OKLAHOMA CITY — After pitching only one inning in the biggest game in Texas Tech softball history, pitcher NiJaree Canady watched the remainder of the game from the dugout. Canady, who started every game of the Women’s College World Series for the Red Raiders finally hit her wall.
“I think the amount of innings got to her,” Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco told the media postgame. The former Louisiana Tech head coach put his ace in the circle for 240 of the Red Raiders’ 410 innings pitched.
Any why wouldn’t he?
Canady completed her junior campaign with a 1.11 earned run average and over 300 strikeouts. The Red Raiders right-hander more than earned her second $1 million NIL contract before the opening pitch of the winner-take-all Game 3 at Devon Park here Friday night.
Her headline-grabbing NIL deals and dominance on the diamond made her the most talked about softball player in recent memory. Unfortunately for Texas Tech, the highest-paid pitcher in NCAA softball is indeed still human. After six complete games and 34 innings pitched in nine days, Canady’s velocity and pitch placement noticeably declined against Texas.
Those are the hard facts in dissecting the Texas’ 10-4 victory that gave the…
