COLUMBIA, MO. • For the eighth straight year the Missouri softball team will host a regional round of the NCAA tournament. The four-team double-elimination Columbia Regional begins Thursday as the 15th-seeded Tigers host Brigham Young, Nebraska and Louisville at University Field.
Nebraska (33-19) and Louisville (35-15) play at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, followed by Mizzou (39-14) against BYU (35-19) at 7 p.m. Both games are on ESPN2. The tournament will continue in Columbia Friday and Saturday. The Columbia Regional was moved up a day to begin Thursday because BYU does not play games on Sundays. Mizzou defeated BYU 16-6 on Feb.