There have been three topics that have been the buzz of the press box this morning.

1) Missouri State's upset win - I know Vanderbilt lost, but I still consider the Bears' 5-2 victory over Wichita State as the biggest upset of yesterday's action. Had this tournament not been held in Springfield, MSU's season would already be over. Instead, they sit in the winner's bracket, hoping to send defending tournament champion Evansville home tonight.

2) Gene Stephenson's rant - According to most, that's just Gene being Gene. As for me, I've witnessed four press conferences live with Bob Knight, and he didn't even come close to what Stephenson did last night. There's no doubt that the Shocker coach was trying to fire his troops, but the surprise to me was scolding one of his players during the press conference. Stephenson was mad to begin with, and it showed.

3) The weather - I felt for most of my CSTV.com colleagues who were up all hours of the morning as tournament play was wrapping up. Tonight, with the threat of rain looming in Springfield, I might be joining them in the late night baseball feasts.

So here's today's matchups from Hammons Field

Game One - #1 Wichita State vs. #5 Southern Illinois
The winner goes on, the loser goes home. Gene Stephenson said this would be a test of fortitude for his team. Let's see how the Shockers respond against a SIU team that struggled yesterday in a loss to Creighton.

Game Two - #2 Creighton vs. #3 Bradley
Creighton looked strong pitching-wise. Bradley was awesome hitting-wise. This should be a fun one today between two undefeated teams.

Game Three - #6 Missouri State vs. #4 Evansville
Missouri State pulled the upset last night. Can they do it again? It's a must win for Evansville, who lost yesterday to Bradley, and will have to face a hostile crowd tonight. However, if it rains a lot, that might play to UE's advantage.

We're 25 minutes away from the first game, as day two of the 2007 Missouri Valley Tournament is set to go!