The Student Health Center will soon name a new director, with help from student leaders.
TAGE
STAGE SET SET SET STAGE S
Everything to know about this year’s slate of LSU Theatre productions.
Photo courtesy of LSU Theatre
CALL TIME
Here’s the School of Theatre’s 2025-26 lineup
BY SARAH WALTON Staff Writer
It’s that time of year. With everyone soon returning to LSU, there’s a group of students and professors getting ready for more than just exams and readings.
The LSU School of Theatre announced its 2025-26 season lineup in March, and though it’s still summer, directors, designers and actors are preparing for their next performances.
Here’s everything to know about the shows this school year.
Mainstage shows
On LSU’s main stage, “The Courtship of Winifred Edwards,” written by Maggie Smith, is the season opener. It’s a show set in America in the 1890s following the union of two families as Anthony Tailor tries to win the affections of Winifred Edwards. The show will run from Oct. 2 to 12.
There’s another show set for April, but it has yet to be announced.
Swine Palace shows
Swine Palace, a professional theater company that collaborates with LSU students to put on shows on campus, has two shows scheduled this season.
For fans of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” it’s always great to see the Bennet family again. “Miss Bennet Christmas at Pemberly,” written by Margot Melcon, stands as a sequel to the beloved story, as Mary, the introverted middle sister, tries to find love and purpose. The show runs Nov. 6 to 16 in the Reilly Theatre.
“The Totality of All Things” by Erik Gernand follows a teacher and her students that run the high school newspaper as they cover anti-gay hate crimes in their small Indiana town, bringing conflict to their doorstep.
Special events
Near the end of the year, the School of Theatre has created a tradition of showcasing performances and art that don’t get highlighted as much. The School of Theatre’s Dance Concert and Physical Theatre Showcase will be in the Shaver Theatre on May 1 and 2. The Take Film Festival, an annual student film festival, will be in the Shaver on May 3.
Lab shows
One of the most special parts of LSU Theatre is the lab show program allowing students to create fully student-produced shows throughout the year. All taking place in the studio, LSU theater students get to showcase what they have.
The first show for this year is called “Night, Mother.” Written by Heather Isaacks, this Pulitzer Prize-winning play is about a woman named Jessie and her mother. After her divorce, the loss of her father and numerous other misfortunes, Jessie resolves to kill herself. The play follows her as she prepares for that dark end. “Night, Mother” will run between Oct. 7 to 12.
“World Builders” by Johnna
Adams is the second show on the schedule. It’s a play that focuses on Max and Whitney, two schizophrenic patients in a drug
ing the trial, they begin to fall in love, and together they try to decide if they can leave their worlds behind. “World Builders” runs Oct. 28 to Nov. 2.
The next show is “I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire,” written by Samantha Hurley. It’ll be directed by Ricardo Mendoza, a theater performance senior at LSU. This will be his first time directing.
“I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire” has gotten quite popular online because of its premise and comedy. The show is about Shelby, a fangirl that kidnaps Tobey Maguire in order to marry him.
Mendoza learned of the show and fell in love with it while he was studying abroad with LSU in Edinburgh. He went to London to see it.
“It was literally in a basement. It was super immersive and cool,” Mendoza said.
At one point in the show, Maguire interacts with the audience; it happened to be Mendoza chosen that night.
trial. Because of their condition, they have delusions that create complex inner worlds that they retreat into. After meeting dur-
Mendoza didn’t want to stop at seeing the show. He took it to the student organization Undergrad Theatre Alliance’s book club, and one of the first things they did was read the script. For Mendoza, it was a test run for what would be this show.
Mendoza was also able to talk to Hurley, who authored the show and works in Chicago with a theater company founded by two LSU alumni.
Mendoza previously worked on “God Gun,” a show produced by LSU Improv, which he is now the president of. From that, Mendoza gained the experience needed to create a studentrun show, and he said one of the most important things he’s learned is to use social media as a tool.
He gave a bit of a hint that
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COURTESY OF LSU THEATRE
Images from Swine Place’s production of “Red Velvet.”
COURTESY OF LSU THEATRE
Images from Swine Place’s production of “Red Velvet.”
JAMAR HOWARD / The Reveille
An LSU student acts in the play “Roleplay” on March 11 in the Reilly Theatre.
NEWS
FINAL STEPS
Students are helping hire new health center director
BY LIV TEES Staff Writer
LSU has narrowed down three candidates to be the new Student Health Center director after an exhaustive search.
Students have been a key part of the process, as several were invited to a student interview portion where they asked the potential new hires questions and got to know the candidates personally.
The students were then asked to complete a post-interview survey and explain which candidate they thought would be the best fit. The feedback was relayed to the hiring team and taken into consideration for their final decision.
Sarai Barmore, an English major and rising junior, attended all three student interviews with the potential new hires. She felt confident LSU would take into consideration the student’s opinions on the candidates.
“I’m not just here to take classes,” Barmore said. “I’m a part of the LSU community. And so knowing that LSU values transparency and actually wants to hear from the people, from the students, it’s just great.”
Student Affairs Chief of Staff Emily Hester finds it incredibly important to hear students’ input when hiring such an important role. For the past five years, the Division of Student Affairs has included students as a part of all major searches, she said.
“We are here to support students in their success, and so it is vital to have students be part of the process to provide input for the decision makers in these searches for our university leaders,” Hester said.
The health center has been without a director since June 2024. Since the center falls under student affairs, Vice President Brandon Common has been interim director since January 2025, which is also when they started the search for the new director.
Barmore, who works in the parent and family programs under student affairs, said Common was looking over the student’s feedback diligently as he finalized a decision Friday.
The biggest concerns students have is how the director will balance the needs of students while following the policies and regulations framed by Our Lady of the Lake’s Catholic background.
OLOL has had an exclusive partnership with the university to staff the health center, as well as its athletic medical team, since donating the largest gift in school history in 2022.
Students like Barmore worry that certain services will no longer be available because of OLOL’s religious morals.
Those services include sexual health, gynecological, suicide prevention and sexual transition counseling. All of these services have been controversial in the Catholicism.
“I want the director to make sure that the students know that they come first no matter what, and that they’re still able to get the services that they need,” Barmore said.
The former health center director, Julie Hupperich, said the
issue of OLOL’s Catholic affiliation was part of why she and the university parted ways. In an ongoing lawsuit, Hupperich is claiming she was wrongfully terminated after speaking out against the partnership between the public university and private Catholic hospital, which she saw as a violation between church and state.
According to Hester, the hiring committee is looking for a director that will place students of the utmost importance and creatively approach problem-solving. The director must also be committed to collaborating with other LSU offices and divisions to best support the students and their needs.
Newly-elected Student Government President Lavar Henderson was also present for the student interviews and represented the student body as a whole.
“Our university has such a strong commitment to listening to student voices that you don’t get at any other university,” Henderson said.
He believes the director that will thrive at LSU will be someone who brings fresh ideas and concrete plans for improvement.
LSU expects to make a decision at the beginning of this week on the new director.
BR
COMMUNITY
Local King Tut museum exhibit closes soon
BY SARAH WALTON Staff Writer
The Louisiana Art and Science Museum is well beloved in Baton Rouge for many things, but especially for its Ancient Egypt Gallery, which has housed a mummy since 1964.
For the 60th anniversary of the mummy’s arrival, the museum has a new exhibit called Discoveries on the Nile: Exploring King Tut’s Tomb and the Amin Egyptian Collection. The exhibit explores the famed King Tutankhamun specifically.
A plethora of artifacts directly from King Tut’s tomb have been on display at the museum. Representing and telling a deep rich history, there are only a few weeks left till the exhibit is gone.
LASM as a museum docent worked with private collector Giovanni Amin, who has authentic Egyptian funeral masks and certified reproductions of artifacts from Tutankhamen’s tomb.
Savanna Wilson works at the LASM and said the new exhibit is bringing in and engaging people.
What Wilson believes stands out the most about King Tut is his “short lifespan.”
“Everyone is very shocked and surprised at him becoming king at nine years old, but also his death,” Wilson said.
Something else of interest to Wilson is Tut’s history with the British, who were the first to find him back in 1922. Howard Carter, an archaeologist and Egyptologist, found King Tut and over 5,000 artifacts buried with him. These pieces allowed researchers and the public to understand more about Ancient Egypt and especially the New Kingdom that existed between 1570 and 1059 BCE.
Europe, especially Britain, has been very active in the process of uncovering artifacts of Egypt and ancient kingdoms, from having mummy unwrapping parties to taking and transporting thousands of artifacts. At one point, Wilson said, the British set King Tut’s remains on fire.
Wilson’s favorite piece in the collection is the sarcophagus: King
Tut’s beautiful golden resting place detailed in red and blue with hieroglyphics all around. The wall paintings are also some of her favorites.
Another part of the exhibit is the Valley of Queens, holding replications of artifacts of Cleopatra, Hatshepsut and Nefrititi. The pieces of history celebrate thousands of years of queens that ruled over Egypt.
The exhibit examines not only Egyptian history, but the modern world’s love and enchantment with it. There’s a section of the exhibit called Egyptomania, focusing on how the world engages with Ancient Egypt, its ruler and culture. The films “The Mummy,” “Cleopatra” with Elizabeth Taylor, and the Lumineers “Cleopatra” album all made an appearance. Even a piece of memorabilia from the Krewe of Thoth was there.
Upstairs on the second floor, there’s a room dedicated to the Egyptian funeral masks, all authentic from different dynasties in Egypt’s long history. Funeral masks were seen as incredibly important to help the deceased move to the next life.
This special exhibit has called the LASM home since October, but soon its time will come to an end. August 1 will be the final day to view the exhibit.
For anyone wishing to learn more about the exhibit or LASM as a whole, its website has information on what’s going on now and what’s next up.
ICE releases two Iranian LSU Ph.D. students from custody
The two Iranian LSU doctoral students who were detained by ICE in June were released Wednesday, according to the ACLU.
Pouria Pourhosseinhendabad and Parisa Firouzabadi, a husband and wife both attending LSU pursuing doctorates in mechanical engineering were taken into custody June 22.
The pair were taken from their
apartment and placed in separate Louisiana ICE facilities, with Pourhosseinhendabad being held at the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Jena, the same place where Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained for pro-Palestinian protests, was held before his release.
The pair’s arrest was shortly after the U.S. intervened in the Iran and Israel conflict, striking
several Iranian nuclear sites.
Pourhosseinhendabad is residing in the U.S. on an F-1 visa, while Firouzabadi’s student visa was revoked in 2023, according to the ACLU, which said in a release that since she was still enrolled at LSU, it didn’t affect her ability to remain in the U.S.
A judge ordered the release Pourhosseinhendabad on Monday, according to The New York Times. He said there was a “grave
risk he [would] suffer irreparable harm” by remaining in ICE custody.
The filing on behalf of Pourhosseinhendabad called the arrest a “constitutional ruse.” There was no counter-filing from the federal government.
Now, in what the ACLU called a “historic victory,” both have been released.
“This victory is a powerful affirmation of immigrants’ rights
and the fundamental guarantee of due process and equal protection in our legal system,” Legal Director of ACLU of Louisiana Nora Ahmed said in a press release. “Pouria and Parisa should never have been detained and we’re relieved they’re finally free... The fight for justice and accountability continues, and we remain committed to ensuring that no one, regardless of their immigration
is denied their basic rights.”
status,
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
The LSU Student Health Center sits March 18, 2024 in Baton Rouge, La.
SARAH WALTON / The Reveille
The replica of King Tut’s coffin at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum exhibit in Baton Rouge, La.
ENTERTAINMENT
REV RANK
Dave’s Hot Chicken is delicious, but not cheapest option
BY ASHLYNN BAILLIO Staff Writer
Baton Rouge has no shortage of fried chicken spots, but this summer, a new contender entered the ring: Dave’s Hot Chicken.
With its arrival came huge crowds, and on opening weekend, eager customers lined up out the door, sometimes waiting as long as two hours to get a taste of the spicy, crispy fare that has turned this West Coast chain into a national sensation.
Originally founded in Los Angeles in 2017, Dave’s Hot Chicken quickly rose from a small pop-up stand to a booming franchise with locations across the country. The Baton Rouge restaurant, located near LSU’s campus, marks one of the latest additions.
If its food wasn’t sufficient, Dave’s local promotion was wild enough to attract additional customers with large huge inflatable mascots and drone light shows in the sky.
On a recent visit, I ordered the tender and slider combo meal with a medium-spiced slider and a mild tender, alongside a side of cheese fries and a strawberry lemonade to drink. The total came out to $23.74, a bit steep compared to traditional fast food, but fairly standard for Nashville hot chicken spots.
The service was efficient and friendly, with counter service and a staff that kept the line moving smoothly. Despite the crowd, I was able to find a seat easily.
The atmosphere was casual but thoughtfully designed, with plenty of LSU-inspired art and murals lining the walls, a nice nod to its location and a smart move to appeal to the local crowd.
The food itself largely lived up to the hype. The chicken was crispy, well-fried and flavorful, with the medium spice level offering just enough of a kick to tingle the tongue with -
out overwhelming it. The mild tender, however, was relatively plain, more suited to diners who shy away from heat. For
spice lovers, the “hot” or even “extra hot” levels might be a better bet.
The cheese fries were straightforward but satisfying: classic crinkle-cut fries smothered in a generous layer of nacho cheese. The strawberry lemonade was sweet and refreshing.
Beyond the food, Dave’s Hot Chicken seems tailor-made for LSU students. With its proximity to campus and late-night hours—the restaurant stays open until midnight on weekends—it’s bound to become a go-to spot for late-night cravings and post-game bites.
Of course, no restaurant is perfect. The prices may feel high for some students, especially when compared to more budget-friendly options in the area.
Still, Dave’s Hot Chicken brings something new to Baton Rouge’s fried chicken scene.
ASHLYNN BAILLIO / The Reveille
ASHLYNN BAILLIO / The Reveille
A Dave’s Hot Chicken tender and slider combo meal.
ASHLYNN BAILLIO / The Reveille
The strawberry lemonade at Dave’s Hot Chicken.
REV RANK
Rev Rank: Giveon’s ‘BELOVED’ unpacks modern romance
BY CHLOE RICHMOND Digital Managing Editor
If you were planning on protecting your peace, Giveon has other plans.
American singer-songwriter Giveon Dezmann Evans dropped his second studio album “BELOVED” on July 11. The 14 tracks give listeners 38 minutes of an emotional rollercoaster by holding a magnifying glass to every phase of getting over a breakup.
‘BELOVED’ also pays homage to ‘70s rhythm and blues, which relied heavily on strong instrumentals and soulful vocals. This is for those who’ve lingered on a dead love for too long before moving on.
The intro reflects the recovery
stage of a fresh breakup. “MUD” kicks things off with a magical instrumental that continues throughout the entire album. While the music shines in this intro song, the lyrics cannot go unnoticed. “When you tell your story, it means telling everything about me” speaks the same as Fleetwood Mac’s “you’ll never get away from the sound of a woman that loves you.”
This also touches on one of the main themes in the album: the struggle of finding who you are outside of a relationship. It’s not uncommon to feel like the person you are after a breakup is too reflective of your ex. “RATHER BE” dives into the reality of settling out of convenience despite having someone else on your mind. It’s a waste of time, especially when Gi-
veon knows he’d “rather be with you than the other half of someone who’s not even half of you.”
“TWENTIES” is Giveon realizing he spent too much of his youth with someone who was never going to be the right one. He thought he was growing alongside them, when in reality everything he learned to love was just because his partner loved it.
Like he said, though, he “hung onto you ‘cause I didn’t know better, I just felt like time was running out … I was so young and dumb.”
For all the 20-somethings, do you also feel the weight of the world? Why is the success of our personal lives judged side by side with the success of our love lives? Sometimes young love strikes in frantic moments, and that’s whywe settle
for less.
“STRANGERS” shows the grief and anger before realizing it’s time to move on. I’m sure you’ve also found yourself thinking, “how’d we go from I love you, to how you been?” about someone you thought would be in your life forever.
“NUMB” has that same beautiful instrumental and complementary background vocals. It’s about hitting that rock bottom feeling after a breakup, when you think there’s no coming back from the pain. You “don’t even feel, don’t even fight, don’t know the days and I don’t know the nights.” This in combination with the fact that he’s “running out of things I want ever since she took my love” is like twisting the knife. “NUMB” ties up the theme of not knowing who you are outside of a relationship.
“I CAN TELL” flips emotions. It’s a profession of love for someone in a relationship. He knows he can treat them better in every way and “if you let me, I’ma take his place.” This part of the album starts to show toxic themes.
“I CAN TELL” is messy and destructive, while “DIAMONDS FOR YOUR PAIN” is emotional and manipulative.
“DIAMONDS FOR YOUR PAIN” is about a connection that just won’t fizz out – because he won’t let it. Giveon uses what this person loves against them to reel them back in. Every time, he’s just going to trade “diamonds for your pain, that’s a beautiful exchange.”
“KEEPER” shows his growth. He’s not the best, but he wants to work for another chance with this person. He’s “tryna be the one that you keep, not just the one who comes back around and drives you crazy.”
“SIX:THIRTY” is just 32 seconds, and I’m a fan of interlude types of songs in albums. It’s a nice buffer between tracks while serving as a palate cleanser in between Giveon’s second chance love story in “KEEPER” and his epiphany in “BACKUP PLAN.”
Now, dare I say “BACKUP PLAN” is the other side of “I CAN
TELL” in a way? This is what it’s like to realize your significant other is checked out of the relationship. Giveon said they “used to fight a little longer, now you choose silence over war,” which shows clear as day that things aren’t going to end well.
“BLEEDING” is another ballad about putting someone before you. In a desperate effort to make a connection work, Giveon’s putting the pieces back together of this girl who’s still hung up on her ex, hurting himself in the process. He’s literally bleeding for her love, and it’s not going so well.
Things change in “DON’T LEAVE.” Rather than putting all his energy into someone reluctant to replenish with him, Giveon fights for a strong connection that doesn’t want things to end either.
The theme of being better for someone better continues in “AVALANCHE,” one of my favorites by far. Giveon’s feeling butterflies while realizing this is the only girl he needs; he’s “falling hard, and falling for you” after “long calls, playing songs we both love.” It really is just the simple moments. Music is a love language in itself, of course.
Speaking of love languages, the last track hits on there being more to a relationship than physical attraction. Like Giveon said, there’s the “GOOD BAD UGLY.” He worries about his relationship, wondering if the commitment is still mutual. Even though he’s wondering if it’s time to leave, he remembers being loved through the good, bad and ugly, and how it’s important to reciprocate that. For his second studio album, Giveon can give himself a pat on the back. He’s placing his name at the top of R&B’s resurgence while fine tuning his own craft along the way. “MUD,” “STRANGERS” and “AVALANCHE” will live on my playlists for a long time, but I can’t not mention leading singles “RATHER BE” and “TWENTIES.” Every track in “BELOVED” has a different take on common storylines in modern romance, from the young and naive to the mature and yearning.
THEATER, from page 2
there will be on-campus marketing to really grab people’s attention, as well as quite a bit of social media intrigue.
Mendoza said one of the challenges for the show is surprisingly that the space is too big; the Studio Theatre is very different from a basement.
“I’m trying to find ways to make the space more claustrophobic, and make it so that you genuinely feel like you’re trapped… so people are like, okay, this is a high stakes situation,” Mendoza said.
Another thing he hopes to focus on is developing the show beyond comedic points.
“It’s brimming with comedy,” Mendoza said, “but I want to find the points where you can bring
it down and find the truth in the characters.”.
“Hand to God,” written by Robert Askins, will be one of the spring shows. It’s a show that discusses religion, connection and life in a different way. It follows Jason after the death of his father as he joins the puppet ministry at his church. “Hand to God” opens Feb. 24 and closes March 1.
The show’s director Ethan Hood, a senior film major, said his personal history with Christianity let him gravitate toward the show.
“I was raised in the church but have since stepped away,” Hood said. “Since the play takes place in a church, and I really liked the story, I felt I was the right person to adapt this script.”
Hood said he feels confident about directing the show because
of his experience directing a different one in February.
“All of my distress was soothed during the production of it,” Hood said. “I hope that many people are able to come and see this, as I think the show will help people navigate the feelings of negative thoughts and actions when they come to light.”
The final show of the season for the lab shows is “Two Sisters and a Piano” by Nilo Cruz. This play follows sisters under house arrest in Havana, Cuba, in 1991. The show examines themes of politics and art and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1997.
For anyone interested in learning more about the School of Theatre or to buy tickets to any of the upcoming shows, its website has all that information.
JAMAR HOWARD / The Reveille
An LSU student acts in the play “Roleplay” on March 11 in the Reilly Theatre.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GIVEON
SPORTS
RELOADING
After draft losses, baseball adds transfer talents
BY ROSS ABBOUD Staff Writer
Baseball America named LSU a loser from the 2025 MLB Draft because the program saw nine players and eight high school signees get picked.
Players like Chase Shores and Jacob Mayers were selected higher than projected, almost guaranteeing they wouldn’t decline their contracts and return to LSU.
However, head coach Jay Johnson made sure the holes were filled in the two days after the draft by hitting the transfer portal.
Though the team landed three left-handed pitchers earlier in the offseason, it lost two right-handed pitchers in Shores and Mayers.
So LSU went and picked up two right-handed pitchers in Dax Dathe and Cooper Moore.
LSU also has some holes on defense to fill from Jared Jones getting drafted and third baseman Michael Braswell running out of eligibility, so Johnson went out and picked up first baseman Zach Yorke and infielder Trent Caraway.
Here’s what to know about these new transfers and how they fit in with the Tigers.
Dax Dathe
Dathe came from Angelo State, a Division II program, where he recorded a 2.99 ERA in 72.1 innings with 12.2 strikeout per nine innings.
Dathe started his collegiate career at Houston before trans -
ferring to Grayson College, a JUCO program. After two seasons there, he spent a season at Texas Tech before finally transferring to Angelo State. His season at LSU will be his last season of eligibility.
Dathe is a right-handed pitcher that stands at 6 feet 3 inches. He has a mid-90s fastball and a deceptive slider.
Cooper Moore
Moore is transferring from Kansas, where he started 14 games this past season with a 3.96 ERA in 88.2 innings with 85 strikeouts.
Moore could compete for a starting position in the weekend rotation next season, with
see RETURNERS, page 7
Chase Shores surprisingly picked over Anthony Eyanson in MLB Draft
BY ROSS ABBOUD Staff Writer
LSU baseball’s strength in 2025 was its pitching, led by Kade Anderson, Anthony Eyanson and Chase Shores.
All three of them were picked in the 2025 MLB Draft, but Shores and Eyanson didn’t get selected when everyone thought they would be.
Shores was ranked the No. 86 prospect by Baseball America, and his draft projections were likewise in the low 80s. However, he was picked by the Los Angeles Angels with the No. 47 overall pick.
Eyanson was ranked as the No. 45 prospect by Baseball America
and even had people saying he could sneak into the top-30 picks on draft night. He went at No. 87 to the Boston Red Sox, who evidently realized he was worth more; the team paid him $1.75 million, over $800,000 more than the slot money.
Shores has the prototypical size and arm strength, but Eyanson was more consistent throughout the year.
What did scouts see that fans apparently missed? Here’s a comparison of both prospects as they head to the next level.
Shores is 21 years old with a fastball that sits anywhere from 98 to 101 miles per hour with plenty of movement. The velocity
Iconic PA announcer for last 38 years retires
The Tiger Stadium public address announcer Dan Borne’ is retiring after 38 years on the job, LSU said in a statement Friday.
“I would like to thank LSU and our fans for so many seasons of fond memories,” Borne’ said in the statement. “It’s been a great honor and I deeply appreciate it. I’m 79 years old and it’s time to retire and return the microphone. I’ll be spending more time with our family and we’ll always bleed purple and gold!”
Borne’ also did the P.A. announcing for men’s basketball games for the last 36 years.
According to LSU, Borne’ coined the phrase “Chance of rain? Never” that’s featured prominently in Tiger Stadium’s pregame introductions.
“Dan’s legacy and his booming voice in Tiger Stadium will
never be forgotten,” Athletic Director Scott Woodward said in the statement. “Each Saturday night during the fall for 38 years, Dan’s voice was a big part of helping create the best atmosphere in college football. We are truly appreciative for Dan’s passion, his love of LSU football and helping create countless memories through the years for fans of all ages in Tiger Stadium.”
LSU will honor Borne’ during a football game this season, as well as during a men’s basketball game when that season begins.
Borne’ took a leave of absence before the 2024 season, and Bill Franques, longtime P.A. announcer at baseball games and baseball communication director, filled in for him.
LSU said it’ll immediately begin looking for the school’s next P.A. announcer.
and amount of break made it hard for opposing players to get on the pitch and cause damage.
He pairs his fastball with a hard slider that has plenty of break and sits around 90 miles per hour.
Shores’ ability to produce large amounts of break on each pitch has led to him needing to rely on batters chasing pitches more than him having to hit a precise location.
Shores’ scouting report on MLB.com grades his control at a 45, with the highest grade possible being a 65. Eyanson has him beat there, with a 50 grade.
Eyanson relies on the control
see PITCHERS, page 7
BY ROSS ABBOUD Staff Writer
Former LSU gymnast Haleigh Bryant has been named an assistant coach for the program.
Bryant will fill in for longtime coach Ashleigh Gnat after she announced she’s stepping away from the program to pursue personal goals. Gnat spent five seasons at LSU as a coach and six seasons as a gymnast.
Bryant spent five years as a gymnast at LSU and graduated as one of the most prestigious gymnasts in the world.
Her accolades include the 2024 Honda Sport Award Winner, which is awarded to the top collegiate
gymnast in the nation. She also owns 105 individual titles, thirdmost in program history.
As a freshman, she earned six All-American honors, setting the tone for her career. She ended her career with 33 All-American honors.
She also owns the highest allaround score in LSU history, a 39.925. Her 18 perfect 10s rank her ninth in NCAA history.
Bryant was key to the program’s first national title in 2024 as she scored 10s on every event but floor that season.
She completed her undergraduate degree in 2024 and is set to finish her master’s
degree from LSU in the summer of 2025.
MARYLEE WILLIAMS / The Reveille
LSU’s stadium public address announcer Dan Borne makes an announcement Sept. 7, 2013 before the Tiger’s 56-17 victory against UAB in Tiger Stadium.
FOOTBALL STAFF REPORT
PHOTO BY PAYTON PRICHARD
Flau’jae Johnson inks NIL deal with pro league Unrivaled
Electric LSU women’s basketball guard Flau’jae Johnson is among the 14 college stars who have signed an NIL deal with pro women’s league Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday.
Also signing a deal is guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, who transferred to LSU this offseason after two seasons with rival South Carolina.
Unrivaled, founded in 2023, is a three-on-three women’s basketball league with six teams. Its season takes place during the WNBA offseason and offers an alternative to playing overseas, which many WNBA stars do once their season ends.
Now the league is investing in college basketball’s current stars with NIL deals. Johnson is renewing her deal with Unrivaled after signing one in December. Unlike
her previous contract, she won’t have an ownership stake in the league, according to ESPN.
USC’s JuJu Watkins, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice and Sienna Betts, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, UConn’s Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, TCU’s Olivia Miles, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson and Michigan’s Syla Swords have also signed deals with Unrivaled.
Johnson averaged 18.6 points per game in her junior season and decided not to enter the WNBA Draft. She’ll come back to Baton Rouge looking to win her second championship with the program.
Since entering college, Johnson has been one of the sport’s most valuable commodities in the NIL sphere. That’s due not only to her standout personality and skills on the court, but also because of her work as a rapper.
RETURNERS, from page 6
and Anthony Eyanson to the draft.
Moore commands the strike zone with a fast ball that sits at 94 to 96 miles an hour with a curveball that gets hitters to chase.
Zach Yorke
Yorke is a first baseman transferring from Grand Canyon University who has only been struck out 91 times while walking 127 times in his college career.
He swings a powerful bat with 32 doubles, 32 home runs and 157 RBI over three years. He’s also very disciplined with a .328 career batting average and a .434 on-base percentage.
Trent Caraway
Caraway is transferring from Oregon State after appearing in 64 games in 2025.
He started 63 of the 64 games, recording a .268 batting average with 15 doubles, 12 home runs, 47 RBI and 30 walks.
Caraway took a major step in
the NCAA postseason where he hit six home runs and had a hit in each of the Beavers’ games in Omaha.
Caraway is a third baseman who brings College World Series experience to a team looking to win back-to-back championships.
Why does LSU need large portal classes?
The hardest part of winning a national championship and having a highly ranked recruiting class is the draft will consistently take a lot of players from your team.
LSU had starters and signees going off the board in the draft on Sunday and Monday, but Johnson’s ability to recruit from the portal and convince a few players to forgo the draft out of high school will help LSU on its quest to repeat championships.
Now the Tigers have a rebuilt offense with depth and a deep pitching staff with versatile weapons.
of his pitches more because they don’t have as much break as Shore’ pitches.
That doesn’t mean Eyanson doesn’t have an impressive arsenal. At 20 years old, with a fastball that sits between 93 to 98 miles per hour and a curveball and a slider that he goes to for strikeout pitches, Eyanson is a next-level pitcher.
The fastball doesn’t have a lot of movement, so if it’s not placed well it can be easy for hitters to time up, but Eyanson’s slider was hard for hitters to connect on. That resulted in a lot of swings and misses.
Eyanson has a curveball that looks like it’ll catch the zone and at the last second dips out, but at times last season he struggled to get hitters to bite.
Both of these pitchers possess high-level athleticism. Eyanson is an outright athlete, having also played football in high school as a quarterback, wide
and
lete
the com-
petitor is like nothing else.”
Eyanson proved in the postseason that he can start and come out of the bullpen, if needed. Johnson also praises his ability to warm up quickly and be ready to pitch.
Those mental and physical skills will help him at the next level, whether he gets a starting role or experiences some games out of the bullpen.
Shores is athletic for his build. At 6 feet 8 inches and 245 pounds, he has great limb control and speed to get off of the mound to make plays.
Shores proved in the back half of the 2025 season that he can be a closer, a high-leverage reliever or someone who can figure out how to be a starter at the next level.
Both pitchers will be remembered for their time at LSU, especially with their importance to help win the national championship. Now it’s their time to go pro and show the MLB why they’re top-100 draft picks.
receiver, safety
kicker. “The dude is a ridiculous ath-
in ridiculous physical condition,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said about Eyanson. “And
ERIN BARKER / The Reveille
LSU women’s basketball junior guard Flau’jae Johnson stands for a picture on Sept. 4 during the gold carpet premiere of LSU’s The Money Game at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.
PITCHERS, from page 6
PAYTON PRICHARD / The Reveille
LSU baseball redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Chase Shores (34) pitches during LSU’s 8-1 win against Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 16 at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
TORI HILL / The Reveille
LSU men’s baseball junior righthanded ptcher Anthony Eyanson (24) pitches during LSU’s 7-6 win against Missouri on March 15 at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
The LSU baseball team plays on Skip Bertman Field on April 28, 2023, during LSU’s 8-6 win over Alabama at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
OPINION
Mocktails are the moment, and it’s not prudish to enjoy them
AVA’S POV
AVA FRANCIS Columnist
For ages, society has considered alcohol a way to take the edge off. To some it’s much more than a drink; it’s a conversation starter and liquid courage.
On HBO’s cult classic “Sex And The City,” Carrie Bradshaw’s signature cocktail, the cosmopolitan, was all the rage.
If it wasn’t a cigarette in Bradshaw’s hand, it was a martini glass.
But what if Bradshaw’s cocktail was less vodka and more cranberry? Maybe she wouldn’t have run back to her toxic onagain, off-again boyfriend Mr. Big.
Mocktails are not just having a moment; they’ve become a permanent alternative.
A vast array of non-alcoholic options are available. Recess,
Ritual and Spindrift canned mocktails are a few. Brands like Poppi and Olipop also make for great potential non-alcoholic substitutions.
Those nights of your head falling into a toilet bowl can be over. With a community of mocktail enthusiasts on social media, you can find delicious recipes with a simple scroll. Nutritional consultant, natural chef and content creator Blair Horton shares all things wellness including mocktail recipes on her Instagram holisticrendezvous.
Horton’s mocktails aren’t just pretty to look at; they have various health benefits.
“I feel like mocktails for a while were just seen as fruit juice and sparkling water or a lot of sugar and soda,” Horton said. “But I really focus on how to make this something that’s beneficial for our bodies and also has a depth of flavor, more similar to a cocktail at a fancy
bar or something.”
Every activity doesn’t require booze. Trust me, sober nights can be eventful too.
I’m not one to shame or pass judgment on anyone who drinks alcohol, as long as you can hold your liquor. However, in college I’ve witnessed so many unfortunate events like drunken injuries and even a scary case or two of alcohol poisoning.
I think it’s refreshing to see my friends and peers not relying on alcohol to make a night out exciting.
Generation Z and millennials are the face of the mocktail movement. Drinking culture is becoming less and less attractive due to the harmful mental and physical effects.
According to Forbes, “Gen Z drink on average 20% less than the previous generation”.
Don’t let your sober friends take a seat on the sidelines just because they opt out of alcohol. While college bars are still play-
ing catch-up, restaurants see the surge of mocktails as an opportunity to curate well crafted alternatives that taste and look just as good as the original cocktails. So consider a restaurant bar for a night out.
Some people let alcohol control their entire mood. They can only be the life of the party with a drink in hand or need a round of shots to be a good conversationalist.
The mocktail movement is an opportunity for those who hide behind alcohol to develop a personality without it. Unfortunately alcohol is used as a crutch way too often. It’s one thing to enjoy a cocktail every now and then vs. reenacting the “Hangover.”
You’re not a prude because you prefer a mocktail over a traditional cocktail. At the end of the day it’s all about knowing your limits and choosing accordingly.
I’ve definitely had nights out
where people assume my group has had our fair share of alcohol because we’re having such a good time dancing and enjoying the vibes, when in reality most of us are not consuming any alcohol at all—we just know how to have hangover free fun. Nobody wants to babysit wasted friends. It’s not just annoying, it’s potentially dangerous.
More than a few people have admitted that they’ve developed an unhealthy relationship with alcohol since starting college which has led to their growing interest in mocktails.
As we approach football season full of tailgating and nights in Tiger Stadium, think about filling those coolers with delicious zero proof options alongside your Twisted Teas so the party never ends.
Ava Francis is a 22-year-old journalism major from New Orleans residing in Texas.
GRAPHIC BY KALEB SEARLE
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