ACU Baseball Battles Weather and Lancers to Open WAC Play

Reigning conference champions look to continue success despite preseason challenges

Apr. 2, 2026 at 6:09pm

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The ACU Wildcats baseball team, the reigning conference champions, are set to open their WAC (Western Athletic Conference) play this weekend against a tough opponent in California Baptist. However, the team is also facing challenges from the weather, with rain and storms in the forecast. Head coach Rick McCarty is confident that his team's experience from a tough preseason schedule will help them overcome these obstacles and continue their success.

Why it matters

The ACU Wildcats are the preseason pick to win the WAC, and their performance in the opening conference series will set the tone for the rest of their season. The team's ability to adapt to changing weather conditions and compete against a strong opponent like California Baptist will be crucial in their quest for another conference title.

The details

The Wildcats have had a busy preseason schedule that included games against Power 4 teams and teams that made postseason runs last year. Head coach Rick McCarty believes this experience will help his team, even though their record isn't as good as they would like. The team has played in a lot of close, one-run games, which McCarty hopes will pay off in the long run. As for the weather, McCarty acknowledges that it's part of the game and his team will be ready to play whenever they can take the field this weekend.

  • The Wildcats are set to open their WAC play this weekend (April 4-6, 2026).
  • The team has had a busy preseason schedule leading up to the conference opener.

The players

Rick McCarty

The 8th-year head coach of the ACU Wildcats baseball team.

California Baptist

The Wildcats' opponent in the opening WAC series, who received first-place votes in the preseason poll.

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What they’re saying

“I think there's, there's a ton of building blocks and stepping stones, if you will, {that we've seen so far}. {Obviously we'd} would much rather be 30 and 0 or 28 and 0; but at the same time, we'll learn and do this thing together.”

— Rick McCarty, Head Coach

“That's part of the toughness piece, man. That's the thing about our sport, the weather changes, the dates change, the times change. We've played in New Mexico, we've played in Louisiana, we've been in Texas. It's always going to be a little different vibe and field... I think it's it's our job to put our guys in position for success with their bodies, with their minds.”

— Rick McCarty, Head Coach

What’s next

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The takeaway

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