The Saints (13-1) need a win or a tie vs. Tampa Bay on Sunday at the Superdome to clinch home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, or a Minnesota loss or tie.

The Saints on Tuesday signed free agent tight end Troy Humphrey and placed fullback Marcus Mallei. Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey was inactive last week against Dallas with turf toe.

Humphrey, a 6-2, 255-pound fourth-year player out of Central Michigan, spent his first three years with Green Bay, playing in 24 career games with seven starts. He has caught 11 passes for 162 yards. Humphrey sustained a fractured forearm  in training camp earlier this year and was placed on injured reserve before being waived by the Packers.

He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent signed by Indianapolis in 2005 before moving on tothe Green Bay practice squad and later its active roster.

Mailei was signed by the Saints off the Philadelphia practice squad on Dec. 9 and played in two games, primarily on special teams, making one tackle. The rookie fullback suffered a hamstring injury in Saturday's game against Dallas and will go on season-ending injured reserve.

LSU baseball team ranked No. 2

Defending NCAA national champion LSU ranked No. 2 in the Collegiate Baseball poll released this week.


The publication named Tigers pitcher Antony Ranaudo as its preseason National Player of the Year. Reliever Matty Ott, first baseman/outfielder  Blake Dean and catcher Micah Gibbs are honored on the second  All-American team.

Texas, the 2009 national runnerup to LSU, is No. 2 in the poll.

"It's great to receive this kind of recognition, and the polls create a lot of excitement for our fans," said Tigers coach Paul Mainieri "At the same time, we know that we have a season full of challenges ahead. We're definitely anxious to get started. We feel like we have the players here who know how to win and contend for championships."

The Tigers open the season on Feb. 19 against Centenary in Alex Box Stadium.

The Tigers are scheduled to play eight teams in the preseason poll: No. 9 Florida, No. 21 Southern Miss, No. 22 Ole Miss, No. 23 Arkansas, No. 31 Georgia, No. 32 Vanderbilt, No. 34 Pepperdine and No. 36 Kansas.

Ranaudo, a junior righthander, was the Tigers' No. 1 starter throughout the 2009 season, going 12-3 with a 3.04 ERA in 19 starts (124.1 innings) with 50 walks and 159 strikeouts and No. 5 in wins.

A third-team All-America and second-team All-SEC selection, Ranaudo became the first LSU pitcher to lead the SEC in strikeouts since Kurt Ainsworth in 1999. He was the wining pitcher in the deciding game of he College World Series, working 5 1/3 innings while allowing four runs on eight hits with five walks and four strikeouts.

TIGERS GET COMMITMENT FROM TOP RUNNING BACK: Running back Kenny Hillard of Patterson, rated as one of the top running backs in the country,  gave the Tigers their fifth commitment for LSU's 2011 recruiting class..

Hillard, 5-11, 225, is the nephew of former Tigers and Saints running back Dalton Hillard. He helped Patterson to the Class 3A quarterfinals with 2,512 yards rushing and 32 touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 332 yards and four touchdowns.

He also had offers from Alabama, Texas A&M, Miami, Notre Dame and Tennessee. The Tigers also received commitments from O. Perry Walker defensive tackle Anthony Johnson and Capital High offensive lineman Cory White. Running back Jeremy Hill  and lineman La'El Collins, both of Baton Rouge Redemptorist committed earlier this year.