Reminder: City Bank & Trust will be closed on Friday, April 18, 2025 in observance of Good Friday. All branches, Natchitoches, Shreveport-Bossier and Many.

BOM Bank and BOMFS will close at noon on Friday, April 18, 2025. All branches.

JOURNAL SPORTS

Four-time defending state champion Calvary has the best record in the state regardless of classification, 33-1, and gets the first week off in the LHSAA softball playoff brackets released Wednesday.

But there’s plenty of local action heading into Easter.

Evangel, Byrd, Captain Shreve and Caddo Magnet are in action locally this week in bi-district games. Byrd travels, but just a few miles west to Evangel.

Other Caddo-Bossier teams load up the bus for longer trips. Haughton, Huntington, Loyola,  Parkway and Plain Dealing all hit the road for bi-district contests.

Idle until next week, along with Calvary, are Airline and Benton.

A dozen Caddo-Bossier teams qualified for the LHSAA playoffs announced Wednesday. Five play today.

Evangel (11-19), seeded 16^th in Select Division I, entertains No. 17 Byrd (8-13) in a 6 o’clock contest.

Caddo Magnet (13-15), No. 13 in Select Division I, hosts 20^th-seeded St. Scholastica (8-13) at Bossier Parish Community College today at 5.

In a Select Division II bi-district game, 17^th-seeded Loyola (9-11) goes south to 16^th-seeded Cabrini (9-9) in a 4:30 contest today.

Plain Dealing, 17^th in the Non-Select Division IV bracket, makes perhaps the longest trip of any team in the playoffs when it visits No. 16^th South Plaquemines (7-9) today at 4.

Locals play in three other bi-district matchups Friday and Saturday:

Captain Shreve (18-14), seeded 11^th in Select Division I, hosts No. 22 Woodlawn-Baton Rouge at 1 p.m. Friday;

Haughton (18-15), 17^th in the Non-Select Division I tournament, heads down I-49 to District 1-5A rival Natchitoches Central (13-15, seeded 16^th) for a 5 p.m. Friday contest;

No. 21 Parkway (14-9) travels to 14^th-seeded East Ascension (17-12) for a Saturday noon contest;

Benton (26-5) earned the No. 2 seed in Non-Select Division I and has a bi-district bye, as does No. 6 Airline (19-10). Both play home games next week in the regional round, along with Calvary, top-seeded in Select Division III.

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – The iconic crooner Frank Sinatra understood SEC baseball parity long before anyone.

Like the opening lyrics of his song “That’s Life” from almost 60 years ago:

“That’s life,

 That’s what all the people say,

You’re riding high in April, shot down in May,

But I know I’m gonna change that tune,When I’m back on top, back on top in June.”

’Ol Blue Eyes may have had his months reversed, but the sentiment is spot on for most of the 10 SEC’s ranked teams in D1 Baseball’s top 25 this week.

That’s the case for No. 9 LSU (31-6 overall, 10-5 SEC) as it begins the second half of conference play tonight at 7 vs. No. 15 Alabama (30-8, 8-7 SEC) in the opener of a three-game series in Alex Box Stadium.

LSU is tied for fourth with Georgia in the SEC standings, three games behind first-place Texas (13-2), two games behind second-place Arkansas (12-3), and one game behind third-place Tennessee (11-4). Alabama is tied with Vanderbilt for eighth place.

After LSU’s pitching staff allowed no earned runs in a sweep at Oklahoma two weekends ago, the Tigers got swept at Auburn last weekend when they hit an ice-cold .182 and scored a minuscule eight runs in the three losses.

“I don’t know if I’ve had a team play as close to its potential for as long as this team did, and I’m very proud of them for that,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “It’s just the game, and it caught up to us against a good team on the road. More series are going to be like that the rest of the way. It’s a good learning experience.”

Johnson said he used Monday’s practice and Tuesday’s pre-game batting practice before LSU’s 10-3 non-conference home win over McNeese as correction reminders to help with the Tigers’ struggling bats.

He pointed out his team’s 17-8 home win over Mississippi State on March 29 that clinched a series sweep as an example of how his team does its best at the plate. It had 15 singles among its 19 hits

“’This guy (MSU starter Karson Ligon) is throwing 98 (miles per hour),’” Johnson told his squad, “’and you guys are just tattooing in on a line. This is a very fundamental principle (of hitting) that we’re doing, and that’s what turned us into like this kind of unstoppable machine for two months.’

“We honed in on what guys do well, and then tried to bring them back to what they do well individually. Pair some of that with some approach things, and you’ve got to compete a little harder with two strikes and with runners on base.”

Against Auburn, LSU junior first baseman Jared Jones had the worst hitting series of his career, getting one hit in 13 at-bats with six strikeouts. In the first 15 SEC games, Jones is batting 254 through the league’s first half (15 games) with more strikeouts (22) than hits (17, including a homer and a double).

Jones was one of several Tigers that Johnson met privately with on Monday.

“He’s done that throughout my career since I’ve been here,” Jones said of Johnson. “He just gives me a different perspective. I really listen to what he has to say, and I trust him. “It’s a very personal one-on-one conversation that I always feel is a good reset button.”

Johnson moved Jones from the No. 2 spot to No. 3 in the batting order vs. McNeese. Paired with Johnson’s Monday conversation, Jones responded by going 3 for 3 with a two-run homer and three RBI.

He also had one of LSU’s four hits (all singles) in the Tigers’ two-out four-run fourth inning rally.

“It was one of my favorite innings of the year for many different reasons,” Johnson said, “The ability to hit the ball on a line to the big part of the field with runners on base and with two outs is going to separate you.”

Starting with Alabama, LSU has three of its last five SEC series at home, including vs. No. 4 Tennessee on April 25-27 and No. 2 Arkansas on May 9-11. 

No. 3 LSU (32-6 overall, 10-5 SEC) vs. No. 15 Alabama (30-8, 8-7 SEC), Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge

SCHEDULE/PITCHING MATCHUP

Game 1: Today, 7 p.m. CT (ESPNU)

LSU – So. LH Kade Anderson (6-1, 3.48 ERA, 51.2 IP, 81 SO, 13 BB)

ALABAMA – R-So. RH Tyler Fay (0-0, 4.98 ERA, 21.1 IP, 15 SO, 6 BB)

Game 2: Friday, 6 p.m. CT (ESPN2)

LSU – Jr. RH Anthony Eyanson (5-1, 3.78 ERA, 47.2 IP, 71 SO, 16 BB

ALABAMA – R-So. RHP Jr. Riley Quick (5-1, 3.13 ERA, 31.2 IP, 31 SO, 13 BB)

Game 3: Saturday, 5 p.m. CT (SEC Network+)

LSU – RS So. RH Chase Shores (5-2, 5.12 ERA, 38.2 IP, 41 SO, 20 BB)

ALABAMA – So. LHP Zane Adams (4-2, 6.18 ERA, 39.1 IP, 38 SO, 14 BB)

LSU-ALABAMA SERIES

Alabama leads the all-time series with LSU, 202-181-3, but the Tigers are 40-15 vs. the Crimson Tide since 2007 (35-15 in regular-season games, 5-0 in the SEC Tournament). LSU has won 14 of the 17 SEC regular-season series since 2007.

A LOOK AT LSU

LSU is No. 2 in the SEC in batting average (.319), No. 1 in the league in doubles (89), No. 3 in hits (402), No. 3 in on-base percentage (.437), No. 4 in runs scored (339) and No. 4 in total bases (668). The Tigers’ pitching staff is No. 3 in the league in ERA (3.50), No. 2 in strikeouts (420), and No. 4 in fewest earned runs allowed (126). First baseman Jared Jones is No. 3 in the SEC in hits (57), No. 3 in total bases (104), No. 4 in RBI (53), and No. 5 in batting average (.373). Leftfielder Derek Curiel is No. 3 in the SEC in doubles (13), No. 4 in walks (33,) and No. 7 in hits (51). Junior second baseman Daniel Dickinson is No. 6 in the SEC in on-base percentage (.497). Sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson is No. 2 in the SEC in strikeouts (81) and No. 4 in the league in innings pitched (51.2). Junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson is No. 4 in the SEC in strikeouts (71).

A LOOK AT ALABAMA

Alabama is No. 9 in the SEC batting average (.291). The Crimson Tide pitching staff is No. 11 in the league in ERA (4.64), and it has 340 strikeouts in 330 innings while limiting opponents to a .249 batting average. Alabama infielder Justin Lebron is hitting .333 this season, and he is No. 1 in the SEC with 58 RBI and No. 3 in the league with 15 home runs. Crimson Tide right-hander Carson Ozmer, a graduate transfer from Penn, leads the SEC in saves this season with 11 and in appearances with 19.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

Thirty-one local boys and girls tennis players qualified for the upcoming LHSAA Division III state tournament out of the Region I championships earlier this week, including two doubles championship teams and boys singles titlelist Alexander Jayroe of Evangel.

The Loyola girls doubles tandem of Kathryn Elberson and Mae Graf were champs with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Oak Grove’s Kenslee Gregory and Clara Kally.

Also headed to state are the Calvary doubles duo of Emily Bennett and Shelby Simmons, and Loyola’s Cassidy Kirk and Sadie Green, who fell in the regional semis, along with two local quarterfinalist tandems: Loyola’s Gabrielle Ghali and Sophia Fertitta, and Calvary’s Lauren Lovitt and Addison Stevenson.

In boys doubles, Calvary’s Hayden Donaldson and Charles Gregory prevailed 6-4, 6-2 in the finals over Sterlington’s Ben Forbes and Olly Powell.

Calvary’s Abram Covington and Hudson Cramer, along with Juan Caballero and Arnau Serra Frances of Evangel, reached the regional semifinals and qualified for the state tournament. Loyola’s John Papa and Logan Wall, and Carter Doyal and Rodney Varnadore, and Calvary’s Abram Covington and Hudson Crager, dropped quarterfinal doubles matches but earned state tourney berths.

Jayroe topped Loyola’s Edmond Brown for the boys singles regional crown. Falling in the semifinals but advancing to the state tourney were two Calvary players, Bryce Colvin and Jett Larry.

In the girls singles final, Calvary’s Annie Bickham fell 6-3, 6-3 to Anna Shaw of Caldwell Parish.

Four other girls qualified for the state tournament singles draw: semifinalists Grace Googe of Calvary and Zaria Curry from Evangel, and quarterfinalists Frances Jordan and Addison Knox of Loyola.

The first day of Spring, March 20, is a special day for folks around these parts who are dog tired of winter. Although we don’t have winters like our friends up north, we still have to contend with drab landscapes, an occasional frost, cold rains and incessant wind. However, the calendar says it’s spring so we have reason to celebrate.

Already our hardwood trees have fresh green leaves and lawns are escaping the dull gray of winter and now are begging to be mowed. My huckleberry bushes are sporting little green berries that in a few weeks will turn to a shiny purple, ready for being converted into cobblers and jam.

The thing though that really shouts SPRING are the sounds you hear from high above, the lilting twitter of purple martins as they prepare to delight homeowners who have martin boxes. Nothing is quite so soothing and enjoyable as sitting on the porch as martins bring spring mornings into a cacophony of song, flit and flitter.

At least that’s the case for homeowners, like Choudrant’s Dick and Trish Albritton, who are blessed with bird houses full of nesting purple martins. Some of us, namely yours truly, seem to have some sort of anti-martin pox. They just flat refuse to nest in boxes I have for years prepared for them.

When I was growing up, having purple martins nest in their yards was a no brainer. Here’s something I wrote years ago that describes it….”When I was growing up out on the rural route, we had martins, the town drunk had martins, people who never took baths and let their kids teeth rot had martins. They were not something you wished for; they were something you had. They weren’t persnickety either. You’d stick something up on a pole and they’d build a nest in it.”

I visited with the Albrittons recently and Dick shared some information about how he and Trish attract martins. “I have 50-60 boxes plus gourds up in our yard and we have over 50 martins here now” he said. “My boxes formerly had round entrance holes that martins used but starlings did too, and that was a problem. My boxes now have smaller rectangle holes martins have no trouble entering; yet they’re too small for starlings.”

An on-line site about these birds described them this way… “Renowned for their chattering songs, aerial acrobatics, insect eating habits and tolerance of humans they stand as one of America’s most cherished songbirds.”

There are other characteristics of purple martins that Albritton has observed. “Fledglings  will return to the spot, often to the same cubicle this spring where they were hatched last year. Also,” he added, “purple martins like to be close to humans so it’s important that their houses need to be 60-100 feet from where people live. There needs to be a water source such as a pond and power lines for perching nearby. They start arriving by late February and begin leaving around mid-July.”

Part of the Albritton’s success with attracting purple martins involves quite a bit of work. “I will lower the boxes before birds begin arriving to clean them out, place a handful of straw in each cubicle before raising the boxes.”

Since my luck in attracting martins seems to be at zero, Dick and Trish Albritton may have to become accustomed to looking out the window and see an old fellow sitting on their

porch to watch the birds do what they do. If I can’t have birds in my yard, surely they won’t mind sharing them with me. Oh by the way, if your coffee pot is perking, I like mine dark with a bit of cream.

Contact Glynn at glynnharris37@gmail.com

On April 17, 1964, at the New York World’s Fair, Ford unveiled a vehicle that would come to symbolize American freedom, power, and style — the Ford Mustang. Since then, April 17 has become National Mustang Day, honoring one of the most beloved cars in automotive history.

Priced at just $2,368 in its debut year, the Mustang sold over 22,000 units on its first day alone and over a million in just 18 months. It quickly became a pop culture fixture, appearing in films like Bullitt, Gone in 60 Seconds, and Need for Speed.

What made the Mustang unique was its wide appeal — it offered power and style for car lovers but remained accessible to the average buyer.

“This car is more than just transportation,” says Mustang club member Kevin DuBois of Shreveport. “It’s about a lifestyle. It’s about the roar of the engine and the freedom of the open road.”

Even today, Mustang enthusiasts gather on April 17 for car shows, parades, and rallies across the country, with many taking their classic rides out for a spin.

As Ford continues to innovate with electric models like the Mustang Mach-E, the legacy of the original Mustang remains intact — a perfect marriage of performance, personality, and American muscle.

I didn’t get into this business to hurt people.

But when something this sleazy happens, I can’t keep quiet.

We have in no uncertain terms exposed a scam in the Underwear Underworld. What was thought to be an all-American, 100-percent downy cotton world is instead a dirty, shameful operation built on deception and run by cigar-smoking big guys who wheel and deal from the back rooms of slum shanties.

In their boxer shorts.

It began innocently. I was working the day shift and had called Jockey International Inc. in Kenosha, Wis., to talk with a person named Mildred. Recently, after opening a package of six new pair of briefs and seeing the same tag on each one — “INSPECTED BY MILDRED 147 19” — I wanted to thank Mildred personally for her fine job of inspecting. Each pair she’d inspected seemed flawless. (Of course, we’re talking about pre-wear condition here.

But I immediately got the feeling something was awry. Jockey folk seemed hesitant. They treated me like some guy who wears bikini briefs, exclusively.

I felt as if I were getting in deeper, maybe putting myself in danger of going underwearless the rest of my days. I knew I was in harm’s way.

But I pressed on.

Finally, after repeated calls and several seedy conversations, the Underwear People cracked. My worst fears were realized:

Mildred the Underwear Person Inspector isn’t a person. Not even close. “Mildred” is a conglomerate, a manufacturing plant in Milan, Ga. (I was told the Milan plant manager was, and I quote, “out of the country for a while.” Now, I understand why.)

That information was only the tip of the iceberg. CAROL, who inspected my T-shirts, is a Jockey plant in Carlisle, Ky.

“Coded names,” said Tim Brown, plant manager of CAROL/Carlisle.

Three Kentucky-based Jockey plants combine to make up a sort of Bermuda (shorts) Triangle of underwear in the state’s northeast corner: CYNTHIA is in Cynthiana, MARY is the plant in Mayville, and MARY SUE is the plant in Mt. Sterling.

And there you have it.

No one in our newsroom wanted to believe these cold, startling facts — except for the reporters who don’t wear underwear, and they could not possibly have cared less. There were so many questions we wanted to ask Mildred, like what she looked for, flaw-wise, in underdrawers. Did she put them through a crash test? Ask them if they’d ever been part of a Commie faction? See if they could do 10 chin-ups?

We wanted to ask her what would happen if underwear failed inspection on her watch. Were the faulty underwear made to run laps or pull KP? Were they sentenced to be worn by furniture movers named Goat or Harry? Blindfolded by tiny strips of other bad underwear and, with their little cotton arms tied behind their rears, shot?

Most of all, I wanted the comfort that I was sure would have come with personally knowing my underwear inspector.

Didn’t happen.

The Carlisle plant manager’s assurance that every garment was inspected by three different people at three different times was little consolation. That means only that instead of being inspected by a nice person named Mildred, a grandmother who attends Sunday school and maybe even tithes, the underwear I have on may have been fondled by Lolita or Zsa Zsa.

Or worse, by a guy named Biff.

BOM is continuing our support of the Haughton High School baseball program. Pictured left to right: BOM’s Sam Marvin and Head Coach Glenn Maynor.

JOURNAL SPORTS

Eight Shreveport-Bossier high school baseball squads have earned spots in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s playoff brackets, and all but two are off heading into Easter weekend.

Byrd, seeded 18^th in Select Division I, and Airline, No. 23 in Non-Select Division I,  play on the road this week.

The Yellow Jackets (13-21) will travel to Covington to meet No. 15 St. Paul’s (8-18). The survivor goes to second-seeded Holy Cross next week.

The Vikings (20-14) head to Baton Rouge to battle No. 10 Dutchtown (23-11), with the winner getting to play a regional round playoff series next week at No. 7 Natchitoches Central (27-7).

The rest of the local contingent – Benton, Calvary, Captain Shreve, Haughton, Loyola and Northwood earned bi-district byes and begin postseason next week.

All action in the Division I, II and III tournament brackets are best-of-three series in each round.

Northwood (30-4) has the highest seed, No. 3, among the local Division I teams and will be at home next week. The Falcons await the winner of this week’s bi-district series in Non-Select Division I between No. 14 Zachary and 19^th-seeded Slidell.

Haughton (28-6) is No. 4 in Non-Select Division I. The Bucs host the winner of No. 13 Covington and 20^th-seeded Sulphur in the regional round.

Fifth seeded in Non-Select Division I, District 1-5A champion Benton (31-3) enjoys Easter weekend off and will host either No. 12 Ruston or 21^st-seeded Hahnville.

Captain Shreve is No. 6 in Select Division I. The Gators (23-11) already have their regional round matchup as No. 11 Ponchatoula (19-10) also got a bye, and will visit Shreveport next week.

Loyola, the surprise District 1-4A champion, earned a No. 3 seed in the Select Division II tournament. The 22-10 Flyers will be at home next week against the survivor of this week’s bi-district series between 14^th-seeded Haynes Academy and No. 19 Peabody.

Calvary (24-10) is the No. 7 seed in Select Division III and will host a regional round series next week against No. 10 Lafayette Christian Academy.