We kick off a busy, pre-Memorial Day Friday edition of The Starting Lineup with heavy hearts as we process the incredibly shocking and tragic news of NASCAR legend Kyle Busch passing away at age 41. We review his historic career, his 234 national series victories, and look ahead to auto racing expert Trenton Berry joining the show to discuss his lasting impact.

Switching gears to the local scene, the Missouri State Bears baseball team opened up the Conference USA Tournament in style, riding big home runs from Curry Sutherland and Carter Bergman to secure a massive 6-4 win over Kennesaw State. Plus, we break down an unbelievable night of local high school action. From Kickapoo's thrilling 8-inning victory over Nixa to set up a Class 6 district final against Ozark, to Springfield Catholic girls soccer capturing another district title over Logan-Rogersville, we have Southwest Missouri completely covered! We also share our hot takes on the Los Angeles Rams committing $55 million to a 38-year-old Matthew Stafford right after drafting a quarterback in the first round.