Baylor Soccer 2023 Preview: Top Three Reasons to Get Excited

With the soccer season starting tomorrow, it’s time to finish helping 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, the Top Three Big 12 Games for the Bears, the Top Three Returners and lastly the Top Three Newcomers. Today, let’s take one last look at the top three reasons to be excited for Baylor Soccer heading into the 2023 season.

Scoring more — Isgrig, Merrill, Vargas, Boughton, Conrad, Patterson, Merriam. 8 people scored last season and just two scored multiple goals. I just named 7 players who realistically should score two goals. If they all score just two, that would put the goal total at 14, just one less than last year. More goals is all but a certainty, which means more excitement at games is all but a certainty. 

To get more specific about a couple of those names: Tyler Isgrig, the transfer from TCU will be a beast and a consistent goal threat likely on the wing. Ashley Merrill will be pulling the strings from central attacking midfield and will be ready to pounce when the moment presents itself. Callie Conrad, the freshman forward from Mansfield was the first name Michelle Lenard mentioned when asked for names that fans will know by the end of the year. 

I don’t want to give Missouri transfer Hannah Boughton, freshman lefty winger Adriana Merriam or returners Jenna Patterson and Reneta Vargas the short shrift here. They are all talented and will help lift Baylor to new offensive heights in 2023, but there will be more time to talk about them through the season.

New Competition — The Bears weren’t the only unit to add four transfers in the offseason. The Big 12 added BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF to the conference in July. 

BYU is the No. 13 team in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll a was the national runner-up in 2021. It is instantly one of the best if not the best programs in the conference. A true test early in Big 12 play for the Bears.

UCF came in at No. 24 in the preseason poll and is no slouch of a program either. They are coming off of a second-round finish in the NCAA Tournament and will be a nasty road trip for Big 12 opponents. Long distance, heat and humidity late into the season. The Bears will be used to the latter, but the distance should be tough in conference.

Cincinnati brings the distance and the chance of more inclement cold weather when visiting the Midwest. The Green-and-Gold get the Bearcats in Waco this year though, and it will be a great chance to snag three points late in the year. Also, this will be the senior night matchup.

And finally Houston. An in-state foe who will be competing on the recruiting trail with the Bears. All four schools will bring a new flavor and some freshness to the conference schedule which should be fun.

New Faces and New Chances — Change can be scary. Change can be hard. Baylor got the scary results in 2022. Baylor got the hard season in 2022. Now, it feels like there is less change and more addition, if that pedantic difference makes sense. 

Four new transfers who are all competing for minutes came in during the offseason. Many will be major contributors. A freshman class of ten enrolled at Baylor as well and will provide at worst key depth to Michelle Lenard’s squad. 

These are all players picked to play in this system and ones who committed to Coach Lenard, the possession-based attacking style of play, and Baylor University.

Now with a fresh slate of 18 games, Baylor Soccer can show off a new and improved identity after a year to leave in the past. Opportunity abounds. Hope springs eternal. It’s all out in front of us … for the Bears to succeed and for the fans to enjoy (and for me to cover).

There are also plenty of other reasons to be excited for the Baylor Soccer season, so please, share yours in the comments!