No. 22 Softball Prepares for Weekend Test

DENTON – No. 22 UNT softball will carry its undefeated record to the Tracy Beard College Classic, beginning on Friday at Old Celina Park in Celina, Texas.

North Texas is set to face South Dakota, UT Arlington, Sam Houston, No. 15 Kentucky and McNeese at the three-day, six-team event. Saturday night's meeting with Kentucky will mark the first time in modern UNT athletics history where a game will feature two ranked opponents.

Series Breakdown

vs. South Dakota

North Texas will open its slate against South Dakota at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.
The game will mark the first meeting between the two programs.
The Coyotes hold a 2-0 record after a pair of wins over Drake and defending Missouri Valley champion UNI on Sunday.
Sophomore transfer Rylee Nicholson will face off against her former team in UNT's opening game of the tournament.

vs. UT Arlington

UNT will square off with the Mavericks in its second game on Friday at 4 p.m.
The Mean Green hold a 19-10 advantage in the all-time series with the regional rival, last meeting UTA on April 14, 2021, in a 1-0 North Texas victory in Arlington.
The Mavericks sport a 3-1 mark after hosting the Maverick Invitational for its best season-opening performance since 2018.

vs. Sam Houston

North Texas will meet the Bearkats at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Historically, UNT trails in the series 5-9 but won in the last meeting 2-0 on April 3, 2019.
Sam Houston is 2-3 heading into the Tracy Beard College Classic.

vs. No. 15 Kentucky

No. 22 North Texas is set to meet No. 15 Kentucky on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The Mean Green are 0-1 against the Wildcats, last meeting on February 14, 2004, in a 6-3 loss in eight innings. The game was on the campus of UTSA in San Antonio, Texas.
Kentucky collected two wins and a tie to open the season and moved up in each of the four national college softball polls.

vs. McNeese

UNT's tournament will be capped against the Cowgirls on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
North Texas is 1-3 all-time versus McNeese, last meeting in Lake Charles, La. on February 13, 2022, in a 1-0 loss at The Evangeline Bank and Trust and Invitational I.

The Mean Green collected four wins at the Buzz Classic with standout performances from Conference USA Pitcher of the Week Ashley Peters and junior Mikayla Smith. Peters recorded two complete game victories and a shutout in Atlanta, tallying nine strikeouts while giving up zero earned runs over 12.0 innings. Smith clubbed three home runs with six RBI while leading the team with a 1.811 OPS.

Full Tournament Schedule
Feb. 17    UT Arlington vs. Kentucky    11 a.m. (Field 7)
Feb. 17   South Dakota vs. UNT    1:30 p.m. (Field 5)
Feb. 17   McNeese vs. Kentucky    1:30 p.m. (Field 7)
Feb. 17   UT Arlington vs. UNT    4 p.m. (Field 5)
Feb. 17   Sam Houston vs. South Dakota    4 p.m. (Field 7)
Feb. 18   Sam Houston vs. UT Arlington    11 a.m. (Field 5)
Feb. 18   Sam Houston vs. UNT    1:30 p.m. (Field 5)
Feb. 18   South Dakota vs. McNeese   1:30 p.m. (Field 7)
Feb. 18   Kentucky vs. South Dakota   4 p.m. (Field 5)
Feb. 18   UT Arlington vs. McNeese   4 p.m. (Field 7)
Feb. 18   Kentucky vs. UNT   7:30 p.m. (Field 5)
Feb. 19   South Dakota vs. UT Arlington   10 a.m. (Field 5)
Feb. 19   Kentucky vs. Sam Houston   10 a.m. (Field 7)
Feb. 19   McNeese vs. UNT   12:30 p.m. (Field 5)
Feb. 19   South Dakota vs. Sam Houston   12:30 p.m. (Field 7)

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Players Mentioned

Rylee Nicholson

Ashley Peters

Mikayla Smith

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