Louisiana
Bobcats hand Louisiana first conference loss to avoid sweep
No. 22 Texas State avoided the sweep and handed the No. 21 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns their first conference loss of the season with a dominant 5-0 win.
After losing both Game 1 and Game 2 in blowout fashion, defeating the Cajuns was needed as the Bobcats head into the final stretch of the regular season.
“We just had to review how we played the last two days,” Starting pitcher Mullins said. “Where did we go wrong, where did we go right, and how do we capitalize on what we did right while doing better on what went wrong. It was just a whole 180 turnaround and that was what we needed going into the rest of conference play. I believe we did a really good job of bouncing back.”
In the top of the first, Louisiana looked to be in position to score when Cajun second baseman Alexa Langeliers hit a two-out single into left center field with a runner on first base.
The base runner advanced to home plate looking to give the Cajuns a 1-0 lead to start the game but the relay throw from left fielder Sidney Harvey to second baseman Katarina Zarate to catcher Megan Kelnar was in time. Kelnar tagged out the runner to keep the Cajuns off the scoreboard.
To out proved critical for the Bobcats. In the bottom of the second inning, Texas State loaded the bases with one-out.
On the next at-bat, Zarate connected with a two-run RBI double down the third base line scoring two runs as the Bobcats not only took their first lead but also scored their first runs of the three game series.
“That is a sign of her maturity,” Head Coach Ricci Woodard said. “She didn’t have a good game yesterday. In fact I pulled her. So for her to come back out and do what she did today tells you what kind of player she is capable of and what we are expecting of her for the next two years.”
With runners on second and third, catcher Megan Kelnar kept up the attack on the next at-bat.
Kelnar connected with her own two-run RBI double giving the Bobcats a 4-0 lead.
“I feel like one through nine we are really good offensively,” Woodard said. “Just sometimes we don’t put it all together all the time. I don’t care which part of the lineup it is that gets the key hits but today it was towards the bottom of the lineup which is always nice.”
The Bobcat defense did their part in the win stranding seven base runners.
“We didn’t set the tone on defense but rather set the tone in the locker room,” Mullins said. “We did what we had to do to get it done and do what it takes to get there. It was a full team [effort] and not just the defense.”
Mullins, on her Senior Day, threw a complete game shutout allowing just four hits, two walks, no runs and striking out five batters.
““To me, it means the world to me,” Mullins said. “Even when my family is not able to make it, all these fans are my family. Just being able to come out here every single day, Louisiana or not, and win. I love this team and these people, the atmosphere and we just have to keep riding.”
Zarate capped off the game in the sixth inning with a solo home run blasting the ball over the fence in right field and near the railroad tracks to make it 5-0.
Texas State will enter a seven-game road trip starting with the final mid-week game of the season. The Bobcats travel down into enemy territory in a showdown with the archrival UTSA Roadrunners.
First pitch is set for Wednesday night at 6 p.m.
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New legislation in Baton Rouge would reclassify some illegal gaming-related offenses as racketeering law violations, elevating potential consequences.
Louisiana has already stepped up its enforcement of its gaming laws related to potential illegal gaming but a new bill in the state legislature would give prosecutors’ actions more teeth. The proposal would elevate certain crimes involving unlicensed gaming in the state to a racketeering charge with more severe penalties linked to convictions.
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Louisiana bill changes classification of gaming-related charges
Louisiana Rep. Bryan Fontenot has pre-filed HB 53, which could rewrite the state code as it pertains to unlicensed gaming sites. The legislation has been provisionally assigned to the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice, as the 2026 session does not begin until March 9.
Under the proposal, the state’s definition of racketeering would expand to include “gambling, gambling by computer, gambling on cockfights, gambling by electronic sweepstakes, unlawful wagering, and bribery of sports participants.” Under current statutes, racketeering convictions carry penalties of fines of “not more than one million dollars, or imprisoned at hard labor for not more than 50 years, or both.”
Additionally, racketeering convictions that result in sentences of fines of at least $10,000 revoke recipients’ eligibility for parole. The enactment of this bill as currently composed could have a significant impact on the operation of sweepstakes-based online casino sites for real money in Louisiana.
At the same time, many of the companies in that space have already ceased potentially infringing actions within Louisiana.
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Louisiana has already been off-limits for sweepstakes casinos
In 2025, Louisiana gaming regulators and law enforcement took multiple actions to restrict residents’ access to unlicensed platforms for playing casino games online. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill shared a public notice about the illegality of sweepstakes-based online gaming sites, in addition to issuing cease-and-desist orders to the companies affiliated with those sites. As a result, many of the operators of those sites geofenced Louisiana out of their service areas.
The Louisiana Gaming Control Board supplemented that action with its additional cease-and-desist letters. Fontenot’s bill could add additional weight to these demands if it becomes law.
There is currently no legal framework for playing online casino games or redeeming casino bonus codes in Louisiana. While online sports wagering is legal in most of the state, officials in Baton Rouge have not yet tackled the issue of iGaming.
Even if voters in Louisiana someday do clear the way for the utilization of Fanatics Casino promo codes, that would involve licensed gaming and not affect the implementation of Fontenot’s bill. However, such deliberations do not seem imminent.
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If HB 53 becomes law, Louisiana could levy some of the toughest penalties for illegal gaming activity in the United States. Many potential targets of prosecution have already pulled out of the state.
Driving Louisiana Forward Program
Commerical Driver’s License (CDL) Training
In partnership with the Louisiana Workforce Commission and South Louisiana Community College, this program aims to provide African American males with financial assistance to obtain Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training, strengthening the resilience and contributions of this key demographic and improving equitable access to workforce opportunities. This initiative aims to reduce high unemployment rates within this community but also focuses on ensuring participants come from rural and economically disadvantaged areas.
Earn your CDL Class A license with this comprehensive classroom and behind-the-wheel program to drive tractor[1]trailers, dump trucks, tow trucks, delivery trucks, tanker trucks, and flatbed trucks.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Gov. Jeff Landry is asking Louisiana’s congressional leaders to amend the state’s federal judicial districts, citing caseload growth and public safety concerns.
Landry sent letters to Speaker Mike Johnson, Sen. John Kennedy, Congressman Cleo Fields, and Congresswoman Julia Letlow requesting the change.
The request
Louisiana is currently divided into three federal judicial districts: Eastern, Middle, and Western. Landry is asking that West Feliciana Parish be moved from the Middle District to the Western District.
In the letters, Landry cited significant growth in the Middle District and an increased caseload for its judges. He said a major driver of the Middle District docket is Louisiana State Penitentiary.
Public safety argument
Landry said moving West Feliciana Parish into the Western District would improve judicial efficiency and better address public safety needs in East Baton Rouge Parish and the state.
He said East Baton Rouge Parish continues to battle violent crime. According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, recent numbers show violent crime in the parish has decreased.
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