Baylor Soccer 2023 Preview: Top Three Returners

With the soccer season starting on Thursday, and exhibitions already complete, it's time to help people get to know the team and its schedule. We started last Tuesday with the Top Three Non-Conference Games and covered the Top Three Questions on Wednesday. Since then we have also looked at the Big 12 Preseason Poll and the Top Three Big 12 Games for the Bears this season. Today, let’s look at the top three returning players for the Bears this season.

Disclaimer: This is fairly subjective and will lean toward the attackers because of how precious goals were last season. Anyone who can put them in the back of the net with regularity will be valued highly. 

Ashley Merrill — The DBU transfer finished her first season for Baylor with 17 starts in 17 games played, four goals, two assists, and 1228 minutes played (the most of any attacker and the sixth-most on the team). She was the focal point of the Bears’ attack in 2022 and will hold on to her starting spot in attacking midfield for the coming season. She will continue to be the central cog in the machine, though she may not be the focal point anymore. There is more talent around her now to finish things off, but she will surely play a role in many — if not most — goals for the Green-and-Gold this year. She knows what winning with Lenard looks like. She is the No. 10. She wants it. She has that killer instinct. Never count her out.

Blythe Obar — Last year’s No. 6 will be shifting back into one of the center back positions according to Michelle Lenard, but she will still need to be an anchor for the defense. After playing the second most minutes on the team last season with 1392 (only Kayley Ables had more), Obar will now have to lead the back line like she did at DBU. The former Division II All-American will surely be up to the task individually, but how she meshes with Ava Colbert plus Hannah and Hallie Augustyn (and/or Natalie Vatter) will go a long way to determining the tenacity of this iteration Bears’ defense.

Reneta Vargas — Last year’s leading scorer with five goals in eight games and just eight shots in 441 minutes. Vargas gave the Bears a huge boost when she returned from injury during conference play. The attack was noticeably better with her in the game, partly because the 2022 roster had basically no other healthy true center forwards. The rest was all her. Now, with a full season ahead of her, it should be fun to see what she can do. She will also have depth around her to give her better opportunities and allow her to keep her legs fresh without taking a big chunk of Baylor’s attack away.

Those are the three returners that I think will be very dynamic and important for 2023 Baylor Soccer. Contributors from last year like Ava Colberg and the Augustyn twins should not be entirely overlooked though, especially since they look like they will make up the rest of the back line. Skye Leach is another returner that should see a lot of minutes, with Coach Lenard saying she will be taking over the defensive midfielder role from Blythe Obar.

With just two days left before the season opener at Oregon, we will have the top three newcomers tomorrow and the top three reasons to be excited on Wednesday morning. Hopefully I will have time to write a proper Oregon preview for Wednesday afternoon as well.