Friday, March 20
Abilene
2 p.m.
Abilene Christian
vs
UT Arlington
Meyer Looks to Keep Rhythm Going vs. UTA
3/19/2026 9:12:00 AM | Softball
For Abilene Christian pitcher Leah Meyer, last week's 9-4 win over Utah was more than a big moment for the Wildcats — it was a reminder of why she came to ACU. The transfer from Florida SouthWestern took the ball in relief and delivered four scoreless innings with six strikeouts, putting away the Utes and giving her team a signature victory heading into conference play.
It was the kind of outing head coach Jo Koons envisioned when Meyer arrived from one of the nation's top junior college programs.
"To see her fired up, that is the passion I watched her play with before," said Koons, ACU's second-year head coach. "The change-up was working. Getting six strikeouts is huge, especially in a relief appearance. That alleviates some of the pressure on your defense and yourself. We had a good chat in Oklahoma responding to some of her outings. It was encouraging to see her turn it around going into conference."
"I was a little nervous from our past games," Meyer said, "but I had confidence in my coaches, their calls, my backup, and the defense. I knew that as long as I threw strikes, our defense would back us up."
Finding Her Groove Again
For Meyer, that outing felt familiar. At Florida SouthWestern, she often came out of the bullpen during her first season and thrived in pressure moments. That experience showed against Utah as she pounded the zone and trusted the team behind her.
"It felt good again," she said. "At Florida SouthWestern, we had a lot of those situations, especially my freshman year. I came in as relief a lot — it was kind of a familiar feeling. It was a lot of fun."
Koons and the coaching staff have emphasized one thing with their pitching staff: get ahead in counts and stay out of trouble. That mindset has helped Meyer simplify her approach in big spots.
"We talk about it a lot — just to focus down in the zone if we get behind," Meyer said. "But it's really about trusting the catcher and trusting our defense."
When she steps into the circle, everything else fades away.
"There's always that little bit of nerves on the first pitch," Meyer said. "But after that first pitch — even the first batter — the nerves kind of go away. I tell my teammates all the time, I can't really hear anything on the mound because I'm so zoned in. It's a lot of fun. I just love competing on the mound."
Settling Into ACU
The move from Florida to Texas brought changes on and off the field. The weather, for one, has been an adjustment.
"It's been a lot colder," Meyer said with a laugh, "but it's been good. I really like the team. All the players are super nice, and the coaches are really great."
She's also balancing a tougher academic load.
"School has been a lot harder than junior college, but that's kind of what I expected," she said. "Leaving family is always hard, but FaceTime helps."
Beyond softball, Meyer is focused on her future. She's majoring in sports recreation management and says she's excited about the opportunities the degree will provide after her playing days.
Conference Play Ahead
After the program's first win over a Power 4 opponent since 2022, the Wildcats turn their attention to the WAC opening series against UT Arlington at Poly Wells Field. Meyer said the team's mindset is simple: keep building on the momentum from the Utah win.
"We're approaching it to be competitive," she said. "We came out of the game in Utah and we won — we're trying to keep that energy going and keep on competing."
ACU and UTA start with a Friday doubleheader at 2 p.m., and finish with one game at 12 p.m. Saturday. All three games will be streamed by the ACUTV staff and crew on ESPN+.
It was the kind of outing head coach Jo Koons envisioned when Meyer arrived from one of the nation's top junior college programs.
"To see her fired up, that is the passion I watched her play with before," said Koons, ACU's second-year head coach. "The change-up was working. Getting six strikeouts is huge, especially in a relief appearance. That alleviates some of the pressure on your defense and yourself. We had a good chat in Oklahoma responding to some of her outings. It was encouraging to see her turn it around going into conference."
"I was a little nervous from our past games," Meyer said, "but I had confidence in my coaches, their calls, my backup, and the defense. I knew that as long as I threw strikes, our defense would back us up."
Finding Her Groove Again
For Meyer, that outing felt familiar. At Florida SouthWestern, she often came out of the bullpen during her first season and thrived in pressure moments. That experience showed against Utah as she pounded the zone and trusted the team behind her.
"It felt good again," she said. "At Florida SouthWestern, we had a lot of those situations, especially my freshman year. I came in as relief a lot — it was kind of a familiar feeling. It was a lot of fun."
Koons and the coaching staff have emphasized one thing with their pitching staff: get ahead in counts and stay out of trouble. That mindset has helped Meyer simplify her approach in big spots.
"We talk about it a lot — just to focus down in the zone if we get behind," Meyer said. "But it's really about trusting the catcher and trusting our defense."
When she steps into the circle, everything else fades away.
"There's always that little bit of nerves on the first pitch," Meyer said. "But after that first pitch — even the first batter — the nerves kind of go away. I tell my teammates all the time, I can't really hear anything on the mound because I'm so zoned in. It's a lot of fun. I just love competing on the mound."
Settling Into ACU
The move from Florida to Texas brought changes on and off the field. The weather, for one, has been an adjustment.
"It's been a lot colder," Meyer said with a laugh, "but it's been good. I really like the team. All the players are super nice, and the coaches are really great."
She's also balancing a tougher academic load.
"School has been a lot harder than junior college, but that's kind of what I expected," she said. "Leaving family is always hard, but FaceTime helps."
Beyond softball, Meyer is focused on her future. She's majoring in sports recreation management and says she's excited about the opportunities the degree will provide after her playing days.
Conference Play Ahead
After the program's first win over a Power 4 opponent since 2022, the Wildcats turn their attention to the WAC opening series against UT Arlington at Poly Wells Field. Meyer said the team's mindset is simple: keep building on the momentum from the Utah win.
"We're approaching it to be competitive," she said. "We came out of the game in Utah and we won — we're trying to keep that energy going and keep on competing."
ACU and UTA start with a Friday doubleheader at 2 p.m., and finish with one game at 12 p.m. Saturday. All three games will be streamed by the ACUTV staff and crew on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
RHP
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