Mizzou Baseball Quotes & Notes: Weather or not

■ Will the weather cooperate with the plans of the Tigers and Huskers this weekend?

• The NOAA Storm Prediction Center reports a good chance of not only rain but thunderstorms - possibly severe - for the next 3-4 days in the Lincoln, NE area.

■ The math:

• For Mizzou, it appears that the Tigers need to win 1 game to guarantee they are in the Big 12 Tournament - no matter how many of the scheduled 3 games are played at Lincoln. In addition, the Tigers could slip in with no wins, if Texas Tech, Kansas and Kansas state fail to do their part to knock MU out.
  
• For the Huskers, it looks like they MUST go no less than 3-0 to get into the Big 12 Tournament. 2-0 won't do it. That's good news for Mizzou, because it guarantees that Mike Anderson (whose job may depend on making it to the Big 12 Tournament) will do everything he possibly can to creatively juggle game times, do an anti-rain dance, and invoke the help of the Almighty to make sure three games are played. Unless, of course, the Tigers win game 1, in which case the Cornhuskers would have nothing left to play for.
  

■ Nebraska team will try to sweep into post-season (Husker Extra)

What's more, weather forecasts are calling for rain the next three days, and NU needs to go 3-0 — 2-0 wouldn't do it — to earn one of the eight spots in the conference tourney that begins in Oklahoma City on Wednesday. And unless Oklahoma State sweeps three games against Texas Tech, NU also needs Kansas and Kansas State to get in all three games of their series.

On top of those uncertainties is a sideshow involving coach Mike Anderson and a growing curiosity among Husker followers about whether he'll be retained for a 10th season.
. . .
"I don't go on that other side," Anderson said before quoting a line used by former Husker Joba Chamberlain. "Let the haters hate. That's not part of what I do. It's not part of what I'll ever do.

■ Now or never, Ehlers goes in Game 1 (Big Red Report.com)

First up on the mound, freshman Logan Ehlers. The highly touted 8th round draft pick out of high school has had an interesting first year in Lincoln. After being suspended by the NCAA for the first 60% of the season, Ehlers is 1-3 with an era over 4.25.

After quickly finding himself in the starting weekend rotation, the Nebraska City High product is 0-2 in his last three starts. At Texas A&M last weekend, he allowed two runs over 5.2 innings to the No. 11 team in the country.

“There is a maturing process that takes place physically and a maturing process that takes place mentally. I think there has been leaps and bounds in terms of what he is doing mentally,” said Mike Anderson on Sports Nightly Tuesday night. “He's a young man that has a bright future and working hard towards it. What he has to learn is his physical skills are very good, now he has to adapt mentally.”

■ Outfielder Blake Brown producing thanks to new approach (KOMU.com)

This pronounced production increase from Brown, he believes, stems from a maturation of his mental approach.

"That was my biggest problem last year, mentally I wasn't able to deal with failure. Coming from high school and being able to succeed throughout all season. That was the biggest difference," he said.