By Joel Weckerly, Sports Editor

The baseball team is off to its worst start since 1995. Needless to say, head coach Britt Bonneau isn’t happy.

“These guys understand that if they don’t want to win, they don’t need to be here,” he said Wednesday. “We brought these guys here to win, we don’t bring guys here to lose. We bring them here to play at a D-I program even though it’s at a D-II level. We’re gonna have to re-teach everyone basically how to play, how to be mentally focused for anyone we play against.”

Bonneau said he wasn’t just upset that the Wildcats started off with a 2-6 record, but also that they didn’t improve on anything over the weekend series against Incarnate Word.

“The losses don’t bother me so much,” he said. “We just never got better at the plate or on the mound. I just want improvement; that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

ACU is hitting just .229 with 34 RBI and 56 strikeouts at the plate. Its leading slugger from a year ago, junior shortstop Ryan Barker, is batting just .050 with four RBI.

Defensively, ACU has committed 12 errors and has a team ERA of 7.00, allowing 55 runs in 54 innings of work.

Two bright spots for ACU have been sophomore first baseman/designated hitter Joel Wells and sophomore pitcher Ben Brockman. Wells leads the team in hitting at .385 with two home runs and eight RBI, both team-highs. Brockman, meanwhile, is 1-0 with a 2.19 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings of work.

The Wildcats hope to reverse the fortunes of last weekend with a four-game homestand against Oklahoma Panhandle State. The Aggies are 0-2 on the season after being blown out by Southeastern Oklahoma State last weekend by scores of 18-2 and 17-3.

“I hope we wake up,” Bonneau said. “Losing four at home-if that doesn’t wake you up, you must not be an athlete.”

Friday’s doubleheader against the Aggies starts at 2 p.m. at Crutcher Scott Field, while Saturday’s twinbill starts at noon.