COLLEGE STATION – The ACU Wildcats begin the program's 12th season at the NCAA Division I level this weekend at the Aggie Classic in College Station, and they do so under the direction of first-year head coach Jo Koons, who was hired last summer to revive the program's fortunes.
The Wildcats will open the 2025 season at 2 p.m. Thursday against 19th-ranked Baylor at Davis Diamond on the Texas A&M campus. ACU will play a doubleheader Friday against Utah State at 9 a.m. and Villanova at 2 p.m. and close out the tournament Saturday with a doubleheader against Purdue at 9 a.m. and against seventh-ranked Texas A&M at 4:30 p.m.
The game against Texas A&M will be broadcast on the SEC+ Network, and each game will have live stats for fans to follow. The links are here: Baylor, Utah State, Villanova, Purdue, and Texas A&M.
Koons spent the two previous seasons as an assistant coach at UT-Arlington, and this will be her first job as a head coach, but she already knows how she wants her teams to play.
"I want our team to play without fear," she said. "I want them to step on the field knowing they've been prepared for the moment. I want them to trust their training, compete confidently, and rise to any challenge. Ultimately, I want them to love the game, love one another, and relentlessly embrace the challenges that each game will present."
The Wildcats lost the bulk of their offense from last year's team that finished 16-32 overall (8-18 and 9th in the Western Athletic Conference) with the losses of Kynadee Bennett (.425 batting average, four home runs, and 14 RBI), Olivia Marble (.377, 4 HR, 19 RBI), and Sammie Shelander, who hit .338 and led the team in home runs (five) and RBI (31). Koons said the keys to the team's offense will be its ability to execute in different situations and aggressiveness on the bases.
"We have a lineup that can produce in various ways," Koons said. "Our biggest weakness is a lack of time together on the field. With so many new faces, everything is still coming together, and we're learning and growing as a group. The key will be embracing challenges together, continuing to build chemistry, and progressing quickly as the season unfolds."
The Wildcats return senior righthanded pitcher Lina Russo, who was 6-14 with a 4.29 ERA last year, and she's expected to see plenty of time in the circle in 2025. Other pitchers will be Ella Beeman (4-8 with a 5.48 ERA in 2024), transfer Taylor Bachmeyer (Sam Houston State), redshirt junior Bubba Rote (0-1, 5.25 ERA last year), freshman lefthander Chase Mueller, and junior Elizabeth Schaeffer.
"We have several pitchers on staff who will contribute meaningful innings for us this season," Koons said. "One of our top returning pitchers is Lina Russo, who will be out there often. She's a true competitor, and with this being her last season, she's determined to leave it all out there and have her best year for this team. Beyond Lina, we'll use multiple arms throughout the season. Each pitcher brings a different skill set, allowing us to mix things up and give opposing lineups a variety of looks."
The Wildcats are playing an extremely challenging non-conference schedule, with tournaments scheduled at East Texas A&M (Feb. 14-16), where they will play Iowa twice, and Rutgers, the Oklahoma Tournament, where they will play four-time defending national champion and third-ranked Oklahoma (twice), and the Longhorn Invitational in Austin, where they will play #1 Texas on Friday, Feb. 28.
The competition will be challenging, as will a 26-game road trip to start the season. ACU's first home game after 26 away from Wells Field is Friday, March 14, at 4 p.m., in a Western Athletic Conference doubleheader against Southern Utah.
Koons is not fazed by the competition or the long stretch on the road.
"If we're going to build a championship-level program, we have to compete in those atmospheres and against those teams," she said. "Playing a demanding preseason schedule gives us that experience and prepares us for the postseason. The games put us on the map and allow our athletes to showcase their talent on a big stage. One of the best things about college softball is how much the sport continues to grow, and I want our players to have the opportunity to be part of that to embrace those big moments, compete at the highest level, and know they belong there.
