The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office has identified the eight children shot and killed early Sunday morning in the Cedar Grove neighborhood of Shreveport in what police describe as an act of domestic violence — the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in more than two years.

The victims are Jayla Elkins, 3; Shayla Elkins, 5; Khedarrion Snow, 6; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Braylon Snow, 5; Markaydon Pugh, 10; and Sariahh Snow, 11. Seven were siblings; the eighth was a cousin. Three were boys and five were girls. Their deaths mark Shreveport’s eighth through 15th homicides of 2026.

Shreveport Police identified the gunman as Shamar Elkins, 31, a lifelong Shreveport resident and father of seven of the eight children killed. Police say Elkins first shot his wife at a residence on Harrison Street, then proceeded to a separate home on West 79th Street, where he shot the eight children and another woman. Seven children were found dead inside the home. An eighth child was shot on the roof while attempting to escape. A 13-year-old boy escaped by jumping from the roof and sustained non-life-threatening injuries including broken bones.

Elkins’ wife, the mother of seven of the slain children, was shot in the face and remained alive Sunday with serious injuries. A second woman, believed to be Elkins’ girlfriend and the mother of the eighth child killed, was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Police say Elkins used an assault-style weapon. The incident spanned four separate crime scenes.

After the shootings, Elkins carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint and fled. Shreveport police pursued him into neighboring Bossier City, where officers shot and killed him. Louisiana State Police are conducting a separate investigation into the officer-involved shooting. Shreveport police said nothing suggests any wrongdoing by officers.

Elkins served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2013 to 2020 and was never deployed. He had a prior criminal conviction in Caddo District Court after pleading guilty in October 2019 to illegal use of weapons following a 2019 incident in which he fired five rounds near Caddo Magnet High School. He was placed on probation for 18 months.

Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said he could not “even begin to imagine how such an event can occur.” Mayor Tom Arceneaux called it “maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport” and said the city is working to provide counseling services to classmates of the victims and to first responders. A candlelight vigil was held Sunday evening in the Cedar Grove neighborhood, where community members gathered to lay flowers and stuffed animals in tribute to the children.

Shreveport Police Cpl. Chris Bordelon said investigators are confident the shooting was “entirely a domestic incident” and that police were not previously aware of any domestic violence history involving Elkins. The motive remains under investigation.

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” Those words from John Donne remind us that a tragedy like this does not belong to one family alone — it belongs to all of us.

Today, our community is grieving the unimaginable loss of innocent children. There are no words that can make sense of it, and no distance that shields us from it. Shreveport is not an island. We are connected, and in moments like this, that connection must mean something. It must mean compassion, awareness, and action.

This tragedy reaches far beyond the scene itself. It affects the first responders who answered the call, the neighbors who witnessed the aftermath, the families now living a nightmare, and a community shaken to its core. These moments leave a lasting imprint on our hearts, our minds, and our sense of safety.

We must check on one another. We must support those carrying the weight of what they saw and heard. And we must not ignore the deeper issues — violence in the home, untreated trauma, and the silence that allows both to grow.

Please keep these children, their loved ones, and everyone affected in your prayers. And if you are hurting, reach out. You do not have to carry this alone.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, help is available. The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office Domestic Abuse contact is Jackie Winston at 318-560-2383. Project Celebration, Inc. is available 24/7 at (318) 226-5015. The local sexual assault hotline is 888-995-7273, and the local domestic violence hotline is 888-411-1333. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

On Sunday, April 19, 2026, at approximately 12:11 a.m., Louisiana State Police Troop E responded to a fatal crash on U.S. Highway 71 near Louisiana Highway 1226. This crash claimed the life of 23-year-old Jacob R. Ingram of Bossier City.

The initial investigation revealed that a 2017 Chevrolet Impala, driven by Ingram, was traveling south on U.S. Highway 71.  For reasons still under investigation, Ingram lost control of the vehicle, which caused it to leave the roadway, and overturn before impacting multiple trees.

Ingram, who was not restrained, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Routine toxicology samples were obtained and submitted for analysis. Impairment is a suspected factor in this crash. This crash remains under investigation.

Louisiana State Police would like to remind all motorists that if you feel differently, you drive differently. Alcohol, prescription drugs, and other drugs have many effects on the body that negatively affect driving skills. These drugs can impair visual ability, alter the sense of time and space, impair fine motor skills needed to operate a motor vehicle, and decrease reaction times. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and designate a sober driver. Not doing so can have deadly consequences.

By DAVID ERSOFF, Journal Contributor

Last week I was considering some restaurant choices and ran across Monjuni’s at 7601 Youree Drive, Shreveport. I realized I had not been to Monjuni’s in a very long time, in fact, it was when they had a location on Benton Road, way too long ago, as I found out after eating at the Youree Drive location last week.

Monjuni’s does not have a huge menu, as some Italian restaurants tend to have, which makes me happy. I prefer less choices all done well than more choices where the quality lacks consistency.

The Monjuni’s menu has appetizers: some nice salad choices, Po Boys and their famous Muffalettas. Many of these look perfect for lunch or a light dinner.

I ordered the Cajun Shrimp Toast to start us. It had great flavor, and a bite that requires your drink to be full when you eat it. The spice was not overwhelming at all, just enough to make the ‘Cajun’ name accurate.

My daughter went with the spaghetti, choosing to not add the meatball. Sadly, I did not add it anyway, just to try it myself. She enjoyed her meal and had plenty for lunch the next day. The few bites I got were very enjoyable. I don’t normally prefer sauce on the sweeter side, but Monjuni’s original recipe changed my mind on sweet sauce.

I do love a good Alfredo sauce, so the Shrimp Aurora called my name the moment I saw it on the menu. This dish features Alfredo sauce mixed with the original sauce served over thin spaghetti with boiled gulf shrimp. It’s then covered in cheese and twice baked. It was fabulous. I had to make myself stop eating or risk having to take a nap in the parking lot.

I promised my other daughter leftovers since she couldn’t join us at the restaurant. I think she enjoyed it more than I did, even heated up later that night.

Every full Italian meal must end with dessert, right? At least that’s what I told my daughter at the table, so I let her decide on which one. She chose Italian cream cake, which seemed a fitting choice. Freshly-made desserts are always the best, and this Italian crème cake did not disappoint. There was none left to take home.

I can see myself at Monjuni’s again, with an eye on trying their Muffaletta, which I know has had the reputation as one of the best around. That will probably be a lunch choice. The Aurora was so good, that will always be my pick for dinner.

Contact David at dersoff@bellsouth.net

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports 

BATON ROUGE — You don’t often hear a coach publicly admitting he made a huge mistake that’s affected the entire season. 

LSU head coach Jay Johnson didn’t even wait until Sunday to do exactly that, when his team became just the second Tigers’ squad in the last 42 years to get swept in two consecutive three-game SEC series. 

After the No. 10 Aggies (32-7 overall, 13-5 SEC) pounded LSU (23-19, 6-13) 10-4 in Friday’s series opener (to be followed by losses of 7-2 and 5-2 on Saturday and Sunday), Johnson said his mismanagement constructing the 2026 roster has put the Tigers in an untenable situation that won’t be fixed this season. 

“I made some mistakes constructing this team trying to replace two guys who were irreplaceable,” Johnson said after the Game 1 beatdown. “We should have looked to replace them with guys who were already in the program. 

“And then replace the guys who were more athletic who play defense and be more complete players. We won’t make that mistake again.” 

Johnson used junior starting outfielder Jake Brown, who has gradually earned more playing time since his freshman season in 2024, as an example of someone maturing in the program. 

“From this point forward, it will come from guys who started their careers here and developed into it like Jake has per se.” 

Johnson won two national championships in 2023 and 2025 because he blended returning veterans with great portal buys. 

Key transfers on the 2023 champs included starting pitcher Paul Skenes from Air Force (the No. 1 overall pick in the ‘23 MLB draft), North Carolina State third baseman Tommy White (the NCAA RBI leader that season), and relief pitchers Riley Cooper (Arizona) and Thatcher Hurd (UCLA). 

Last year’s title squad had six transfers who were vital to LSU’s success, such starting pitcher Anthony Eyanson (UC-San Diego), catcher Luis Hernandez (Indiana State), second baseman Daniel Dickinson (Grand Canyon) and reliever Zac Cowan (Wofford). 

On both championship teams, the aforementioned transfers contributed heavily to the successful end result. 

This season’s four primary position portal buys — Grand Canyon first baseman Zach York, and infielders Seth Dardar (Kansas State), Trent Conway (Oregon State) and Braden Simpson (High Point) — have been so underwhelming that Johnson basically has benched all of them but Simpson in the last two SEC series. 

“We have a process of winning here we have not connected to as a team,” Johnson said. “They know how I think about attitude, competition, commitment, those type of things. 

“I’ve had way too many conversations about those things.” 

Apparently, Johnson’s words have yet to penetrate many of his players’ noggins. The A&M series looked like a legit College World Series contender (the Aggies) taking apart a consistently inept squad (LSU) continually spiraling downward. 

In a season of bad offensive performances, the Tigers were absolutely anemic vs. A&M. 

They hit .218 (22 of 101), including .175 (7 of 40) with runners on base and .058 (1 of 17) with runners in scoring position. 

Casan Evans, William Schmidt and Zac Cowan — LSU’s trio of starting pitchers — combined for a hefty 11.77 ERA. They allowed 17 hits and 17 runs (all earned) — in 13 innings. 

The Tigers’ offense provided their starting pitchers just two runs (one each for Evans and Schmidt). 

Now, just a season after LSU won its eighth national championship, it is on the verge of a dubious achievement when it heads to Mississippi State on Friday for its next SEC series. 

No Tigers’ team in the history of the program has ever been swept in three straIght three-game SEC series. The school record for most consecutive conference losses in a season is eight set by the 1977 team. 

“Two of the last three years it’s been a lot of fun to show up here,” Johnson said. “It’s not as fun right now but you still have to show up. 

“That’s my job. That’s my coaches’ jobs. It’s these players lives. It’s the most important thing to them. We owe them that.” 

Here’s a rapid recap of the Tigers -Aggies series: 

GAME 1: TEXAS A&M 10, LSU 4 —Texas A&M right fielder Jorian Wilson hit two home runs and collected four RBI in Friday night’s opener. 

A&M reliever Gavin Lyons (6-0) earned the win, limiting LSU to two runs – one earned – on four hits in 2.1 innings. LSU starting pitcher Casan Evans (4-3) allowed six runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings with three walks and eight strikeouts. 

GAME 2: TEXAS A&M 7, LSU 2 — Aggies right-hander Aiden Sims limited LSU to two runs over seven innings in Saturday’s series-clinching win. 

Sims (7-0) allowed two runs on three hits in 7.0 innings with two walks and six innings. 

LSU starting pitcher William Schmidt (4-4) allowed seven runs on seven hits with four walks and four strikeouts in 5.1 innings. 

GAME  3: TEXAS A&M 5, LSU 2 — Texas A&M took a 5-0 lead and withstood a spark of LSU offense in Sunday’s win for the Aggies’ sweep. 

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

Seven Shreveport-Bossier softball teams won first-round LHSAA playoff games over the weekend to advance to the regional round.

Two local baseball teams advanced out of best-of-3 first-round weekend playoff series. Haughton pulled off a pair of one-run decisions on the road in Lafayette as the No. 18 Bucs beat the 15^th-seeded Southside Sharks.

First-round results for Shreveport-Bossier teams in the LHSAA playoffs:

SOFTBALL 

Non-Select Division I 

Airline 6, West Ouachita 5

Benton 2, Chalmette 0

Hahnville 5, Haughton 0

Ouachita 16, Northwood 0

Select Division I 

Caddo Magnet 25, John Ehret 17

Evangel 6, Byrd 5

Captain Shreve 14, Edna Karr 0

TODAY: Shreve (No. 15) at Pineville (No. 2), 5:30

Select Division II 

Loyola 15, Frederick A. Douglass 0

David Thibodaux 17, Booker T. Washington 1

Select Division III 

Rosepine 15, North Caddo 0

Non-Select Division IV 

Plain Dealing 13, Lakeview 3

BASEBALL 

Non-Select Division I 

Haughton over Southsde 2-0: Game 1 3-2, Game 2 7-6 at Lafayette

Mandeville over Airline 2-0: Game 1 6-2, Game 2 8-1 at Mandeville

Sulphur over Northwood 2-0: Game 1 6-1, Game 2 11-4 at Sulphur

Select Division I 

Evangel over Liberty 2-0: Game 1 9-2, Game 2 7-2 at ECA

St. Augustine over Byrd 2-1: Game 1 3-1 St. Aug, Game 2 6-5 Byrd, Game 3 5-1 St. Aug, at St. Aug

Funeral services for Fred Charles Revils, 90, will be held on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 12:30 p.m. at the Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, 7970 Mike Clark Rd. in  Keithville, Louisiana. A visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2500 Southside Dr. in Shreveport. Officiating the service will be Chaplain Austin Green.

Fred was born May 31, 1935, in El Dorado, Arkansas, to Fred James Revils and Francis McWilliams Revils. He graduated from El Dorado High School and went on to proudly serve his country in the United States Air Force.

Fred married the love of his life, Lee, in 1956, and together they shared 60 wonderful years of marriage. They were blessed with two children, Fred and Brenda.

During his military career, Fred and his family were stationed at several bases across the United States. Following his retirement from the Air Force after 20 years of service, he and his family settled in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1974. He later began a career with General Motors where he worked for several years until his final retirement.

Throughout his life, Fred was deeply devoted to his family. He and his children shared countless memories of camping trips, waterskiing and were actively involved in motorcross racing for several years.

Fred was an avid hunter and fisherman who found great joy in the outdoors. He had a passion for baseball and football and was a devoted fan of the Arkansas Razorbacks. In his spare time, he enjoyed investing in the local horse track and casinos.

Fred is preceded in death by his wife, Dora Lee Revils; father, Fred James Revils, and mother, Francis McWilliams Revils. Left to cherish Fred’s memory is his son, Fred Revils, Jr. and wife, Brenda Kay; daughter, Brenda Warren and husband, Marcus; sister, Margie Owens; grandson, Branden Tramel and wife, Suzy; granddaughters, Hollie Sams, and Jodi Tramel; great-grandchildren, Kylie Paskie and husband, Alex, Gage Parker, Brayden Tramel, Sawyer Sams, and Chloe Adams; and great-great-grandson, Mateo Parker.

Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Jamie Bragg and Cameron Adams.

Fred will be remembered for his love of family, his strong work ethic, and the many memories he created with those he loved.

Phonetic: /de·​fen·​es·​tra·​tion/

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition

1  throwing of a person or thing out of a window
assassination by defenestration

2  a usually swift dismissal or expulsion (as from a political party or office)
the defenestration of political leaders
the mass defenestration of middle management

Eight people, including multiple children, are dead following a domestic-related mass shooting early Sunday morning, April 19, according to the Shreveport Police Department.

Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said officers responded just after 6 a.m. to reports of a shooting in the 300 block of West 79th Street. Responding officers discovered an extensive crime scene spanning multiple locations, including an additional residence on Harrison Street.

Authorities said at least 10 individuals were struck by gunfire. Eight victims were pronounced dead at the scene. The victims range in age from approximately 1 year old to 14 years old, and officials indicated the incident is domestic in nature, with several victims believed to be related to the suspect.

Police said the suspect, an adult, fled the scene and committed a carjacking near West 79th Street and Linwood Avenue. Officers pursued the vehicle into Bossier Parish, where the suspect was shot and killed by law enforcement. Officials believe he was the only shooter involved.

The officer-involved shooting will be investigated by Louisiana State Police.

Chief Smith described the situation as one of the most severe incidents the department has encountered, noting the large number of victims and the complexity of the crime scene, which spans at least four locations.

Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux expressed grief over the tragedy and urged the community to keep the victims, their families and first responders in their thoughts.

Authorities said there is no ongoing threat to the public. Names of the victims and suspect have not yet been released, pending notification of next of kin.

Officials are continuing to process the scene and expect to release additional details as the investigation develops.

Detectives with the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations were requested by the Shreveport Police Department to investigate an officer-involved shooting following a pursuit into Bossier City on Brompton Lane on April 19 around 7 am. Investigators are working to process the scene and gather further information.

One subject was shot and has been pronounced dead. No officers were harmed during the incident. This is an active investigation; further information will be released when it becomes available.

Anyone with information and/or pictures and video is urged to share that information with LSP Detectives. You may anonymously report information through the Louisiana State Police online reporting system by visiting lsp.org and clicking on Report Suspicious or Criminal Activity, or calling the LSP Fusion Center Hotline at 1-800-434-8007.

Four or five times each week, I drive past an irregular circle of grass just off Interstate 20 in west Shreveport; easy to notice as it is surrounded by acres of concrete parking lot.

There’s really not anything to see for the thousands of vehicles that pass by there every day.

But not for me.

I see Charlie Corbell warming up in the Shreveport Captains’ bullpen, gearing up to throw the historic first pitch.

I see lines and lines of people getting ready to experience something they never thought they’d see in a place they never thought they’d see it.

I see front office personnel with walkie talkies nervously patrolling through the crowd, almost unable to enjoy what is going on before them because things were so perfect that something must be about to go wrong.

In reality, there is nothing to see. But if you allow yourself to drift away from what your eyes are telling you, you can see almost anything your memory will allow.

This week marks the 40^th anniversary of the opening of Fair Grounds Field – a one of the most significant dates in the history of sports in Shreveport.

For those who can remember April 14, 1986, it was a day unlike any other before or since.

And April 14, 2026, was a day to stare at the nothingness that seems to stare defiantly right back at us as we travel by.

I am certainly not the exception, but the lifespan of Fair Grounds Field was deeply personal to me. As the public address announcer (as well as beat reporter for the original Shreveport Journal), I spent untold hours there. Probably more than I should, since I had three young children at the time.

But I also filled the same role at the previous home of the Captains, SPAR Stadium, an ancient facility that had its upper grandstand condemned during the early 1980s. I loved SPAR Stadium and its historic charm, but I never imagined there could be anything else.

This was the mid-1980s and things weren’t exactly thriving around here. Banks were closing, buildings were stuttering and businesses were hanging on as best they could.

Yet during that time, Shreveport managed to pass a bond issue that allowed for Fair Ground Field to be built. The idea that you could get taxpayer money to build a baseball stadium to replace the one that maybe got 500 people a night to watch games was almost laughable.

It was a bare-bones amount for stadium construction, but sure enough, the vote passed and ground was broken on the east end of the Fair Grounds.

Almost every late morning Saturday, after putting out the newspaper’s sports section, I’d head that way and just park in the lot to gaze at the construction that was going on. It was almost as if I needed to see it every week to make sure it was still a reality.

And then it was.

The Captains played five games on the road to start the ’86 season – a hedge against last-minute construction issues – and then came that Monday night.

The gates opened at 5 p.m. that night (an hour earlier than normal) and I stood on the field by Captains’ outfielder Alan Cockrell, who had played at SPAR Stadium the year before.

“What do you think?” he asked me as the gates prepared to open.

“I have no idea,” I told him. “But I think it’s going to be pretty good.”

And when the gates opened, I found out I had grossly miscalculated. Fans pour in and literally ran to stake out a seat in the general admission section and the beer garden. An hour before the game started, it was basically full with a crowd of 7,000-plus.

I missed the “pretty good” mark by a few thousand.

The Captains won that night with all sorts of firsts that I can still recall, but I have always said that Opening Night wasn’t the true measuring stick. That came the next night.

Once the see-and-be-seen crowd had disappeared, the true test of minor league baseball’s popularity in Shreveport came on a Tuesday night in April. Would the attendance numbers of 500 return and wash away all of that good feeling?

Game 2 attendance was 1,527. The year before at SPAR Stadium, Game 2 attendance had been 330. 

That’s when you knew this was going to be something special.

Until, of course, it wasn’t.

The decline of minor league baseball in Shreveport came from a number of factors but it became more and more obvious that, despite some grassroots efforts to keep it around, Fair Grounds Field had outlived its usefulness.

Seeing the stadium in dilapidated condition in the last few years certainly didn’t give anyone a warm and fuzzy feeling. It just became better to look at the nothingness and see what you wanted to see rather than look at an eyesore that triggered zero good memories.

It is somewhat noteworthy that Fair Ground Field is gone, yet SPAR Stadium, though re-purposed and re-named, is still standing.

Measured in physical distance, those two locations are 2.4 miles from each other.

You’ll have to use your own memories to measure the rest.

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – The one strand of hope LSU baseball fans can cling to is that three of Tigers’ head coach Jay Johnson’s previous four teams have gone 10-5 in the second half of SEC play.

In LSU’s national championship seasons of 2023 and 2025, it meant final regular-season league records of 20-10 and 19-11 (when the Tigers were 9-6 in the second half), respectively, winning 7 of 10 series both seasons and getting homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

In 2022 and 2024, it resulted in regular-season conference finishes of 17-13 and 13-17, respectively, and being shipped to Southern Mississippi and North Carolina, where LSU lost road regionals.

It’s now an even-numbered year – 2026 – so LSU (23-15 overall, 6-9 SEC) is in the reverse spin cycle of having its back to the wall when it starts the second half of league play here tonight at 6 against No. 10 Texas A&M (28-7, 9-5 SEC) in Alex Box Stadium.

“I feel like it still has an opportunity to take care of itself,” Johnson said. “Been in a situation like this before. It just comes down to winning games.

“The blessing and curse of this league is you’re in it (playing top-ranked competition). If we were in a similar situation as a mid-major right now, it might be a tough, tough road. In this league, it will be a tough road in terms of winning on the field, but not tough in terms of those things moving in our direction.”

According to this week’s NCAA RPI rankings (part of the equation used by the tournament selection committee), eight of the 10 SEC teams on LSU’s schedule are ranked in the top 30, and all are ahead of the Tigers (65^th in RPI).

LSU has SEC series losses to Vanderbilt (94^th in RPI), Oklahoma (17^th), and Ole Miss (10^th). The Tigers won their series vs. Kentucky (19^th) and Tennessee (29^th).

Awaiting LSU in the second half of league play are Texas A&M (15^th), Mississippi State (22^nd), South Carolina (72^nd), Georgia (20^th) and Florida (5^th).

The table is set for an LSU comeback. And as Johnson pointed out, one of the few strengths of this season’s team is the ability to rise off the floor after being knocked down early in games.

“They show some fight at times where it’s like a dog backed into the corner with a bigger dog,” Johnson said. “You better swing and claw and scratch or the big dog’s gonna eat you. So, we’ve shown some of that. I’d like to see that combined with playing the way the game is designed to be played.

“Whether that means we’re a good team or not, there’s time for that to be decided. The reality is we haven’t played good baseball. We haven’t been a great baseball team.

“We’ll fight when the dog puts us in the corner. So now play good baseball, continue that fight. Get a two-out hit every once in a while, field the ball, and throw and hit the first baseman in the chest.”

LSU pitching – both starters and relievers – have control issues that suddenly appear from nowhere. The fact that the Tigers’ hurlers lead the nation in strikeouts with 453 doesn’t mean diddly squat, considering they’ve issued 173 walks and have hit 53 batters.

That’s an average of giving 5.9 free passes per game, not to mention the 52 wild pitches and 12 passed balls to help runners advance.

When pitchers manage to do their jobs, maybe inducing a potential inning-ending groundball or a double play, there’s no one on the infield who is automatic but returning starting shortstop Steven Milam.

LSU has committed 50 errors. Milam has committed one error in 140 fielding chances.

Then, there’s a rash of careless base running.

“You can’t make the first or third out of the inning at third base, which we’ve probably done six to eight times this year,” Johnson said. “In 13 years of coaching, I could guarantee you that I could add up all of the outs with no outs or two outs made at third base, and it would not equal that amount.”

The Tigers’ offense usually scores a couple of early runs, goes scoreless for five or six straight innings, and then can pound three consecutive solo homers in one inning.

They’ve done that in consecutive SEC series finale Sunday games at Tennessee and Ole Miss.

LSU trailed the Vols 5-0 before winning 16-6 in 12 innings, thanks to a barrage of seven homers (a school-record four by catcher Cade Arrambide).

Against the Rebels, a seven-run seventh inning by the Tigers tied the game at 7-7, but LSU’s relievers couldn’t hold the lead in an 8-7 loss to result in a series sweep.

“I take a lot of pride as a game manager of a pitching staff,” Johnson said. “It hasn’t been as smooth this year, and not as smooth as it should be for the talent that I believe that we have. There’s no shortage of talent.

“Maybe position players we’re a little off in terms of complete team, but the pitching staff should not be.” 

LSU (23-15 overall, 6-9 SEC) vs. No. 10 TEXAS A&M (28-7, 9-5 SEC) Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge 

Game 1: Today, 6 p.m. CT (ESPN) 

LSU – LSU – So. RH Casan Evans (2-1, 4.91 ERA, 47.2 IP, 23 BB, 68 SO) 

TAM – R-Jr. LH Shane Sdao (3-2, 5.77 ERA, 48.1 IP, 12 BB, 58 SO) 

Game 2: Saturday 7 p.m. CT (SEC Network) 

LSU – So. RH William Schmidt (4-3, 3.22 ERA, 44.2 IP, 18 BB, 63 SO) 

TAM – So. RH Aiden Sims (6-0, 3.56 ERA, 48 IP, 15 BB, 51 SO) 

Game 3: Sunday, 1 p.m. CT (ESPN) 

LSU – TBA 

TAM – TBA 

LSU VS. TEXAS A&M SERIES

Texas A&M leads the all-time series 34-32-1. The series is tied 19-19 in games played between the schools since Texas A&M began playing baseball in the SEC in 2013. LSU is 8-7 vs. Texas A&M in its SEC regular-season games played in Baton Rouge since the Aggies joined the SEC. 

A LOOK AT LSU

LSU is No. 7 in the SEC with a .285 team batting average, and the Tigers are No. 14 in pitching with a 4.84 team ERA. LSU pitchers lead the nation in strikeouts with 453. The Tigers led the nation in strikeouts in both 2024 (798) and in 2025 (760). Center fielder Derek Curiel is No. 3 in the SEC in hits (54) and No. 2 in triples (2) . . .Right fielder Jake Brown is No. 2 in the SEC in home runs (16), No. 3 in RBI (49), No. 6 in runs scored (43), No. 8 in base hits (49), No. 10 in slugging pct. (.684). 

A LOOK AT TEXAS A&M

The Aggies are No. 3 in the SEC with a .316 team batting average …The pitching staff is No. 13 in the SEC with 4.73 ERA and has recorded 298 strikeouts in 291 innings while allowing 52 home runs and a .260 opponent batting average. . .The Aggies are led at the plate by outfielder Caden Sorrell, who is batting .368 with 12 doubles, 17 homers and 57 RBI.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

Byrd jumped to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first, survived an Evangel rally to regain the lead in the top of the seventh Thursday in the team’s opening round Select Division I softball playoff, and was poised to pull an upset until the Lady Eagles closed the deal.

Evangel scored twice in the home half of the sixth, weathered the Lady Jackets’ rally in the seventh and got the game-winning base hit in the bottom of the seventh by MacKenzie Hooten, whose soft opposite-field line drive over first base near the line made Evangel a 6-5 winner.

Evangel (14-14), the 14^th seed, survived a fierce bid from the 19^th-seeded Lady Jackets (5-14). The Lady Eagles advance to the regional round for a trip to play third-seeded Archbishop Chappel.

Also playing at home, Captain Shreve and Caddo Magnet were explosive offensively in first-round wins Thursday while North Caddo was blanked at Rosepine.

More Shreveport-Bossier softball teams are in action today. Airline hosts West Ouachita at 5, Loyola is home against Frederick A. Douglass at 4, and Plain Dealing hosts Lakeview at 6. On the road this afternoon are Northwood (at Ouachita, 5 p.m.) and Booker T. Washington (at David Thibodaux, 4 o’clock).

Calvary has a bye and does not play until next week.

Today, No. 14 Evangel starts its home baseball best-of-3 series against No. 19 Liberty with a 6 o’clock game. Saturday the teams play Game 2 at noon with a potential third game at 3.

Other local baseball teams begin their playoff series today on the road. Northwood visits Sulphur, Haughton goes to Southside in Lafayette, and Byrd is in New Orleans to take on St. Aug.

Five more local teams don’t play until next week.

THURSDAY’S SOFTBALL PLAYOFF SCORES (single-elimination) 

Select Division I

Evangel 6, Byrd 5

Captain Shreve 14, Edna Karr 0

Caddo Magnet 25, John Ehret 17

Non-Select Division III

Rosepine 16, North Caddo 0 

THURSDAY’S BASEBALL PLAYOFF SCORE

Mandeville 6, Airline 2 (Game 1, best-of-3 series); Game 2 today at 6 at Mandeville, if-necessary Game 3 Saturday at 11.

By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Assistant AD for Communications 

The Centenary baseball team has found its stride and is home this weekend hoping to sustain its roll in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference race as tournament time nears.

The Diamond Gents (17-17, 12-12 SCAC) are back home this weekend to face St. Thomas (12-19, 11-13 SCAC) in a three-game series. Today’s doubleheader starts at 1. The third game Saturday is likely to start in the late morning; a final start time will be set today with the incoming rain forecast as the wild card.

Last weekend provided another Centenary SCAC series win, this time against the McMurry War Hawks in Abilene, Texas. 

Centenary swept a doubleheader last Friday, 6-4 and 11-1. The War Hawks salvaged the final game of the series on Saturday, 6-4.

Sophomore right-hander Treyson Martin had a superb weekend on the mound for the Diamond Gents – pulling the rare feat of winning both games of a doubleheader sweep, highlighted by his first-career complete game in Game 2.

Martin worked a total of 11 innings and allowed just one earned run and six hits with two walks and six strikeouts. He worked the final two innings of the opener and tossed a pair of scoreless, hitless frames. In his complete game, he recorded a career-best six K’s in a career-high nine innings. 

TRACK & FIELD: The Ladies and Gents were in action for the final time prior to the postseason in the Stallion Transportation Bryan Phillips Open last Saturday hosted by Harding at the Ted and Marcie Lloyd Track Complex in Searcy, Ark. 

Rookie Malcolm Pierce had a personal-best time in the 200 meters with a time of 22.7 and another PR in the 400 meters (51.02). Pierce was also a member of the Gents’ 4 x 400 relay team that ran a school record time of 3:23.68. 

The Ladies and Gents will return to action in the annual SCAC Championships set for April 24-26 in Abilene, Texas.

LACROSSE: The Gents fell 26-6 to Rhodes College last Saturday afternoon in their home finale at Atkins Field. Centenary (10-3) will finish its season on April 25 at Colorado College. 

Centenary, which finished with a 5-2 home mark, received three goals from former Parkway High School star Ethan Hewett to lead the offense.

Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu

JOURNAL SPORTS

For the sixth time in his 14 seasons running the LSU Shreveport men’s basketball program, Kyle Blankenship has been named the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches Louisiana Small College Coach of the Year.

He’s been the Red River Athletic Conference Coach of the Year eight times and was again this season, as the Pilots had a 28-6 overall record and won the league at 20-2 and swept the RRAC Tournament.

The Pilots advanced to the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship Round of 16 and spent the majority of the season ranked in the NAIA Top 25, climbing as high as No. 13. LSUS also made program history with a 12-0 start to conference play, the best in school history.

LSUS developed into one of the most balanced teams in the nation, averaging 87.9 points per game while shooting an efficient 54.8 percent from the field.

The Pilots’ success extended to individual honors as well. Hayden Brittingham was named the LABC Louisiana Small College Player of the Year to go along with his NAIA first team All-American and RRAC Player of the Year honors, while Khi Wallace earned third team All-American recognition and was named RRAC Newcomer of the Year. Freshman  Nico Jones added NAIA Champions of Character Team honors.

The LABC’s annual Honors Banquet is May 4 in Baton Rouge.

Pamela Marie Benecke, 59, of Shreveport, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 12, 2026.

Pam was born on August 5, 1966, in Alton, Illinois. She pursued her passion of caring for others by earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Northeast Louisiana University. Pam was deeply proud of her career as a registered nurse, a profession she carried with both skill and compassion. She worked at hospitals in Shreveport and across the United States, most recently serving with the Veterans Administration, where she continued her commitment to caring for those who served our country. She was, by all accounts, an exceptional nurse who touched countless lives.

Pam was preceded in death by her father, Edward Benecke, and mother, Judith Hoehn Benecke.

She is survived by her loving children, Windy Martin (Joseph) and Seth Steele (Mary); and her cherished sisters, Kris Darwin, Sara Brice (Doug), and Beverly Benecke (Lori).

Pam found great joy in her family and treasured time spent with her nieces and nephews: Emily Watkins (Jacob) and their children Hallie, Ella, and Emmie; Caroline Alford (Cameron) and their son Warren; Sam Misuraca (Megan), Katie Misuraca and Anna Misuraca.

Pam had a creative spirit, loved crafting, traveling, and caring for pets. She particularly enjoyed her annual trip to the beach where she enjoyed her solitary time and time spent with close friends. She was an avid sports fan who looked forward to March Madness and cheering on college and professional football, particularly LSU and the New Orleans Saints. She celebrated all seasons but was notably fond of all things Mardi Gras. She volunteered her time at Ninna’s Road to Recue out of her love for her furry friends and pet sat for friends quite often.

Pam will be remembered for her kindness and dedication to others, and her legacy will live on in the many lives she touched both personally and professionally. Above all, she will be remembered for the deep love she had for her family. She was especially looking forward to becoming a grandmother this summer, a role she anticipated with great excitement and love. We will miss her thoughtful, hand-picked and beautifully wrapped gifts each Christmas as well as her delicious fudge and addictive Chex-mix at every holiday for years to come.

A memorial service to celebrate Pam’s life will be held on Wednesday, April 22nd at 2 p.m. at Osborn Funeral Home, 3631 Southern Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71104.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Pam’s memory to Ninna’s Road to Rescue. Donations may be mailed to P.O. Box 1357, Benton, La. 71006-1357 or online at https://www.roadtorescuela.org/donate.

Don William Wyatt, a devoted family man, skilled welder, and proud veteran, passed away peacefully on April 13, 2026, in his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana. Born on November 8, 1937, Don’s life was marked by dedication to his craft, service to his country, and unwavering love for his family and community.

Don was a lifelong resident of Shreveport, where he was born and ultimately laid to rest. A graduate of Fair Park High School, he further served his country with honor as a member of the United States Air Force. His commitment to hard work and discipline carried into his civilian career where he excelled as a welder and fitter. Don dedicated an impressive 37 and a half years to Beaird Industries, where his expertise and professionalism left a lasting impression on colleagues and the industry alike.

Beyond his vocational accomplishments, Don was a man of strong values and enduring wisdom. Those close to him fondly recall his guiding principles: “Take care of it and it will take care of you,” “Where there is a will, there is a way,” and “Never give up.” His leadership and encouragement influenced many and remain a testament to his character.

Don’s faith was a cornerstone of his life. He was a past member of the Summer Grove Baptist Church, where his presence was cherished by fellow congregants and friends. His spiritual devotion sustained him throughout life’s trials and triumphs.

He is survived by his children, Jason Wyatt and wife Traci, Diane Willis and husband Mike, Karen Pace and husband Jerry, and Brian Wyatt and wife Brenda. Don’s legacy also continues through his beloved grandchildren: Carmela and husband Steve Langley, Jennifer and husband Josh Rushton, Crystal and husband Jerimy Aston, Keith and wife Wendy Wyatt, Jacob Wyatt, Joshua Wyatt, and Jordyn Wyatt. His sister Joan Wyatt remains a cherished member of his family circle.

Don was preceded in death by his devoted wife, Jennifer Wyatt, whose memory he cherished deeply, as well as his parents, William Ray and Verda Wyatt.

Family, friends, and community members will gather to honor Don’s memory and celebrate his life at Forest Park Funeral Home in Shreveport, Louisiana. Visitation will be held on April 18, 2026, from 10:00 a.m., followed promptly by the funeral service from 11:00 a.m. All who knew Don are invited to join in remembering a man who lived with integrity, dedication, and warmth.

Don William Wyatt’s offer of steadfast love and diligent work ethic leaves an indelible impact on all privileged to know him. His kindness, strength, and wisdom will be deeply missed but warmly remembered by his family and community.

Phonetic: /bra·zen/

Part of Speech: Adjective

Definition

• bold and without shame.
  “he went about his illegal business with a brazen assurance”
  
  Similar: bold, shameless, as bold as brass