By Foster Nicholas | Sports Writer
Baylor soccer came into the season with 14 newcomers vying for significant minutes come Big 12 play. As a youth movement has jump-started the Bears, freshman forward Callie Conrad has embodied the 2023 comeback season.
Head coach Michelle Lenard laid down a foundation that would allow for instant impact players upon her arrival at Baylor last year. The Bears (8-5-2, 3-3-1 Big 12) have already doubled their win total from 2022, and Lenard said Conrad is a big part of that success.
“She’s a physical presence,” Lenard said. “She’s good in the air. She’s strong as can be. She can attack and defend. While we’ve used her primarily as an attacker, we’ve dropped her in the midfield a couple of times, and she’s very versatile. I would be comfortable putting Callie in literally any position on the field. She’s a quality soccer player who can do whatever is asked of her.”
Conrad currently sits third on the team in points (7) and second in assists (5), while starting in just three of Baylor’s 15 games. While the true freshman has played in every game, her early-season success forced the hand of Lenard to buy more playing time.
Conrad, along with other freshmen in midfielders Theresa McCullough, Adriana Merriam and Salma Simonin, defender Natalie Vatter and forward Skylar Zinnecker, have all had to adjust to the power conference level. The first-year players have combined for 30 starts and 24 points.
“College play is definitely faster, and the girls are really strong, the speed of play is just quicker overall,” Conrad said. “But I think personally, I have taken the adjustment well. Then, the Big 12 is just another level of competition. So, we have to step up and match that and make sure we’re competing with those teams.”
The Mansfield native said young potential oozes on the pitch for the Bears, and they can be a force to be reckon with in the future. With only five seniors on the squad, Conrad said the experience gained will be a benefit in the long run.
“We’re just trying to build chemistry throughout this season,” Conrad said. “I think we really started off on a strong note, just trying to work together, kind of learn how each other plays and play off of that. I mean, it’s a team sport. So, we’re just trying to work together and not really individually. It’s gone really well and it’ll help us down the road. Not even this season, but in the coming years.”
The potential and hype have also spread off the field, as Baylor continues to reel in big fish while the group pushes toward the postseason.
“The future is bright,” Lenard said. “We have picked up a couple of 2025 commitments from really high-level players coming from quality clubs who are getting the opportunity to see the style of play over the past two seasons and see that that’s starting to result now in more wins for us.
“Those 2025 kids are still a year and a half away, or maybe less really, because most of them will probably come early in the spring of their senior year. They’ll graduate early and come, but that’s what we’re working on, building and adding quality players, so that this team can get better every year.”
Conrad and the Bears will be back in action with their final home match of the season against Cincinnati (3-6-5, 2-2-3 Big 12). Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday at Betty Lou Mays Field.
