On the Diamond
Texas Tech softball defeated Brown 6-0 behind strong pitching from Samantha Lincoln for 3 shutout innings and Chloe Riassetto for the final 4 innings of work. NiJaree Canady homered to dead-center and Alana Johnson had 4 RBI on the day. Mississippi State defeated Washington 6-3 yesterday and will face the Bulldogs today at 1:00 p.m.
ESPN’s Dave Wilson writes about NiJaree Canady and the first part delves into the relationship and involvement that Tracy Sellers and John Sellers, John being the business partner with Cody Campbell, had in getting Canady to Texas Tech (there’s a lot there and encourage you to read the whole thing):
Tracy thought it was worth making a statement at Texas Tech, a place where Sheryl Swoopes became a superstar and where the highway outside Rocky Johnson Field is named for former Red Raiders women’s basketball coach Marsha Sharp. After meeting with the star pitcher, Sellers decided if anyone was worthy of such an emphatic statement about investing in women’s sports, it was Canady.
“She is a wonderful human being,” Sellers said. “We look at it as they deserve it just as much [as male athletes]. She worked so hard to be the No. 1 pitcher in the country. … I left that meeting and thought, this is who I would love to put a lot of effort into because of who she is.”
Canady knew the spotlight would come with the news, but she hopes it opens the door for those who follow her to reap the benefits.
“There are a lot of male athletes who get that and it’s not a headline anymore,” Canady said. “I hope that happens for women’s sports, too. I feel like it can be a pressure if you let it be, but honestly, I think it’s just a privilege. I hope someone tomorrow comes in and builds it even more.”
Looking back at the Sellers’ donation for the softball facilities, the same size investment in Canady had a greater transformative impact.
This year, the Red Raiders won their first Big 12 regular-season and conference titles while Canady led the nation with a 0.81 ERA. She went 26-5, racking up the second-most wins in a season in school history. She was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year. On Friday at 5:30 p.m. ET, No. 12 seed Texas Tech (45-12), hosting its first Lubbock Regional, will play Brown (33-15).
“She definitely put Texas Tech softball on the map,” Tracy said.
Texas Tech baseball fell to BYU 6-5 and dropped the series despite a terrific game from Damian Bravo who hit a home run and robbed one as well. The final game is set for today at 2:00 p.m.
On the Gridiron
You need more power rankings in your life. 24/7 Sports’ Cody Nagel gives it a whirl and has Texas Tech at the No. 2 spot:
Texas Tech is all in on 2025, leveraging one of the most aggressive NIL pushes in the nation to land the No. 2 transfer class. With more than $10 million reportedly invested in roster upgrades, the Red Raiders have reloaded with top-end talent and filled critical needs across the board. After years of middling results, Texas Tech is finally built for a breakthrough — chasing its first double-digit win season since 2008 under the late Mike Leach.
