By Marissa Essenburg | Sports Writer
After wrapping up its nonconference slate Sunday, Baylor soccer enters Big 12 play brimming with confidence and with plenty still to prove ahead of Friday’s conference opener against Texas Tech.
Baylor’s 2024 campaign ended with more frustration than fulfillment, closing at 2-5-4 in Big 12 play and 10th in the standings. Now the Bears will look to turn close calls into points as a new conference season begins.
“Our goal with nonconference was to get the highest RPI we could, and we’ve done a good job with that,” senior forward Tyler Isgrig said. “For us, it’s been about our press, building out and polishing our tactics. Rolling into Big 12 play, it’s about knowing our game model and sticking to it — not adjusting to other teams, but playing like us and our identity.”
In a conference full of powerhouses, the Bears are one of seven teams still unbeaten, holding a winning percentage of .857. Only Kansas and Arizona State rank higher in win percentage.
The Bears open conference play hungry and ready for battle, defending their home turf against Texas Tech (6-1), the team that handed them a gut-wrenching 2-1 loss to end their 2024 season in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinals.
The Red Raiders ended their 2024 campaign with just one Big 12 loss. They aim to pick up where they left off, returning their two leading scorers and the bulk of the roster.
After opening at home, Baylor heads north for a Kansas swing — first against undefeated Kansas (6-0-2) in Lawrence, then west to face Kansas State (5-1-1). Three straight home matches will follow before the Bears’ toughest test yet: a trip to Fort Worth to face defending Big 12 champion TCU (6-1).
“We’ve seen everything during nonconference play,” head coach Michelle Lenard said. “I don’t think there’s anyone in the conference that has something we haven’t already faced, so we feel completely ready to compete for a championship in the Big 12.”
The Bears enter this season more prepared than ever to hoist a trophy.
“I’ll tell you one thing about this team: they are very prepared,” former head coach Paul Jobson said. “They’re meticulous, they know their opponent and they’ve already done a great job of that this year. After a couple of years, I think they finally have some cohesion, and Michelle’s got them firing the way she wants them to. It looks really good.”
What awaits the Bears beyond five home games and six road tests is more than just a return to Waco — it’s the chance to seize a home-field conference championship at Betty Lou Mays Field.
That opportunity, though, comes in a conference where nothing is guaranteed.
“That’s the thing about soccer, you can’t predict anything,” Jobson said. “Once you hit conference play, records don’t mean much. One week you can lose to the worst team in the Big 12 and the next you can beat the best. Every night is a dogfight.”
Conference play opens for Baylor at 7 p.m. Friday, when the Bears welcome Texas Tech (6-1-0) to Betty Lou Mays Field.
