Missouri's Ehren Earleywine: “If it had anything to do with success, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

What's On

Regionals starts today!

The Trib (Blake Toppmeyer): Media day musings: Earleywine talks job security, protests, matchup with BYU

On whether a run to the Women’s College World Series could save his job …

Earleywine: "If it had anything to do with success, we wouldn’t be having this conversation." [...]

On whether Nebraska is the stiffest potential test in the regional …

Earleywine: "Honestly, I think BYU’s ace pitcher and that team is going to be the hardest team."

On whether he really thinks that …

Earleywine: "I do. I do, because it’s all about pitching. She’s the best pitcher here."

The Trib (Blake Toppmeyer): Around the horn with Nebraska softball Coach Rhonda Revelle

The Trib: MU's softball regional will be marked by veteran coaching presence

The Trib: Lawyer, athletic department address issues brought up in second protest letter

Post-Dispatch: Mizzou softball players end protest

Senior right fielder Emily Crane confirmed the protest had ended.

"I can’t reiterate it enough," Crane said before Wednesday’s practice. "We’re worried about playing right now. Anything we can do to keep us together, keep us and (Earleywine) on the same side, that’s what our plan is. We’re not going to deal with anything protest-wise. We’re just going to play softball and that’s what we’re here to do."

"I just think in order for the administration to do their jobs and not have a bunch of pressure from the media and public (the players need) to stay off of them," Earleywine said. "In addition to that, it was causing our players to be distracted, and they don’t need that either. I just felt like it was best for everybody if we ended the protest and got on with our business."

Post-Dispatch: Mizzou softball team shifts focus to postseason

KC Star: Missouri softball players drop protest, try to refocus on winning NCAA regional

The Missourian: Things to know: Missouri softball opens NCAA regional play

MUtigers.com: @MizzouSoftball Adds Radio Coverage for NCAA Regional

J'den in Times Square

MUtigers.com: Cox to Wrestle in Times Square at Beat the Streets

Mizzou Wrestling junior and 2016 Team USA 86-kg freestyle wrestler J'den Cox (Columbia, Mo.) is set to compete in the Beat the Streets event on Thursday in New York City. Cox and teammate Jordan Burroughs will wrestle members of the Iran National Team in the final bouts of the main event, held in Times Square between 42nd and 43rd Street in the heart of New York City.

The Tiger Olympian will face Iranian Meisam Mostafa Joukar, who is currently ranked No. 10 in the ASICS International rankings. The bout is the penultimate match in the main event, which begins at 5:30 p.m. CT and also features Team USA matches in men's Greco-Roman (vs. Team Korea), junior men's freestyle (vs. Team Iran) and women's wrestling (vs. Team Canada).

If Mizzou wants to play in Hoover...

...the Tigers will probably want to play well in Lexington.

MUtigers.com: @MizzouBaseball Closes Regular Season at Kentucky

The top 12 teams make the SEC Tournament, and here are the current standings:

10. Georgia (10-17, 26-27)
11T. Missouri (8-19, 25-27)
11T. Auburn (8-19, 23-30)
13T. Tennessee (7-20, 27-26)
13T. Arkansas (7-20, 26-26)

Tennessee plays at Georgia this weekend, Auburn plays at Vanderbilt, and Arkansas plays at Mississippi State. That puts Auburn and Arkansas at a significant disadvantage, but you figure Mizzou needs to win at least one of three at Kentucky (13-14, 30-23) to feel decent about its chances. Two out of three would make the Tigers' odds really good.

MUtigers.com: @MizzouBaseball’s Gromacki Lands on SEC Community Service Team