Latest news with #NiJareeCanady
Reuters
9 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Texas Tech's $1M ace ready for WCWS final vs. Texas
June 3 - Texas Tech ace NiJaree Canady already understands spotlight trophy games can be salve for wounds carried into the Women's College World Series. Canady gets the ball Wednesday against Texas as the Red Raiders set out to claim the best-of-three championship series in Oklahoma City. Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco has to like his chances in the team's first-ever WCWS considering Canady is 33-5 with a miniscule 0.90 ERA. "She is unbelievable. She's really tough," Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso said of facing Canady. "It was hard to square her up. It was hard to make solid contact." Canady has thrown every single pitch for Texas Tech in the WCWS, which last happened in 2019 (Rachel Garcia, 2019). She stands in the way of Texas' bid for its first softball national championship. It has been a painful season for her beyond the box score. Glasco revealed Monday before the Red Raiders bounced the Sooners from the tournament that Canady pitched part of the season with a torn hamstring. He halted throwing sessions between starts and rarely went to the bullpen for anything other than a quick stretch after the injury in February. Three whole days later, she returned to start against -- and beat -- No. 5 Texas A&M. "We actually were joking about it on the bus, if you would have asked us earlier in the year, earlier in the preseason if we would be two games away from hoisting a national championship trophy, we would probably laugh," Canady said Tuesday, downplaying the severity of her hamstring injury. "We took some hard losses early on. Honestly, just feel like we've just grown as a team. Part of the road getting here is peaking at the right time. I feel like we're finally just catching our step, and we're getting to know each other on the field, and I feel like we're just playing for each other right now." Texas Tech landed Canady in a transfer portal move from Stanford. She signed a $1 million NIL agreement to take her talents to Lubbock. Clearly, making starts while ailing was not a requirement. But Canady said she kept pushing with one goal in mind: winning on this stage. The road led back to the WCWS, where Texas and star sophomore pitcher Teagan Kavan sent Canady and the Cardinal packing in 2024. They were the pitchers of record in the Longhorns' pair of wins over Stanford in Oklahoma City last year. "Obviously she's going to hold offenses off quite a bit, and so it's always in the back of your mind," Kavan said. "It's a challenge, and I like when it's a pitchers' duel -- it's just to compete in this atmosphere and against the best." Kavan's road to OKC's spotlight circle was atypical. She came to Texas via Dowling Catholic in Iowa, where Kavan never played one inning of softball. She only put on her cleats for a summer travel team. This season, she's 26-5 with a 2.33 ERA and 224 strikeouts in 192 1/3 innings. To get Texas to the title series, Kavan delivered a complete game victory over Oklahoma with eight strikeouts, hours after learning of the death of her grandmother. "It's not easy obviously, but I think what helped me is, at the end of the day, it's just a game, and I think I put it into perspective, just chucking a yellow ball and people are running and turning left, and so I just wanted to have fun," Kavan said. --Field Level Media
USA Today
13 hours ago
- Business
- USA Today
This absurd NiJaree Canady stat about Texas Tech's star pitcher seems fake
This absurd NiJaree Canady stat about Texas Tech's star pitcher seems fake Texas Tech ace pitcher NiJaree Canady is the owner of a ridiculous stat that is so wild it doesn't even seem real. Canady has been the best pitcher in college softball this season and during the Women's College World Series. The Stanford transfer signed a historic $1,000,000 NIL deal upon joining the Red Raiders, and the dividends from her signing have been otherworldly. Before Canady arrived, Texas Tech had never won a conference title. This season, it won the 2025 Big 12 regular-season title after beating Arizona State during a doubleheader. Think that's cool? There's more. Behind their superstar pitcher, the softball program is heading to the championship series to play for a national championship (for the first time) after taking down Oklahoma softball. Canady's 362 pitches got them there. That's right. NiJaree Canady has thrown every single pitch in the Super Regionals and Women's College World Series. That's not a typo. Moreover, if you include the times she took Stanford in 2023 and 2024, that's 671 pitches completed. Incredible stuff. We just know batters hate to see NiJaree Canady standing in the pitcher's circle.
Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Texas Tech stuns Oklahoma, sets up all-Texas final in Women's College World Series
In a dramatic turn at the 2025 Women's College World Series, Texas Tech shocked the softball world by eliminating four-time defending national champions Oklahoma with a thrilling 3-2 walk-off victory on Monday night. The Red Raiders ' historic win snapped a 37-game losing streak to the Sooners and propelled them into the championship series for the first time in program history. Star pitcher NiJaree Canady , a major NIL investment and two-time All-American transfer from Stanford, was instrumental in the upset. Canady delivered six shutout innings, striking out eight and allowing just one walk over 106 pitches. 'This team never stopped believing,' Canady said after the game. 'We knew we had the talent and heart to make history.' — NCAASoftball (@NCAASoftball) Oklahoma, chasing a fifth consecutive title, rallied in the top of the seventh. Down to their final strike, the Sooners' No. 9 hitter Abigale Dayton launched a dramatic two-run homer—her third of the season—to tie the game. But Texas Tech quickly responded in the bottom half: Mihyia Davis singled, Hailey Toney doubled, and Lauren Allred's sacrifice fly brought home the winning run, sending the Red Raiders into celebration. Texas Tech's victory marks the first time a team has reached the WCWS championship series in its debut trip to Oklahoma City since Oklahoma did so in 2000. Head coach Craig Snider praised his team's resilience: 'We've worked for this moment all year. I'm so proud of these players and what they've accomplished.' Live Events The Red Raiders now face in-state rival Texas, who advanced earlier Monday after defeating Tennessee. The Longhorns are making their third championship appearance in four years, having previously fallen to Oklahoma in 2022 and 2024. The best-of-three finals are set for June 4, 5, and, if necessary, June 6, all at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN . This marks the first time in WCWS history that two Texas teams will compete for the title, underscoring the state's growing dominance in collegiate softball.
New York Post
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Texas Tech stunningly ends Oklahoma's bid for NCAA softball five-peat behind $1 million ace transfer
Texas Tech punched its ticket to the Women's College World Series championship series in dramatic fashion after its million-dollar arm nearly had a strong outing come crashing down when Oklahoma hit a game-tying two-run blast in the top of the seventh. Red Raiders infielder Lauren Allred hit a sac fly to right field that allowed outfielder Mihyia Davis to score from third base, in a dramatic moment that saw Davis charge to the plate and beat out a throw from right field to win the game, 3-2, in Oklahoma City. The game was one of the most anticipated of the year, with two-time NFCA Pitcher of the Year NiJaree Canady on the hill against Oklahoma, which has won the Women's College World Series the last four years. Advertisement 4 Texas Tech celebrates after defeating Oklahoma on June 2. Imagn Images 4 NiJaree Canady celebrates after Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma on June 2. Imagn Images Canady has been one of the most dominant pitchers in Division I college softball and she continued that stretch in Monday's game against the Sooners, Canady pitched all seven innings of Monday's semifinal game, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out eight of the 28 batters she faced. Advertisement The Red Raiders starter didn't allow a hit until the middle of the second inning. 4 Oklahoma outfielder Kasidi Pickering can't catch a ball during the Sooners' loss to Texas Tech on June 2. Imagn Images Texas Tech took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second and remained in the lead until the seventh, when Canady found herself with a runner on and two outs with Abigale Dayton at the plate. Advertisement Dayton hit a blast to right field to tie the game at two, setting the stage for the Red Raiders' heroics in the bottom half of the seventh. Monday's win marks the first time in program history that Texas Tech will play for a softball national championship, and it comes in Gerry Glasco's first year as head coach for the Red Raiders. Prior to Saturday's game, Canady had entered the game leading all DI softball players in victories with 32 and in ERA with 0.86. 4 Abby Dayton rounds the bases after hitting a home run during Oklahoma's game against Texas Tech. Imagn Images Advertisement She transferred to Texas Tech after spending last season with Stanford and signed a whopping $1 million NIL deal with Texas Tech's NIL collective, the Matador Club. Canady had helped lead Stanford to two consecutive World Series before transferring to Texas Tech.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Social media reacts to Oklahoma Sooners' loss, championship run coming to an end
Social media reacts to Oklahoma Sooners' loss, championship run coming to an end The Oklahoma Sooners national championship pursuit came to an end on Monday night with their 3-2 loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. After NiJaree Canady kept them scoreless for six innings, Sooner Magic struck again in the top of the seventh when Abigale Dayton launched a two-run home run to right-center field. It seemed like the Sooners were going to pull off the remarkable once again. But Texas Tech responded with a little magic of their own and pulled a Sooners on the Sooners. The last time someone other than the Oklahoma Sooners won the national championship was in 2019, when UCLA knocked off OU in the championship series. What Patty Gasso, her staff, and the Sooners accomplished this season after losing a significant portion of their title teams was impressive. Oklahoma won the SEC in their first year. They made it to the SEC Tournament title game and earned a share of the tournament title. It was a good year. Not as good as anyone in that locker room would have liked, but the Sooners were contenders in a season that everyone believed would be a rebuilding year. Championship run comes to an end Nothing will ever match this dominance The Queen has earned her rest It was a Battle Growing the Game Proud of the Effort An incredible run All of Us right now From the Legend Historic Was worth every penny for Tech An emotional end Big Moment, but wasn't enough Big Question Remarkable Run The Empress will strike back Still a strong season Young Team Battled Keeping the main thing, the main thing They'll Be Back Pokes got Jokes Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
