Louisiana
DeBarge's ninth-inning single helps Louisiana claims series at Georgia Southern
Junior shortstop ties single-season, school record with his 19th home run
STATESBORO, Ga. – Junior shortstop Kyle DeBarge etched his name into the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Baseball record book with his 19th home run of the season before his two-out, RBI single in the top of the ninth broke a 4-4 deadlock and led No. 22 Louisiana to a 6-4 win against Georgia Southern on Saturday at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Ben Robichaux and Jose Torres each drove in runs as Louisiana (37-15, 20-6 SBC) maintained its three-game lead over Troy and Southern Miss in the Sun Belt Conference standings with four league games remaining.
The final game of the three-game series will start on Sunday at noon CDT. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with fans able to listen to the game in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5) and worldwide on the Varsity Network app.
DeBarge hit a solo home run in the third inning off Georgia Southern starter Ty Fisher for his 19th home run of the season, giving Louisiana a 3-0 lead and tying him with David King (1989) and David Alvis (1985) for the most in the school’s rich baseball history.
His game-winning heroics in the ninth came Bryan Broussard, Jr., reached on a one-out single to chase Georgia Southern reliever Mitchell Gross (2-4) before Conor Higgs drew a two-out walk off southpaw Jacob Phillips.
DeBarge then lifted a 1-and-1 pitch from Phillips into right field for his second hit of the day and allowing Broussard to score from second ahead of a throw by right-fielder Sam Blancato. The Ragin’ Cajuns would add an insurance run when Higgs scored from third after a Phillips wild pitch.
Louisiana took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Taylor reached on a leadoff single and moved to second on a walk to Caleb Stelly. Ben Robichaux, whose first hit of the season was a grand slam in Friday’s 19-3 win, then singled up the middle to drive in Taylor before Stelly would score from third on Torres’ sacrifice bunt up the first-base line.
Taylor gave Louisiana a 4-0 lead in the third when he reached on an error, moved to third on Stelly’s single up the middle and scored on a wild pitch.
Georgia Southern chipped away at the lead scoring three runs in the sixth inning after Sean Smith’s double to center drove in Blancato and Jarrett Brown. TJ McKenzie would drive in Sean White with a sacrifice fly to right before Louisiana reliever Blake McGehee fanned Cade Parker to end the threat.
Blancato, who went 3-for-4 to lead Georgia Southern at the plate then tied the game in the seventh when his two-out, solo homer to right cleared the wall in right.
JT Etheridge (3-2) earned the win for Louisiana after pitching 1.2 innings of no-hit relief with three strikeouts. The senior right-hander relieved McGehee in the eighth after Smith singled and moved up on an error before getting thrown out at third trying to advance on a wild pitch.
Etheridge would then end the inning striking out McKenzie before retiring three straight batters in the ninth after issuing a leadoff walk to Parker.
Chase Morgan struck out nine batters and scattered four hits in 5.0 scoreless innings for Louisiana. McGehee, the third of four pitchers used by the Ragin’ Cajuns, struck out two and allowed a run in 2.0 innings of relief.
DeBarge and Taylor had two hits each for Louisiana, which held a 9-8 advantage at the plate and stranded nine runners, while Trey LaFleur went 1-for-5 with double while Duncan Pastore added an eighth-inning single to extend his hit streak to a team-high nine games.
Single-game tickets are available by visiting the Louisiana Athletics Box Office at the Cajundome or purchasing by visiting Account Manager. For more information call the Louisiana Athletics Box Office at the Cajundome at (337) 265-2104.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin’ Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
For the latest updates on Ragin’ Cajuns baseball, follow on Facebook (RaginCajunsBaseball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsBSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsBSB) or check RaginCajuns.com.
Louisiana ranks among the top 10 most affordable states to retire, according to a new study from Retirement Living, a national journal of retirement research.
Researchers analyzed each state’s housing costs, living expenses and tax friendliness to compile the ranking. Louisiana, they say, is the eighth most affordable state for retirees.
In Louisiana, the median monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $932, the median home sale price is $255,000, monthly grocery spend per capita is $272, the average price per gallon of regular gas is $4, the average Medicare Advantage monthly premium is $13.35 and the average effective property tax rate is 0.55%.
West Virginia is the most affordable state to retire, followed by Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Louisiana, Indiana and Kansas. Researchers describe the South as “the sweet spot for an affordable retirement.”
The most expensive state to retire, meanwhile, is California, followed by Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Utah, New York and Minnesota.
Read Retirement Living’s full report here.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – With hurricane season approaching, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is bringing the community together to prepare before a storm forms.
“We can’t stop disasters from happening. We can’t stop hurricanes from happening. But what we can do is equip our communities with the resources that they need to prepare for these storms ahead of time,” said Jayda Morris, CPRA outreach manager.
The agency hosted an event featuring interactive storm simulations and a full model of the Mississippi River.
“If you do it now, like on a sunny day like today, you’re ready to go for the rest of the season,” Jay Grymes said.
El Niño may reduce storms, but Louisiana still at risk
State Climatologist Jay Grymes said an El Niño pattern may reduce the number of storms in the Atlantic but warned against a false sense of security.
“In those 25 years, Louisiana, some part of the state has been impacted by 29 storms. That’s one a year, regardless of El Niño. So that should tell you something,” Grymes said.
He said the bigger concern is storms that can form in the Gulf with little warning.
“If we’re going to get a storm, it very possibly could be one that bubbles up in the Gulf and doesn’t give us five or seven days to track it coming our way. It gives us 40 hours to get ready for a landfall. So it’s imperative that you go ahead and do it now,” Grymes said.
Preparation goes beyond stocking water
Preparing now includes walking through yards, checking trees, and knowing whether everyone in the family can survive two weeks without power.
PhD students with the LSU College of the Coast and Environment gave the community a virtual reality experience that puts users inside a storm.
“If they wear the goggles or play with the Apple Vision Pro, they can understand how high will the flood be, and they can know how dangerous is the hurricane scenario,” said Yixuan Wang.
The VR simulation uses real historical data to show users what compound flooding looks like in New Orleans and surrounding areas. The goal is to make the science real for people who can’t picture what a flood map means.
“It’s just to let you understand the environment. We will add the audios, the different sound of the wind and the storm. And you can see how tense of the rainfall around you,” Wang said.
Organizers said the event is about making sure that when a storm threatens the area, families already know their plan.
Information from the event is available on CPRA’s website. Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
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BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana homeowners can get financial help to upgrade their roofs and ensure they can better stand up to strong storms.
According to the Louisiana Department of Insurance, registration for next Louisiana Fortify Homes Program lottery opens at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 1. The registration period will stay open through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 19.
Under the latest round of the program, 3,000 grants of up to $10,000 will go out. After applying, homeowners will get placed into a lottery and will be randomly selected.
There are many specific benefits of having a roof upgraded through the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. Officials said the roofs have stronger shingles that can protect against hail up to two inches wide, sealed roof decks to help prevent water damage, and stronger edges to keep wind from getting underneath.
Homeowners with a fortified roof can also get a certificate to receive a discount on insurance premiums.
“At the end of the day, this program is about more than just roofs,” said Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple. “It is about protecting families, it is about strengthening communities, and it is about putting Louisiana in a stronger position—both physically and economically—to face the challenges ahead.”
Only people living in Ascension Parish, Livingston Parish, Assumption Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Acadia Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Iberia Parish, Jefferson Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Lafayette Parish, Lafourche Parish, Orleans Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Martin Parish, St. Mary Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Terrebonne Parish, and Vermilion Parish are eligible to apply for the latest round of the program.
People living in a newly built home, mobile home, or condominium are not qualified.
For a detailed list of eligibility requirements, click here.
If a person registered for the program previously, he or she must do so again. The person will also need to provide the following information:
- A homestead exemption on the primary residence.
- A policy of insurance that provides wind coverage for the primary residence.
- A flood insurance policy on the primary residence if it is in a special flood hazard area.
For more information about applying, click here.
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