Tuesday, June 15
June 15, 2010Thursday, June 17
June 17, 2010Pair of Lafourche standouts drafted by MLB teams
A pair of Lafourche Parish’s own heard their names called at the MLB Draft.
Delgado Community College outfielder and former Central Lafourche standout Lucas LeBlanc was drafted No. 353 overall in the 11th round by the Boston Red Sox.
LeBlanc is an LSU transfer commitment, so he will have to decide by late August whether to extend his collegiate career in Baton Rouge, or whether to sign with Boston.
Also selected in the 16th round was Nicholls State pitcher and former Thibodaux High School star Clint Dempster.
The Minnesota Twins tabbed the Colonels’ lefty with the No. 495 overall pick.
It is still unknown whether Dempster will sign with the club, or return to Nicholls for his senior season.
Six Tigers taken in MLB Draft
Just a few days after having their season ended in the Los Angeles Regional, six LSU players were taken in the MLB Draft.
First off the board was junior pitcher Anthony Ranaudo, who was a first-round compensation pick by the Boston Red Sox.
Also picked were Micah Gibbs (third round), Leon Landry (third round), Austin Ross (eighth round), Blake Dean (eighth round) and Johnny Dishon (42nd round).
Former LSU pitcher and current NFL safety Chad Jones was also picked in the 50th round.
In addition to the current Tigers, 11 signees were also drafted. Of the 11, possibly the most notable is football and baseball standout Zach Lee, who was drafted in the first round by the Dodgers.
All incoming signees have until late August to decide whether to sign with their professional club or enroll at LSU.
Lee is currently enrolled in summer school at LSU, and is planning to take part in summer football practices, according to LSU football coach Les Miles.
Women’s volleyball adds one more to signing class
The Nicholls volleyball team polished off their recruiting class this past week by announcing they have signed Lauren Chapman of College Park High School in The Woodlands, Texas.
Chapman lands in Thibodaux after being a first-team All-District selection at College Park. She led her team in blocks per game in high school.
“Lauren will be a great addition to our program,” said Colonels’ volleyball coach Chris Laird. “I like the fact that she can play both the right and left side positions.”
Hornets tab Williams as new head coach
It took the organization a month and a half, but the New Orleans Hornets have finally found a new head coach – former Trailblazers assistant coach Monty Williams.
The team introduced Williams as its coach for the first time on Wednesday, an opportunity he said he is very grateful for.
“I’m just really thankful,” he said. “There are only a certain amount of jobs in the NBA and to be a head coach of an NBA team is a privilege.”
Williams will inherit a team that missed the playoffs this season, and won just 37 games. But despite the poor season, he believes the team has potential to win sooner, rather than later.
“I’m really excited to be a part of what going on here,” he said.
Williams played nine seasons in the NBA with the Knicks, Spurs, Nuggets, Magic and 76ers.
Saints visit area affected by oil spill
The Saints have seen the impact they can have on a community.
Following Hurricane Katrina, the team uplifted the spirits of an entire city and state in its road to recovery.
So with oil still pouring into the Gulf of Mexico, and patience wearing thin among local fishermen, the team visited Plaquemines Parish last week to try and ease the misery of those on our coasts.
“We haven’t had anything to smile about in a while. Today at least people are getting the chance,” Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser told the Associated Press following the visit.
The team also announced on its visit that it plans to auction an authentic Super Bowl ring, with all proceeds from the auction going to oil spill relief.
All LSU sports surpass APR benchmarks
The LSU athletic department announced this week that all 20 of its varsity sports were clear of NCAA penalties following the APR report released Wednesday by the NCAA.
Nearly all of the school’s sports (18 out of 20) scored above the 925 NCAA benchmark, and men and women’s golf and women’s cross country each had a perfect 1000 score.
“The APR is an important measuring stick for academic performance in college athletics and I am pleased that LSU teams continue to post high marks in the classroom,” said LSU vice chancellor and director of athletics Joe Alleva in a release. “It is important for our student-athletes to be as successful in the academic arena as they are in the athletic arena.”
