In this week’s episode of The St. Louis Sportists Podcast, the guys preview the Final Four featuring the Fighting Illini of Illinois. We’ve followed the international cast assembled by Brad Underwood all season and with Blue Horseshoe, take a look at their prospects for the weekend.

In other tournament games, Duke gets “Laettnered” and Michigan and Arizona impress. And closer to home, SLU fans have a very quick reality check when their coach is pursued by another program just days after signing an extension.

It’s a fun and interesting start for the St. Louis Cardinals with a very memorable opening day. JJ Wetherholt looks like the real deal and the bullpen seems to have “no defined roles.” On the other side of the state, nobody knows where the Royals will play in the next few years and ABS – automated ball/strike is a sensation! Unless you happen to be named C.B. Bucknor.

If it’s March, the Blues are making another improbable run. But the mountain may be too high this season. The NFL eliminates the Monday Night doubleheader and Seattle gets Hard Knocks for this season. But has the moment passed for the once can’t-miss documentary series? The league looks to quell questionable bets, but then again, what bet is not questionable?

Doug considers another difficult week for Tiger Woods and looks ahead to Masters week. CITY manages to find misfortune even in an off-week and a tasty, cold soda reaches new heights of expense at Dodger Stadium. All this and much more on this week’s episode of The St. Louis Sportists Podcast.

The St. Louis Sportists Podcast is brought to you by 1st Coast Steel Buildings and Black Dog Consulting.

It’s time to forecast the season for your 2026 St. Louis Cardinals and the Sportists use 20 questions for the preview. Compare your answers:

1. Season Record

2. Games Played for Laars Nootbaar – Over/Under 81

3. Most starts in left field

4. Victor Scott II – Over Under 43.5 Stolen Bases (Last year – 138 g, 34 SB)

5. JJ Wetherholt – Over/Under 150.5 hits and ROY?

6. Season Attendance – Over/Under 2,250,007.5 (Last year’s total, decrease of 628,108)

7. First player on major league opening day roster to Injured List

8. Kyle Leahy – Innings Pitched – Over/Under 150.5 (Last year, 88 IP - 1 start)

9. Number of Pitchers to Start at least One Game - Over/Under 14.5

10. Leader in Saves

11. Who is replaced from Opening Lineup First – Gorman, Scott, Walker, None

12. Masyn Wynn HR – 13.5 (Last year 9)

13. First Player Traded

14. Any Player(s) over 20 HR? If so, whom?

15. Joshua Baez Call-up Date

16. Jordan Walker – O/U 13.5 HR (repeat from last season)

17. Matthew Liberatore Wins – O/U 12.5 (last year – 8)

18. Starts for Liberatore, McGreevy, May – O/U 81.5 (Last year – 81 for Mikolas, Fedde and Pallante)

19. Liam Doyle Call-Up Date

20. Player on Memphis roster on March 26 who plays in most games for major league team?

21. One specific and quantifiable prediction

The Blues refuse to lose and CITY breaks through! March Madness is in full swing. It’s an action-packed episode of the St. Louis Sportists Podcast.

The St. Louis Sportists Podcast is brought to you by 1st Coast Steel Buildings and Black Dog Consulting.

Happy March Madness! It’s all-Ava this week as March Madness roars into action. Mizzou, SLU and Illinois are all part of the field of 64 and the team breaks down the prospects for the local teams.

The guys consider the bracket winners and losers – starting with the Missouri Tigers who were fortunate enough to wind up playing in St. Louis. Maddening Mizzou has driven ticket prices to over $1,000 courtside and the get-in price over $200.

SLU shuffles off to Buffalo for a showdown with an SEC opponent – the Georgia Bulldogs. And it doesn’t get any easier – Michigan would likely be the second round opponent.

The Fighting Illini have an Ivy league opponent in Penn and an uncertain second round matchup against VCU or North Carolina. What is certain is that Bruce Pearl’s act has worn thin on CBS already.

The World Baseball Classic has grown in interest and intensity as Venezuela defeated the United States in front of a “juiced” crowd in Texas. The TV audiences skyrocketed as well.

The Blues are winning – but is the timing off? Are they going to fall short of the playoffs while securing a later draft choice? The Cardinals are ready to break camp and the opening day starter has been announced. What do they do about Jordan Walker?

All this plus St. Louis City and their one goal (literally), and can a baseball team have a pitching staff with no defined roles? All of this on this week’s action-packed episode of The St. Louis Sportists Podcast.

The St. Louis Sportists podcast is brought to you by 1st Coast Steel Buildings and Black Dog Consulting.