“The governor said, ‘I don’t want to stretch people thin.’ I said, ‘Governor, speeding’s against the law, we don’t catch all of them either, but we let them know that it’s against the law,'” Illg said.

So this time, Illg’s bill adds intentional balloon releases to the state’s existing law against intentional littering. This year’s bill, House Bill 851, has already passed in the House and is just one Senate vote away from landing on Landry’s desk. Illg says he learned last year that his proposed balloon release ban would not only reduce litter, but it would also protect the state’s livestock.

“When the balloons come down, the livestock and cattle, they just graze. And they unintentionally eat a balloon that’s fallen into their field, which could cause death to these animals. It’s a hardship on all these farmers,” Illg explained.

Illg says passing a law at the state level is all well and good, assuming it can gain Landry’s signature this time, but a state law doesn’t go far enough.

“You know what would be great with the balloon release ban, is that if we did it nationwide, because that’s where you really need to go. Because litter that goes up in Mississippi may wind up here,” Illg noted.

“You know, as a little boy from New Iberia, Louisiana, when I came here in 1985, I never thought this day would ever be here. I didn’t know I wanted to be Athletic Director,” Ausberry said.

Ausberry was named athletics director shortly after Scott Woodward was ousted last November. Since then, he’s hired football coach Lane Kiffin and men’s basketball coach Will Wade. Ausberry says it’s an honor to lead the LSU athletics department.

“I don’t take this for granted. I don’t take LSU for granted, I don’t take this job for granted. It means more to me than anything,” Ausberry said.

Ausberry is from New Iberia. He played linebacker for LSU from 1986 to 1990, winning two SEC Championship teams. He was also a two-year captain on defense. He says his best job at LSU was his first job, as he served as an academic advisor for student-athletes.

“I get to see young men and women leave her with their degrees, and now I’m looking at their children coming here to LSU. That was the proudest moment,” Ausberry explained.

The LSU Board also approved new contracts for Senior Deputy AD Heath Schroyer, football general manager Billy Glasscock, men’s basketball coach Will Wade and his assistants.

The FBI alerted the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office that Christopher Gillum, 45, was in Destin en route to New Orleans.

According to reports, members of Gillum’s family had contacted law enforcement to say that he was planning on harming Black people at Jazz Fest before committing “suicide by cop.”

Gillum is a longtime former law enforcement officer at several departments in North Carolina, most notably the Chapel Hill Police Department from 2004 to 2019.

Investigators verified Gillum’s presence in Destin through the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office’s Flock camera system, and he was arrested at the Hampton Inn in Destin around 6:40 p.m. Wednesday without incident.

In Gillum’s hotel room, investigators found a handgun and about 200 rounds of ammunition.

Okaloosa County sheriff’s deputies found a handgun and about 200 round of ammunition in Christopher Gillum’s hotel room when they arrested him Wednesday night. Credit: Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office

Gillum is being held in the Okaloosa County jail and is awaiting extradition to New Orleans, where he will face charges of terroristic threats.

Louisiana State Police say there is no ongoing threat to Jazz Fest.

“At this time, there are no known direct threats to any festivals in Louisiana, but we are constantly working with Local, State, and Federal partners through our Louisiana State Analytical and Fusion Exchange Center to ensure safety,” LSP said in a statement.

Jazz Fest organizers are very grateful for the swift work of law enforcement to capture the suspect before he could do any harm.

“Jazz Fest is grateful to all law enforcement partners for their dedication and exceptional service in protecting our community,” organizers said in a statement. “As always, we coordinate closely with the FBI, Louisiana State Police, NOPD, NOCEM, and other agencies, and we will continue to do so as we look forward to another safe and joyful Jazz Fest.”

Another official expressing her gratitude is New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno.

“I want to recognize the tremendous coordinated and swift work by the New Orleans FBI, Louisiana State Police, NOPD, NOCEM and Governor,” Moreno’s statement reads. “This level of coordination extended to law enforcement agencies in multiple states from North Carolina to Florida. This is where urgent collaboration and cooperation pays off. Job well done!”

Attorney General Liz Murrill also noted the cooperation of law enforcement at all levels.

“Excellent work by Louisiana State Police and the FBI as part of their Joint Terrorism Task Force on this case,” said Murrill. “I always work closely with our federal, State, and local law enforcement partners and will continue to follow up on this matter.”

“He can hum it downfield, has some riverboat gambler in him. But a lot of teams like the fact that he understands this game in a certain way, growing up with it, and you can’t teach accuracy; either you have it or you don’t, and he’s got that,” Detillier said.

Nussmeier missed a good portion of the 2025 season with an oblique injury stemming from a cyst on his spine, which was discovered by doctors after the NFL Combine. Detillier does not believe the injury will be an issue moving forward and says Nussmeier has positioned himself well to be a top-75 pick following a strong offseason.

“Him being able to come back and play at the Senior Bowl, where I thought he really looked good, and then throwing at the Combine, and in his individual sessions. He won the offseason. He’s put himself in a position to certainly be a top-75 pick in this draft class,” Detillier explained.

Another former Tiger who will be waiting to hear his name called this weekend is cornerback Mansoor Delane. He has likely solidified himself as a top-10 pick, and Detillier could see him going to the Saints with the eighth overall selection. Detillier notes that Delane would help offset the loss of a key cornerback in free agency.

“You lose Alontae Taylor. He was a big part of this Saints defense, playing out wide, playing in the slot. And I think you could move either Kool-Aid McKinstry or Quincy Riley into that slot position and have Mansoor Delane play out wide,” Detillier said.

“85% of the groups that are here are all from Louisiana, most of them from New Orleans. But that that other 15% is really important. If we didn’t have that, it wouldn’t be the same festival that it’s come to become now,” Davis explained.

That remaining 15% usually includes some of the biggest names in music, and this year is no different. Davis says among this year’s headliners are Stevie Nicks, the Eagles and Rod Stewart.

“These are people, if you see them, you see them in a theatre or you see them in an arena. But to see Rod Stewart at Jazz Fest, the Eagles at Jazz Fest, that’s a special thing,” Davis said.

Davis says this year’s cultural exchange is celebrating Jamaica.

“We have the Marleys: Stephen Marley, Ziggy Marley. But we have a ton of Jamaican music that we’ve never done before. And we have Jamaican food, we have Jamaican Rum Punch, Jamaican arts and crafts,” Davis said.

So if you miss this year’s Jazz Fest, you’ll certainly “Jamaica” mistake, so don’t miss it!

“You’re not going to tell us who’s going to collect it. You don’t know the cost associated with it. You don’t know if they’re going to be reported to the credit bureau. You don’t know what the interest rates will be for payment. You don’t know if their wages are going to be garnished,” Jordan said.

The measure failed on a 38-62 vote.

Bossier City Representative Dennis Bamburg says he’s looking after taxpayer dollars with his legislation.

“All I’m trying to do with this bill is look after a $320+ million expenditure, from this body, but to watch out for taxpayer money. That’s what this is all about,” Bamburg said.

Bamburg had exemptions in the bill, where TOPS recipients would not have to pay their scholarships back if they lost them while also dealing with significant life challenges, like a death of an immediate family member. He also gave the option for a student to go to a technical school instead, with the state still paying for the tuition.

But Baton Rouge Representative Barbara Freiberg says no other scholarship asks for the money back if a student fails to keep it.

“We don’t ask students who get scholarships, outside of TOPS, at universities, to pay back those scholarships,” Freiberg noted.

“We have been working to get this out statewide, and we have finally managed to get it done. And so, it will be in all 68 public library systems across the state,” Placke explained.

There are only a limited number of passes available, and they are distributed among the library systems in proportion with the populations they serve. Placke says each library system sets its own rules on how they can be obtained.

“These are restricted on a first-come, first-serve basis, and there are other rules that may apply to your library,” Placke said.

Placke says along with the free passes, library card holders can also check out a Geaux Explore backpack, which contains various items designed to enhance their visit.

“Binoculars, compasses, magnifying glasses, outdoor ethics cards, field guides to all the Louisiana wildlife,” Placke noted.

For more information, you can visit CheckOutLouisiana.org.