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The Texas Tech softball program had a vision: spend never-before-seen NIL money to land superstar Stanford pitcher NiJaree Canady in the transfer portal and let the chips fall where they may. One year later, that gamble has resulted in Texas Tech hitting the jackpot.
The Red Raiders paid Canady an unprecedented $1 million to leave Palo Alto behind for Lubbock. But now that seems like a bargain after Canady led Tech to the Women’s College World Series final, knocking off four-time defending champion Oklahoma along the way.
NiJaree Canady has thrown EVERY SINGLE PITCH for Texas Tech in the Women’s College World Series, and led them to a championship berth 🥎 @TexasTechSB @CanadyNijaree
300 pitches in 5 days. 3-0. pic.twitter.com/tZ9GbnHIGn
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) June 3, 2025
Some would argue that it takes a team effort to reach this point. And to some degree, that is the case. But the numbers don’t lie. Canady has carried the Red Raiders through the WCWS. She has pitched all three games over five days, throwing 300 total pitches and racking up 3-0 record in the span.
“They didn’t think we’d get to this point,” Canady said after the win. “We didn’t have any pressure on us.”
Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco said that Canady’s leadership has helped paved the way for other players to step up in big moments.
“I think it just speaks volumes, not only about what kind of a great pitcher NiJa Canady is, she’s obviously a great pitcher, but her leadership,” Glasco said of his star pitcher taking the Red Raiders to two wins from a national title. “Her leadership here has been unbelievable.”
The Red Raiders are now set to take on Texas in the WCWS finals. On paper, the sixth-seeded Longhorns are the favorite. But only one team has NiJaree Canady, and it’s not Texas.