Mizzou Links: Softball dominates LSU, and Alden officially hands the reins to Rhoades

Mizzou Softball looks to complete a sweep of No. 3 LSU tonight at University Field, Mizzou Baseball takes a tough sweep at Vanderbilt, and Mike Alden is officially no longer Missouri's athletic director. Hello, Mack Rhoades.

By Bill Connelly@SBN_BillC Apr 27, 2015, 5:20am CDT

What's On

How about some wrestling favorites and basketball highlights?

One win away from a sweep

Mizzou and No. 3 LSU start the third game of their series tonight at 6pm at University Field on the SEC Network. (Four prepositional phrases in a row!) Mizzou has absolutely dominated the first two.

Mizzou 7, LSU 2
MUTIGERS.COM: No. 15 Mizzou Softball Takes Series Opener Over No. 3 LSU, 7-2
The Trib: MU continues hot streak
The Missourian: Freshman helps Missouri softball beat No. 3 LSU

Mizzou 10, LSU 2
MUTIGERS.COM: No. 15 Mizzou Softball Run-Rules No. 3 LSU to Clinch Series Win
The Trib: MU softball team beats No. 3 LSU again for 10th straight win
The Missourian: No. 15 Missouri softball run-rules No. 3 LSU and wins the series in the process

#Mizzou has won 10 straight since the game Earleywine was ejected from. Make of that what you will.
— Blake Toppmeyer (@btoppmeyer) April 26, 2015

Asked a couple players, plus Earleywine, about a possible link between the two. They said it's a coincidence and team is simply playing well
— Blake Toppmeyer (@btoppmeyer) April 26, 2015

Kirsten Mack: "That's a huge win. We're playing well. Like the coaches said in the dugout, we're beating them and we're playing ...
— Blake Toppmeyer (@btoppmeyer) April 26, 2015

... good softball, not great softball."
— Blake Toppmeyer (@btoppmeyer) April 26, 2015

Meanwhile...

...a really, really bad week for Mizzou Baseball -- like, an "0-4, all against ranked teams, and only two of the games were particularly close" week -- finished with a sweep in Nashville. Gotta figure this week finished any hopes Missouri had of hosting an NCAA Regional, but we'll see what happens this week. Tim Jamieson's Tigers travel to Springfield tomorrow for the second half of the home-and-home with Missouri State. Wouldn't be a bad time to start the bounce back...

Vandy 9, Mizzou 2
MUTIGERS.COM: No. 14 Mizzou Drops Series Opener at No. 8 Vanderbilt
The Missourian: No. 23 Missouri baseball loses series opener to No. 9 Vanderbilt 9-2

Vandy 12, Mizzou 2
MUTIGERS.COM: No. 14 Mizzou Drops Saturday Contest at No. 8 Vanderbilt
The Missourian: Vanderbilt assures series win with a 12-2 win over Mizzou baseball

Vandy 5, Mizzou 2
MUTIGERS.COM: No. 14 Mizzou Drops Finale at No. 8 Vanderbilt
The Missourian: Missouri baseball swept by No. 9 Vanderbilt

Alden Day

Mike Alden is officially no longer Missouri's athletic director. It says so on the Staff Directory page and everything. Basically his last act in office was to secure a big raise and extension for Gary Pinkel, which is a pretty nice way of dropping the mic, huh?

The Trib had a couple of nice, big Alden pieces this weekend.

The Trib: Alden's personality, work ethic leave an impression
The Trib: A look back at Mike Alden's tenure

More on Pinkel
MUTIGERS.COM: Mizzou, Pinkel Agree to New Contract Terms
The Trib: Pinkel gets extension, raise to $4.02 million
Post-Dispatch: Mizzou rewards Pinkel with new contract
The Missourian: Gary Pinkel receives contract extension, raise
PowerMizzou: Pinkel gets extension, raise