Britney Lewinski was on a roll in 2022 when she was getting her start in college softball.
Lewinski was pitching for Seminole State at the junior college level and took on Oklahoma in a fall game, long before the season began and the games counted.
Britney Lewinski
“They were my first Division I team I faced when I was in JUCO,” Lewinski recalled Monday. “I did pretty well. It was 2-1 through the fifth, then I threw two down the middle, gave up two home runs and got pulled.”
The chance to face a national power like the Sooners is memorable for players like Lewinski, who could get another shot at the Sooners on Tuesday when North Texas hosts the No. 6 team in the country. The 6 p.m. game at Lovelace Stadium will be one of the highlights of UNT’s home schedule in its first season under new coach Cody White.
The game sold out in a matter of minutes.
“We are extremely excited about playing them at home,” White said. “My first home game here was amazing because of the atmosphere. I can only imagine what this one is going to be like.
“It’s going to be loud.”
That has been the case when Oklahoma has played UNT at Lovelace Stadium in the past. The Sooners beat the Mean Green 10-0 in six innings in the teams’ last meeting in Denton in 2022.
UNT (10-12) has already faced national powers Texas Tech and Mississippi State. The Mean Green fell to Texas Tech 10-2 in their opener that lasted just five innings.
UNT fared much better over the weekend and lost 7-2.
The Mean Green are hoping that trend of improvement continues when they host the Sooners. Oklahoma is 19-2 on the season and has won eight straight games.
“We have grown from playing teams like Tech,” Lewinski said. “The first time, I wouldn’t say that we were scared. We got thrown into the fire right away. The last time we played them, we were ready to go.”
UNT’s performance bodes well for a game that will be played in what is expected to be an electric environment.
“I am excited about the atmosphere,” UNT third baseman Riley McNemar said. “There will be a lot of people here.”
UNT will lean on a handful of veterans to lead the way against the Sooners, including Lewinski, who allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings against the Sooners when she pitched for Seminole State.
Catcher Elizabeth Moffitt and outfielder Madison Conley are both off to hot starts for UNT and give the Mean Green a veteran presence. Moffitt is hitting .460, while Conley is sitting at .379. The juniors have long been mainstays in UNT’s lineup.
“We know it’s going to be a tough challenge,” White said. “They’re obviously a talented ball club that has won championships. It’s an opportunity for us to continue to learn about ourselves and push to be prepared for conference play.”
BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870 and bvito@dentonrc.com.
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