Missouri
Can Kerrick Jackson Rebuild Missouri After SEC-Worst Season?
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Missouri head coach Kerrick Jackson (Photo courtesy of Thomas Raymond/Mizzou Athletics)
Kerrick Jackson didn’t duck the reality of the moment.
He didn’t point to Missouri’s meager budget, outdated facilities or the resource chasm that separates it from the rest of the Southeastern Conference—even if he would’ve been well within his rights to do so.
Instead, after Tuesday morning’s season-ending 4-1 loss to Alabama in the opening round of the SEC Tournament, the second-year Tigers coach made clear that his team’s last-place finish was his responsibility.
“Ultimately, it’s on me,” he said bluntly. “The one thing that as I look back on the year and reflect, the team should reflect who I am as an individual and how I go about my business, and there wasn’t enough of that.”
This wasn’t postgame deflection or hollow contrition. Jackson has always been direct, always embraced accountability. It’s part of why Missouri hired him in the first place, hoping he could ignite a long-stalled engine.
That turnaround hasn’t come—at least not yet. And few coaches in college baseball face a steeper climb.
Missouri hasn’t reached the NCAA Tournament since 2010 and has just one super regional appearance in its Division I history. Since joining the SEC in 2013, the Tigers have finished .500 or better in conference play only once. The Big 12 was more forgiving. But there’s no going back now.
In a league defined by superlatives—biggest crowds, deepest pockets, flashiest facilities—Missouri remains the outlier. Not because it wants to be. Not because it’s unwilling to try. But because the cold truth is it lacks what most others in the SEC take for granted: real, sustainable resources.
It’s no excuse. Just reality.
“We have not necessarily invested to the level that we need to, candidly,” athletic director Laird Veatch acknowledged publicly earlier this month.
While other SEC programs are spending millions to construct rosters brimming with future MLB talent, the Tigers operate without those advantages. It’s a major handicap in a sport propelled by deep pockets.
They play in one of the conference’s smallest stadiums, with one of its smallest budgets and a limited support staff. Unsurprisingly, the program has struggled mightily to stay afloat in the nation’s most demanding baseball league.
That disparity came into full focus in 2025, a season that ended with Missouri at 16-39 overall and just 3-27 in SEC play. It was a brutal campaign by any measure, punctuated by a quiet, familiar exit in Hoover. Missouri didn’t just finish last—it finished historically last, winning the fewest amount of conference games in the SEC’s 30-game era.
“We’re an immature baseball club,” Jackson said Tuesday. “And I don’t mean that disrespectfully. It’s just the reality of what it is.”
Jackson understands the uphill nature of his current job and believes his experiences in other Division I rebuilds will ultimately help him succeed.
He knows that competing in the SEC without the same financial backing or infrastructure is like entering a Formula 1 race in a pickup. But he also knows that dwelling on disadvantages won’t move the program forward. Progress, as he sees it, starts with controlling what he can and outworking everyone else.
So for all the structural drawbacks and on-field struggles, Jackson isn’t waving a white flag. Instead, he’s leaning fully into the challenge, even if that sometimes feels unfair.
“We got to get it done regardless,” Jackson told Baseball America. “Whatever [Missouri’s athletic department] can do to assist us is phenomenal but, in the meantime, I need to keep grinding and make sure we get it done regardless of the resources we have.”
One resource Jackson knows he can count on is time. His relationship with Veatch, who hired him at Memphis in 2023, has given him that increasingly rare commodity in college athletics.
“It’s huge because I’m not looking over my shoulder,” Jackson said. “When [Veatch] comes in, I know he’s a baseball guy. I was fortunate that the guy who hired me at Memphis got the job here. He knows what I’m capable of. That’s why he hired me at Memphis. I can do the same thing here.”
Still, there’s no illusion about what that will take, especially in this league. Jackson is acutely aware of Missouri’s current place in the SEC pecking order and knows just how different things are in Columbia, where there’s less tradition, less money, less built-in support.
But that hasn’t changed his vision.
“I know this place,” he said. “I know where we’re different than the rest of the SEC. I know we have some disadvantages. That doesn’t stop me from wanting us to be one of the top programs in the country but, more importantly, to put us in position to improve and succeed.”
And despite a season that ended with just three SEC wins and more questions than answers, Jackson sees the challenge as fertile ground—not a death sentence.
“What I like about adversity is, it becomes great if you learn from it and move forward from it,” he said.
Growth won’t come overnight. But, the way Jackson sees it, acknowledging the issues is a start. And at Missouri—a place where reaching the postseason has long felt aspirational rather than expected—that start matters.
Especially if it comes with the belief—however stubborn or unorthodox—that the climb is worth it.
“As we’re the biggest story for how bad we are this year,” Jackson said, “I promise you, we’ll be the biggest story for how good we’re going to be next year.”
A Jackson County judge on Friday denied Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s attempt to immediately stop Kansas City-based CBD American Shaman and several affiliated companies from selling kratom products.
The motion for a temporary restraining order, which was filed alongside the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, took particular aim at the more potent 7-OH products, which Hanaway argues are “hazardous opioids” banned by state and federal law.
Jackson County Circuit Judge Charles McKenzie’s ruling Friday stated there are “competing affidavits” from experts on both sides of the argument, following a hearing on the motion earlier this week.
“The court cannot find, based on the oral argument of the parties, the respective competing affidavits presented and the pleadings, whether the plaintiff is likely to succeed on the merits at this juncture in the proceedings in order for the court to grant relief in the form of a temporary restraining order,” McKenzie’s order states.
Hanaway’s argument was backed by sworn statements from an undercover narcotics officer with the highway patrol who said 7-OH is being used to cut fentanyl and a woman whose brother died from a kratom overdose.
Her office also submitted an FDA report that points to 7-OH as “a potent opioid that poses an emerging public health threat” and states health data showing synthetic 7-OH was involved in at least 197 Missouri deaths.
American Shaman submitted statements of its own from five toxicology and addiction experts, who largely said there wasn’t enough evidence to show that 7-OH and kratom posed a public health risk. One who researched narcotics said she had never heard of 7-OH being used to cut fentanyl.
Company owner Vince Sanders’ statement detailed how he came up with the idea to create 7-OH products, which now have an “enormous” demand, particularly among people who need pain management.
Sanders could not be reached for comment about the ruling on Friday.
McKenzie denied a temporary restraining order “without prejudice,” meaning that he would like to see more evidence.
“It is because of this finding that the court determines it necessary to hold an additional hearing,” he wrote, “where it can consider the parties’ respective positions with the potential of testimonial evidence and other properly introduced evidence, all as more fully developed by the parties, in order to further analyze these issues.”
The judge will consider “other injunctive relief sought in the pleadings at a future hearing to consider the issues,” the order states.
Hanaway filed a similar lawsuit Thursday against Relax Relief Rejuvenate Trading LLC, and its owners Dustin Robinson and Ajaykumar Patel.
The group received a warning letter from the FDA for producing 7-OH products last year, similar to one received by Shaman Botanicals.
“This is another step in our ongoing crackdown on kratom manufacturers who flout the law and try to justify endangering Missourians in the name of profit,” Hanaway said in a press release Thursday.
“Our mission is to safeguard Missourians from unregulated and addictive substances, and we will continue to pursue every legal tool available to protect public health and safety.”
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 10 drawing
Midday: 7-2-5
Midday Wild: 7
Evening: 9-6-8
Evening Wild: 7
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 10 drawing
Midday: 7-1-9-9
Midday Wild: 1
Evening: 6-9-8-9
Evening Wild: 2
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 10 drawing
Early Bird: 02
Morning: 11
Matinee: 10
Prime Time: 12
Night Owl: 11
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from May 10 drawing
09-18-23-31-39
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
BURLINGTON JUNCTION, Mo. (KCTV) – A head-on collision on Highway 71 killed 3 people and seriously injured a 4th, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
State Troopers say the crash happened around 1:25 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, near the intersection of Highway 71 and 170th St. – about a mile and a half north of Burlington Junction.
Investigators say a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox, driven by a 59-year-old woman from Carthage, Texas, was heading north on the highway when it crossed the centerline.
The Chevrolet struck a southbound 2026 Ford Explorer head-on, according to MSHP. Both vehicles caught fire and came to rest in the southbound lane.
State Troopers note that the crash killed the Texas driver, a 67-year-old woman from Harlan, Iowa and a 76-year-old woman from Rockwell City, Iowa.
The Ford’s driver – a 72-year-old man from Rockwell City – was airlifted to Bryan West Medical Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, with serious injuries, according to first responders.
Troopers say all four people involved were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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