The Optimist
  • Home
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Features
  • Print Edition
    • The Pessimist
    • Special Projects
  • Police Log
  • Classifieds
You are here: Home / Sports

Wildcats’ heartbeat: Jazmyn Stone’s journey fuels team’s success

April 9, 2026 by Zion Webb Leave a Comment

It’s been just one season since the “Jazz effect” showed up in Abilene, and it’s already hard to imagine Wildcat basketball without it. To be more specific, her name is Jazmyn Stone. The redshirt junior transfer from Federal Way, Washington, spent her entire collegiate career at the College of Charleston before becoming a Wildcat this season. ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Showcase, Sports

Spring matches fuel Wildcats’ UAC preparations

April 9, 2026 by Joshua Varner Leave a Comment

The Wildcats are preparing for their first season in the UAC, with the fall season still months away. As a way to let teams train between seasons, the NCAA allows teams to play games on five days during the spring semester. The Wildcats have two doubleheader days scheduled, allowing them to play a total of seven games. Head Coach Stephen ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Women's Soccer

Wildcats hold TCU to one run, defeat first Big 12 foe of 2026

April 8, 2026 by Roman Raffaeli Leave a Comment

Baseball earned its fourth victory all-time over TCU on Tuesday. The 4-1 win was led by a scoreless three-inning start from left-handed pitcher Collin Adams and shut down by right-handed pitcher Evan Whiteaker, who struck out the side in the top of the ninth inning.  The Power Four win is the 13th for the program in eight years under head coach ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Showcase, Sports

Golf programs ride momentum into WAC championships

April 7, 2026 by Caysson Higgins Leave a Comment

The men's and women's golf programs posted strong results last week and head into their respective Western Athletic Conference Championships this spring, entering the postseason at full speed. The men's team claimed its first tournament title in four years, securing a four-stroke victory at the Seattle U Redhawk Invitational at Chambers Bay in ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Sports

Illinois State tops ACU in Super 16, Wildcats look to run it back with core returners

April 2, 2026 by Zion Webb Leave a Comment

The Wildcats’ chance to advance into the Elite Eight for the first time in school history was ended with a close 59-55 loss last week against Illinois State. The same issue that plagued them in the Western Athletic Conference championship against CBU resurfaced in the Super 16 loss, as size in the paint once again proved to be the ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Showcase, Sports

Softball loses to Texas Tech, looks toward conference series

April 2, 2026 by Hayden DeLand Leave a Comment

The Wildcats lost their second matchup of the season on Thursday to No. 2 Texas Tech 9-1 in five innings to fall to 4-28 for the season and remain 1-2 in conference play. In the first matchup, the Red Raiders held the Wildcats scoreless while scoring 24 runs and ending the game early in the fifth inning by run rule. In Thursday’s game, ACU ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Showcase, Sports

Athletes navigate unclear future amid ACU scholarship change

March 27, 2026 by Zion Webb

Following recent NCAA House settlement rule changes, the university will implement a new athletic scholarship model that changes how financial aid is distributed among student-athletes. The intercollegiate governing body announced in June 2025 a shift in how scholarships can be distributed, giving programs more flexibility in allocating financial ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Showcase, Sports

Baseball ‘bonds over the road,’ faces SFA, McNeese

March 27, 2026 by Roman Raffaeli

The Wildcats will continue their seven-game road trip this week with a midweek matchup with Stephen F. Austin University and a weekend series against McNeese State University. In the team’s series last weekend, it won 2-of-3 on the road at University of New Mexico. The Wildcats scored a total of 28 runs while winning Friday and Saturday’s games ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Sports

Huth refuses to quit, rewrites story at ACU

March 27, 2026 by Zion Webb

Nele Huth, a multi-event athlete, grew up in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, where, before track, her earliest memory of outside activity came in kindergarten, going to the bathroom in the forest. “I was in the dirt every day,” Huth said. “We just went to a different place in the forest and spent the whole day there. There was no toilet. Just go to ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Features, Sports

ACU opens spring with record class, new faces at quarterback

March 25, 2026 by Caysson Higgins

ACU head football coach Keith Patterson welcomed the largest recruiting class in the program's Div. I era this offseason, signing 40 players, including 17 transfers and 23 high school prospects, as the Wildcats begin spring practice with a rebuilt roster and renewed championship aspirations. The jump from last year's class of 18 is significant, ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Sports

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • …
  • 523
  • Next Page »
You are here: Home / Sports

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
9 May

BREAKING: The 2026 teacher of the year is Dr. Clint Buck, assistant professor of accounting in the College of Business Administration.

Reply on Twitter 2053158226070257771 Retweet on Twitter 2053158226070257771 Like on Twitter 2053158226070257771 2 Twitter 2053158226070257771
acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
4 May

BREAKING NEWS: James Bradshaw and Maddie Grace Fridge are the 2026 Mr. ACU and Miss ACU.

Reply on Twitter 2051110655172784350 Retweet on Twitter 2051110655172784350 Like on Twitter 2051110655172784350 4 Twitter 2051110655172784350

Optimist on Facebook

This message is only visible to admins.
Problem displaying Facebook posts.
Click to show error
Error: Server configuration issue Error: No posts available for this Facebook ID

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 28, 2024

Our top stories today include a recap of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, the ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 21, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 14, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 24, 2024

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Policies
    • Advertising Policy
    • Letters to the Editor and Reader Comments
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Features
  • Advertise
    • Paid Advertisement
  • Police Log

© 2026 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved