LAWRENCE — A little more than a month after Kansas softball’s season ended, head coach Jennifer McFalls took some time to reflect.

It wasn’t an easy moment for McFalls at first, given the challenge of those final weeks. Starting with a home game April 19 against Texas, seven of KU’s last 12 games — including the Big 12 Conference tournament — came against teams that reached the 2024 Women’s College World Series. Kansas couldn’t solve Texas, Oklahoma State or eventual national champion Oklahoma, and overall in those 12 games went 1-11 with a lone Big 12 tournament win against Houston.

But while that closing stretch proved significant as the Jayhawks (28-25-1) missed the NCAA tournament, there were positives at which to point, and McFalls quickly pivoted to them. This was Kansas’ first winning season since she took over ahead of the 2019 campaign, and by far the one with the most Big 12 wins. The year included highlights like three Big 12 series sweeps, with one of those coming against a Baylor team that went on to win a NCAA regional.

So, while there’s heartbreak, the confidence that came from how the season started isn’t lost. Those last few weeks are a part of the year but don’t encapsulate it. As KU continues to chase its first NCAA regional appearance since 2015, McFalls noted those final weekends are ones her Jayhawks need to find ways to step up in.

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“I think we really set the tone,” McFalls said last week. “We raised the bar. Our kids that are coming back are — they know how to win, and they’re ready, they’re excited. It just added some more fuel to the fire, and I think we’re just going to continue to elevate our program.”

McFalls mentioned there have been returning players who’ve been around this summer, preparing for 2025. They’re among those who want to continue to take steps forward, not backward. They’re following the host of seniors from this past season, who McFalls said have left the program better than they found it.

The biggest takeaway from 2024, McFalls explained, is something she’s been talking about the last couple of years: Every game matters. Although she doesn’t think she has to continue to communicate that with her players anymore, she will. The early success in Big 12 play came, in part, because of the confidence that mindset in February and March helped the team earn.

Development will be key, as Kansas looks to replace key talents like left-handed pitcher/first baseman Kasey Hamilton and catcher/utility player Lyric Moore. Moore was the team’s lone player to make an All-Big 12 team. But McFalls was also disappointed and frustrated there weren’t more all-conference honorees, and there are players she has in mind that’ll help lead the team forward in the future like infielder Hailey Cripe, pitcher/utility player Katie Brooks and infielder Campbell Bagshaw.

“Now, when I’m having those end-of-season meetings, some of our younger players are talking about what are their goals are as far as being an All-Big 12 member or all-region,” McFalls said. “I’ve got kids talking about wanting to be All-Americans and starting to understand what that really looks like and the effort that it’s going to take to get there.”

McFalls will continue to look to build a challenging non-conference schedule for next season. She’ll continue to look at the transfer portal as a way to address missing pieces, as well as potentially significant pitching talents, and not necessarily the pathway to build a roster. But it’s not the only thing to keep in mind as Kansas prepares for next year.

Following associate head coach Rich Wieligman’s retirement after the season, the Jayhawks announced the hire of Justin Lewis as assistant coach. Lewis arrives after three years as the head coach at Nicholls State. McFalls described Lewis as a winner who works hard on the recruiting trail.

“I just love his energy,” McFalls said about Lewis. “I love his compete-factor. I think he’s going to really relate well to our team, and I like his offensive strategy. So, I’m excited for him to get his hands on with our team and for he and I to sit down and work together and continue to try to elevate our offense heading into next season.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas softball coach Jennifer McFalls is optimistic after 2024 season