Coming in from the WAC rival, the University of Texas at Arlington, Head Coach Jo Koons is not distant from the Wildcats’ subpar finishing record last season.

Ending the year last season, the wildcats finished the season with a 16-32 season. In Addition, while in search of new leadership, their star talent Kaydee Bennett transferred away to the University of Texas at Austin.

Although a big loss for the team Coach Koons is excited about the players she has on the roster and believes there is something special about ACU.

“God orchestrated the whole thing,” Koons said. “ACU just resonated with me to my core.”

Koons believes this special aura around Abilene and her newly incorporated foundational values, will help the lady Wildcats be a special team to compete for this season. 

“Accountability, communication and unconditional love,” Koons said are the core values for the team this season.

She said that she believes this is the difference in creating a winning program. Furthermore, this season will be a learning curve, and doing the little things right will be pivotal down the stretch. 

“We need to come in and just focus on the process,” Koons said. “Focus on the little things as little things make big things happen.” 

This everyday deliberate process for Koons is what she believes will get the Wildcats to her standard: excellence. 

“As a team the goal is to compete every year for a championship, starting now,” Koons said. 

The school’s recent success in sports such as football, currently ranked no. 10 in the FCS, and the baseball program made it to their WAC tournament with big wins over teams like TCU and Baylor, Coach Koons says she is excited to be a part of a school with an overall contagious culture of winning.

“It has been great learning from winners,” Koons said. “Rick [McCarty] at baseball, and [Keith Patterson] at football, being able to pick their brains and learn a lot from them on being successful has been amazing.”

While philosophies and strategies from the coach matter, at the end of the day the players on the field are what win games. Koons is excited about the athletes she has here and now due to their talent on and off the field.

Notably some of the players she considered potentially being huge contributors to this team — the freshmen. She mentioned Juju Martinez, Taylor Haywood and Ari Maxwell as some names to watch out for as the season progresses.

Harping on one specific freshman, journalism major, from Austin, Taylor Haywood should be a stellar addition to the Wildcats. In her senior campaign at Hyde Park High School, she comes from a winning culture finishing 37-6 on the season.

Personally, however, she was No. 7 in the nation with a 29-3 pitching record, striking out 283 batters on the year with a 1.21 ERA. Additionally, she does not only excel on the mound but at the plate, as well. 

While batting, Haywood finished her senior year with a .548 average with 10 homers and 48 RBI’S. Haywood has the potential to be an important powering force for the Wildcats this year.

As the season steadily approaches the Wildcats continue to prepare for the season ahead. They are looking to turn things around by sharpening their cornerstone and trusting their fundamentals. 

“Our focus: To play free and fearless,” Koons said. “It is already written, god has his plan, it’s our job to give it to him,” Koons said.