BATON ROUGE, La. – A seven-run eighth inning by LSU erased a 7-6 deficit and powered the fourth-ranked Tigers to a 13-7 win over Binghamton Wednesday night in Alex Box Stadium.
(more)

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Juliana Santos blasted a three-run home run to jumpstart the No. 12 LSU softball team, while Kirsten Shortridge fired four scoreless frames of relief as the Tigers notched a 7-2 victory over McNeese State Wednesday in front of a program-record 853 fans at Cowgirl Diamond.
(more)

Content provided by A Sea Of Blue.

There have been a ton of rumors tonight in the media and elsewhere about everybody leaving Kentucky with the exception of Jon Hood, Josh Harrellson, Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins.

Rumors alleged to have come from Calipari and current players including Cousins and others, Daniel Orton gainsaying his own father — it’s just a bloody mess around here.

In my opinion, even the kids likely don’t know what they are going to do, and if they do, they’ll probably change their mind tomorrow morning.  These are 18-21 year-old kids hashing out the rest of their lives right now, and the best thing for us to do is wait until we hear it from a representative of UK or the player/person making the decision.

For the record, here is some of the stuff that has been floating around.  Don’t sweat any of it, it will all take care of itself.  It always does.

• The Jon Hood Transfer Rumor Can Stop Now
  Hood is not leaving, according to his father.

• Orton to test stock in NBA Draft | KentuckySports.com

  Kentucky reserve big man Daniel Orton will enter the NBA Draft, his father, Larry, said Wednesday. His son will not hire an agent so he can retain the option of returning to UK next season, the elder Orton said.

  Daniel has since come out and declared this rumor to be false, at least as of this moment.  There are all sorts of rumors about Orton around town, few of which make any sense.

• Former McGuinness star Daniel Orton: ‘I have not declared for the NBA Draft’ | NewsOK.com

  Former Bishop McGuinness High School basketball standout and current Kentucky center Daniel Orton said reports of him declaring for the NBA Draft are premature.

  Premature, but I do believe Orton will “test the waters.”  Too many comments from him suggest that as a likely outcome.

• LEX18 | Lexington, KY | News, Weather, Sports, Kentucky | Orton And Dodson Gone?

  Draftexpress.com is reporting, “DeMarcus Cousins here in Columbus. Apparently saying Darnell Dodson is declaring for draft & that Cal told him only 4 UK players returning.”

  Dodson?  Heh.  I think Cousins, if he really said this, might be having a little fun with some overzealous reporters.  But who knows?

AUSTIN, Texas – Mississippi State track and field teams got the 83rd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays underway with big performances Wednesday. MSU garnered Top 10 finishes in the College/University Section B 800- and 1500-meter runs.
(more)

Content provided by And The Valley Shook.

Kent Lowe, LSU senior associate sports information director, confirmed the game Wednesday. “It’s something that’s been in the works for a while now,” Lowe said. “The contract was just signed today, though.”

LSU coach Trent Johnson did mention a game with Memphis in a press conference Monday but did not specify a date or location. Memphis is coming off a 24-10 season under first-year head coach John Pastner. Pastner’s squad reached the second round of the NIT, losing to Ole Miss, 90-81.

Content provided by Razorback Expats.

Want a Really Helpful Spring Practice Link? Here’s One…

STARKVILLE, Miss. – A trio of Mississippi State pitchers held Southern University to three total hits as the Bulldogs won 4-1 in a non-conference softball game played Wednesday night at the MSU Softball Field.
(more)

The University of Alabama football team returned to the practice field on Wednesday for a two-hour workout at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility.
(more)

Content provided by Dawg Sports.

(Desperate times call for desperate measures. The Diamond Dogs badly needed some rest before a daunting weekend series that, quite frankly, almost certainly will end in a three-game sweep, but that left me without a midweek baseball game to cover, so what am I going to do . . . suggest a bourbon for you to try? Instead, I decided to cover an outing by the eighth-ranked Georgia softball team. Here goes nothing:)

The Owls were held hitless in the top of the first frame, in which the lone baserunner reached first on an error and her teammates all struck out swinging. Georgia immediately grabbed the lead in the bottom of the inning when Taylor Schlopy led off with her seventh home run of the season, after which three singles, a walk, and a fielding error combined to plate two additional runs.

Kennesaw State answered with a solo shot by Kelsey Kulk in the top of the second stanza, but the Bulldogs resumed the barrage in the home half of the canto. A one-out triple by Megan Wiggins and a two-out double by Ashley Razey combined to score one run, then consecutive walks loaded the bases for Jennie Auger. The Red and Black right fielder’s ensuing base hit, coupled with a throwing error by Jensen Hackett, scored two more.

The third inning saw the Owls go three up and three down, while the Bulldogs generated a run on a Schlopy single, a groundout, a passed ball, and a double-steal. The Owls narrowed the gap in the visitors’ half of the fourth frame on a double by Jenna Closner and a two-run shot to right center field by Kulk.

That was the last of the scoring, and of the hitting, until the bottom of the sixth stanza, which Wiggins led off with a home run. Closner’s base hit to begin the top of the seventh canto amounted to nothing, as the next three Kennesaw State batters generated only outs, so the seventh-inning stretch marked the conclusion of an 8-3 Georgia victory.

Uh . . . all right, I’m at a loss here; or, rather, I’m at a win here. I’m sorry, but I’m out of practice at this sort of thing. Gosh. Well, Taylor Schlopy (2 for 4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and Megan Wiggins (3 for 4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) performed well at the plate, and Alison Owen carded the win to improve to 5-0. She and starter Katie Murphy between them struck out eleven, walked none, and allowed three earned runs on four hits. The Bulldogs upped their record for the season to 25-6 and the softball team also exacted revenge on Kennesaw State for what the Owls’ baseball team did to the Diamond Dogs.

Wow. A good Georgia team won a game while performing well in every phase. I had forgotten what it felt like to write about that.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Sophomore third baseman Cali Overbeck blasted two home runs, including a walk-off, two-run shot in the fifth inning, as Ole Miss blasted Alcorn State on Wednesday.
(more)