Tuesday mornings mean one thing on The Starting Lineup: a seat at the table with the voice of Missouri State Athletics, Corey Riggs. Summer might put high school sports on a brief pause, but there is absolutely no offseason in the world of Bears Athletics. We sat down with Corey to break down the College World Series brackets, the reality of strict sports betting compliance in collegiate athletic offices, a massive influx of Missouri State baseball roster shuffling, and a look ahead at what Coach Casey Woods is cooking up for football season.

Mid-Major Magic in Omaha and the Toughest Regionals

We started off looking at the road to Omaha. Troy managed to punch its ticket to the College World Series despite a 32-29 regular season record, squeaking in with a 35 RPI thanks to a brutal non-conference schedule against teams like Georgia and Vanderbilt. Corey admitted it’s impossible not to root for a mid-major on the biggest stage, though the offensive power of Georgia has been pure entertainment. Speaking of tough schedules, Corey broke down why the Lawrence, Kansas regional was a meat grinder—boasting an average RPI of 37.5. While Kansas couldn’t defend home turf, Oklahoma came out on top of the toughest regional in the country.

The Line in the Sand: Sports Gambling Compliance

With national headlines swirling around sports betting, we wanted to get a feel for the compliance vibe inside the Missouri State athletic offices. Corey explained that the NCAA’s default position is crystal clear: do not bet on anything, especially collegiate sports. But it doesn’t stop with the student-athletes. As an employee of Learfield—the corporation handling the multimedia rights for college athletics—Corey highlighted that they operate under a strict, no-tolerance gambling policy. The rise of hyper-specific prop bets is what concerns Corey the most, noting that they pose a major threat to the perceived integrity of college sports events.

Roster Shuffling and Bears in the Big Leagues

Missouri State baseball is in a heavy state of transition. While the official ink is drying on paperwork for the new coaching staff additions, current players are scattering across elite collegiate summer leagues. Sunday starter Owen Slater is out east with the Falmouth Commodores in the prestigious Cape Cod League , while key arms like Tommy Kramkowski, Trent Ash, and Adyn Schell are getting work in the Appalachian League. We are also tracking the transfer portal closely; former Logan-Rogersville standout Brody McNeil has officially entered his name. On a brighter note, we love checking the modern “player periscope” : former Bear and Springfield Cardinal Brandt Thompson has officially moved up to Triple-A Memphis in the Cardinals system, and Eric Loomis is being fast-tracked through the Rangers organization after a dominant run.

Football Brotherhood and Ticket Launches

To wrap it up, the pigskin is starting to generate some summer buzz. Head coach Casey Woods just wrapped up his whistle-stop tour meeting with alumni in St. Louis and Kansas City to talk Bears football. Single-game tickets are officially on sale now at MissouriStateBears.com. Corey is heading out to check on the squad’s “brotherhood and ball” team meal this week—where cornhole is on the menu, and strictly no bets are allowed!