The 2026 season begins for the Wildcats with a tough trip to College Station, but for ACU softball, like every other team in the Big Country, adversity already arrived before the Wildcats even got off the first pitch.

The winter snowstorm that came through Abilene about a week and a half ago wiped out practices this preseason, forcing ACU to adjust to some abrupt days off. Head coach Jo Koons said the unexpected break may have actually sharpened the team’s focus heading into game week.

“They’ve got a couple extra days off that probably wasn’t intended in there,” Koons said. “But honestly, it’s made them a little bit more focused coming back into this week … the countdown is truly on.”

This will be a countdown to a gauntlet, as for the second straight year, ACU opens the season at the Texas A&M Aggie Classic. This tournament includes several top NCAA teams, like, of course, A&M, No. 2 Texas Tech and Koons’ alma mater, Utah State, although ACU is not scheduled to play Tech during the tournament.

Koons welcomes the challenge.

“I don’t shy away from the competition,” Koons said. “It’s what every athlete dreams of – getting to play in the big stadium against the big teams … it’ll prepare us in the long run for conference.”

After the five games in College Station, the Wildcats will return home Feb. 11 for a doubleheader against South Dakota State, but the nonconference tough stretch continues with numerous tournaments, including No. 1 Texas, No. 25 Ohio State, No. 3 Oklahoma, and playing Tech twice, once in Lubbock and once at home, before entering the deep conference stretch.

The hard schedule has proven beneficial for the Wildcats, as in Koons’ first season, ACU finished fourth in the Western Athletic Conference after being picked eighth and snapping a couple of years of postseason drought.

In Koons’ first full year of recruiting, the retooled roster blends some returning leadership and eight freshmen. One of the returning talents includes star shortstop Audrey Lacina, a redshirt sophomore utility player from Bentonville, Arkansas, who has embraced a larger leadership role and, most surprisingly, a position change.

“I think I’ll be behind the plate this year,” Lacina said in regard to catching, which she primarily did in high school. “I’m just excited to be with my team and get on the field for real this time.”

Lacina said ACU’s demanding early schedule is intentional and enjoyable for players ahead of conference play.

“It’s definitely not supposed to be easy,” Lacina said. “But it’s going to give us that experience and knowledge going forward and heading into conference play, which is really what matters.”

The tournament kicks off for the Wildcats on Thursday at 2 p.m. against Utah State.