jay walker

(This is the seventh of a series previewing Louisiana's 2011 opponents.  Today:  North Texas) NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN Location:  Denton, Texas Stadium:  Apogee Stadium (30. 850) 2010 Record: 3-9 (3-5 SBC) Coach:  Dan McCarney Record:  0-0 (First Season) Overall Record 56-85 (13th season) Last meeting with Louisiana:  2010 Louisiana 28, North Texas 27 There's a lot of excitement at the University of

(This is the sixth in a series previewing Louisiana's 2011 opponents.  Today:  Troy) TROY TROJANS Location:  Troy, Alabama Stadium:  Larry Blakeney Field at Veterans' Memorial Stadium (30,000) 2010 Record: 8-5 (6-2 SBC) Coach:  Larry Blakeney Record:  161-82-1 (21st season) Last meeting with Louisiana:  2010 (Troy 31, Louisiana 24) Over the last five years, the Sun Belt Conference has been stable

(This is the fifth in a series previewing Louisiana's 2011 opponents.  Today:  Florida Atlantic) FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS Location:  Boca Raton, FL Stadium:  FAU Stadium (30,000) 2010 Record:  4-8 (3-5) Coach:  Howard Schnellenberger Record at FAU (57-63) 11th season Overall Record:  (157-140-3) 27th season Last meeting with Louisiana: 2010 FAU 24, Louisiana 23 When Howard Schnellenberger was named t

This is the fourth in a series previewing Louisiana's 2011 opponents.  Today:  Florida International FIU PANTHERS Location:  Miami, FL Stadium:  FIU Stadium (18,000) 2010 Record:  7-6 (6-2 SBC) Coach:  Mario Cristobal Record: 16-33 (5th season) Last meeting with Louisiana:  2010  FIU 38 Louisiana 17 FIU opened the 2010 season 0-4, losing to four teams from AQ Conferences.  After seven games, FIU w

( This is the third in a series of twelve articles on Louisiana opponents for 2011.  Today:  Nicholls State NICHOLLS STATE COLONELS Location:  Thibodaux, LA Stadium:  John L. Guidry (12,800) 2010 Record:  4-7 (3-4 Southland) Coach:  Charlie Stubbs Record:  (4-7) 2nd season Last meeting with Louisiana: Sept 1, 2001.  Louisiana 20, Nicholls State 0 ...

This is the second of a twelve-part series previewing Louisiana opponents for the 2011 season.  Today:  Kent State KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES Location:  Kent, Ohio Home Field:  Dix Stadium (20,500) 2010 Record:  5-7 (4-4 MAC) Coach:  Darrell Hazell Record:  0-0 (First Season) Last meeting with Louisiana:  2008  Louisiana 44, Kent State 27 If you look at the recent history of Kent State football, it

(This is the first in a twelve-part series profiling Louisiana's football opponents for 2012.  Today:  Oklahoma State) Location:  Stillwater, OK Stadium:  Boone Pickens Stadium (60, 218) Head Coach:  Mike Gundy Career Record at OSU 47-29 (six seasons) Last meeting with Louisiana:  2010 (OSU 54, Louisiana 28) Last season was supposed to be a season of transition for Oklahoma State. Instead, the Cow

The Saints have traded Reggie Bush. And, that's going to be a good thing. There was never a question something had to give.  Bush's contract for 2011 was simply too much for the Saints to pay.  Everyone knew that. New Orleans could have made Bush an offer.  But it ...

Last week in New Orleans, Sun Belt athletic directors approved scheduling changes for football and men's basketball. Beginning in 2015, the Sun Belt will move to a nine-game, round-robin football schedule.  In 2012-2014, the teams will continue to play an eight-game conference schedule.  Wi...

It's a good thing I don't put much stock in preseason predictions. Otherwise, I'd be pretty damned depressed right now. Because no one, and I mean no one, is giving Louisiana much of a chance when football season starts. Just read some of what folks supposedly "in the know" have to say...

The first year of the new format for the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament is now in the books.  Following the tournament, I sent out questionnaires to the coaches, asking them for their positives and negatives for the tournament format. (I ...

Athletic Directors from the Sun Belt Conference will be meeting in New Orleans July 18-20 and there are issues bound to be discussed. The most high-profile, at least as far as fans are concerned, are possible new scheduling for football and basketball...

I think it's safe to say John Wall won't be leaving the NBA to pursue a professional baseball career. After throwing out the first pitch of the Washington Nationals game on Friday, Wall made Jay Walker look like Sandy Koufax. Check out the video of the awkward pitch.

The College World Series begins Saturday in its new home, TD Ameritrade Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska. I'm sure there will be some nostalgia about Rosenblatt Stadium and how things used to be. But the new facility is state of the art, and fans will undoubtedly love it...

Ever since the defections of Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada and Hawai'i turned the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) into America's Worst Football Conference (AWFC), Commissioner Karl Benson has been looking forward to Spring, 2011 to announce the AWFC expansion plans...

Eighteen wins.  Four saves.  288 2/3 innings. That's what Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns lose from their pitching staff as they prepare for the 2012 season.  Two weekend, starters, Taylor Hubbell and T. J. Geith, are gone.  Ditto bullpen stalwarts Joey Satriano and Randall Bulliard.  Ryland Parker and...

Teams haven't played since 2004.

The Cajuns say goodbye to leading hitter Mike Petello (.351-9-42) and that's a big loss.  Petello was a solid performer in the middle of the lineup and had an outstanding arm in the field.  Also gone is team captain Matt Goulas (.280-2-14).  Lance Marvel (.304-1-22), an outfielder who served as the DH, also departs.

In the life of a mid-major baseball team, you can have good seasons.  But if you're going to have special seasons, things have to go just right.  The difference in depth of mid-major schools and those in conferences like the SEC, ACC and Big XII is usually the difference. Louis...

Now that the 2011 season is over, here's a preview of 2012.  In this segment, we look at the infield.