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Texas Tech softball 'hitting on all cylinders' as Red Raiders get set to host Lubbock Regional

In the new landscape of college athletics where the transfer portal and name, image and likeness rule the day, it has become commonplace for athletes to change schools, then meet up with their previous teammates down the road.Ahead of Sunday’s selection show for the 2025 NCAA softball tournament, the prevailing thought from bracketologists was that […]

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Texas Tech softball 'hitting on all cylinders' as Red Raiders get set to host Lubbock Regional


In the new landscape of college athletics where the transfer portal and name, image and likeness rule the day, it has become commonplace for athletes to change schools, then meet up with their previous teammates down the road.Ahead of Sunday’s selection show for the 2025 NCAA softball tournament, the prevailing thought from bracketologists was that it would be Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady who would see her old team. It had all the makings to be the most noteworthy story for the opening round. Putting Stanford — which can’t host a regional due to construction at its stadium — in the Lubbock Regional is stuff that broadcast partners like ESPN, reporters and fans all salivate over.

When the Red Raiders were revealed as the No. 12 overall seed, though, it wasn’t Canady who got the “oohs” from her teammates. It was Alana Johnson, the first team all-Big 12 outfielder, who got a few extra smiles, hugs and pats on the back.

That’s because Johnson’s former school, Washington, will be headed to Rocky Johnson Field along with Brown and Mississippi State this weekend.

Texas Tech players celebrate their revealed seed during the NCAA softball tournament selection show watch party, Sunday, May 11, 2025, in the south end zone building of Jones AT&T Stadium.

“Obviously I have lots of love and respect for that program, Coach (Heather) Tarr and just everybody that’s there still,” Johnson said. “I started out there and I grew a lot as a person and a player there. Just super amount of respect for that program and that staff. Just super excited to get to see some of my old teammates that are still there and get to compete.”

The Huskies were the last team included in the tournament field, according to the selection committee.

Texas Tech will be hosting a regional for the first time in program history, another feather in the cap of Gerry Glasco’s team in his first year as head coach. The Red Raiders capped off a near perfect run through the Big 12 when they won all three games of the conference tournament via shutout — much of it due to Canady, who earned most outstanding player and a nifty WWE-style belt/trophy for her exploits in Oklahoma City.

“To see it come true here in our first year,” Glasco said, “it’s just overwhelming to get to host a regional. The number one goal here is to build a program that develops passionate fans and develop the fan base that’ll be fun for the players to be able to play in front of for years to come. I think it’s a huge step.”By earning the No. 12 national seed, Texas Tech’s region is matched up with the Tallahassee Regional, which consists of 5th-overall seed Florida State, Auburn, South Florida and Robert Morris. FSU winning its regional would ensure the winner of the Lubbock Regional heading to Tallahassee for the Super Regional next week.While the Red Raiders will take on Brown in the first round, they’ll see either Johnson’s former Washington team or get a rematch with SEC foe Mississippi State, which beat Texas Tech 3-1 in the second game of the season at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida, on Saturday. That game went eight innings, and Glasco said both teams are very different from that first matchup.

“The girls worked really, really, really hard since the fall,” Glasco said, “and they’ve improved in so many ways. Up and down the lineup, in the bullpen, everybody’s peaking. We’re healthy. I think we’re just going into this regional absolutely cooking and we’re hitting on all cylinders, as my dad would say. Just really pumped.”

Lauren Allred — a second team all-Big 12 selection, who followed Glasco from Louisiana — and Johnson said the Red Raiders have worked steadily to get to this point.

“I think the biggest thing is growing,” Allred said. “We continue to grow. We never were satisfied even when we were in a good spot. We continue to strive to do better and I think we’re starting to peak at the right time.”

Getting to host a regional at all was the main goal for the Red Raiders, Glasco said. Fans have gravitated toward Texas Tech this year, breaking numerous attendance records during the historic season, and he’s excited to see the turnout for this weekend’s festivities.

“We had to get this regional here to get the fans out to get to see the athleticism and the talent that our team has,” Glasco said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that once the community comes out and they see the talent in the girls, the way they play, with speed, with hustle that we’re going to have, it’s going to be a building moment for our program and take it to heights that has never been seen.”

Texas Tech players Alana Johnson (middle) and Demi Elder react to Washington's inclusion in the Lubbock Regional, Sunday, May 11, 2025, in the south end zone building of Jones AT&T Stadium.

2025 NCAA Softball Tournament: Lubbock Regional

Games Friday-Sunday at Rocky Johnson Field

All times Central

FRIDAY

Game 1 — (12) Texas Tech (45-12) vs. Brown (33-15), 4:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

Game 2 — Washington (34-17) vs. Mississippi State (37-17), 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

SATURDAY

Game 3 — Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 1 p.m. (TV TBD)

Game 4 — Lower of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 3:30 p.m. (TV TBD)

Game 5 — Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 6 p.m. (TV TBD)

SUNDAY

Game 6 — Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5, 2 p.m. (TV TBD)

Game 7 — If necessary, 4:30 p.m., (TV TBD)

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After missing out on 5-star, Kirby Smart says he prefers ‘a freshman come in and not make more than a senior’

The last two weeks have been eventful for Georgia in recruiting, as the Bulldogs added three commitments, including five-star quarterback Jared Curtis and Top 100 safety Jordan Smith. But this week has been headlined by Georgia missing out on five-star offensive tackle target Jackson Cantwell, who made his commitment to Miami on Tuesday. The Bulldogs […]

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The last two weeks have been eventful for Georgia in recruiting, as the Bulldogs added three commitments, including five-star quarterback Jared Curtis and Top 100 safety Jordan Smith. But this week has been headlined by Georgia missing out on five-star offensive tackle target Jackson Cantwell, who made his commitment to Miami on Tuesday. The Bulldogs were the perceived leader in his recruitment, but on the day of Cantwell’s decision, word emerged that the Hurricanes’ NIL offer was well and beyond that of any other program. The discussion since then has centered around the difference in NIL packages offered by both programs and how that factored into the decision, with Cantwell pushing back on the “false narrative” that reporters have put out there with sourced info.

This comes five months after the Early Signing Period commitment of class of 2025 in-state five-star Justus Terry to Texas, where Georgia was seen as the prohibitive favorite throughout his recruitment, only to see the Longhorns swoop in with an enticing NIL package and land the coveted defensive lineman. Georgia signed the No. 2 recruiting class in the country that cycle and is likely to sign a top 3 recruiting class in the current cycle as well, so Kirby Smart will not be hurting for talent anytime soon.

Even though Georgia, like every program, misses out on prospects every cycle, the narrative has emerged that the Bulldogs will not win a NIL bidding war for talent. The high-profile recruitments of players like Cantwell and Terry have the fanbase debating whether Georgia should, and wondering whether Smart would have lost these recruiting battles before NIL was approved four years ago. Others have wondered whether Smart needs someone with a general manager title to specifically handle the financial decisions on the roster, something he pushed back on this week.

Speaking on the Paul Finbaum Show at the celebrity pro-am at the Regions Tradition Champions Club in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Smart noted his preference is to pay top dollar to the established contributors already on his roster.

“I just want it to be able to have a freshman come in and not make more than a senior,” Smart said.

Smart bracketed that statement by framing his stance as one that protects non-revenue sports and smaller programs.

“And where we are right now, I think every coach agrees, we’re in a good place with being able to compensate players,” Smart said. “Call it pay-for-play, call it NIL, I don’t care what you call it. We’re all in a good place with that. We just want it to be in a way that’s sustainable.

“I’d like for other sports to be able to still survive. We’re on the brink of probably one to two years away from a lot of schools cutting sports. What’s the pushback going to be then when you start cutting non-revenue sports? I don’t want that to happen.”

The open market has led to high school recruits signing NIL deals that rival those of some rookie contracts in the NFL. Meanwhile, in the four years since NIL was approved, Georgia has had 46 players selected in the NFL Draft, more than any other program. Smart has continued to recruit players with the mindset that long-term development for the NFL outweighs a bigger payday immediately out of high school. 

“It’s not the fact they’re making money. It’s not that. It’s not an issue,” Smart said. “The issue is the inability to pinpoint what the rules are and what we can do. Nobody’s upset about it. We’re all very thankful. SEC players are the most marketable players. They get the most coverage. They get seen on TV. I am so comfortable with that. We’re past that point. We just want to know the parameters with which we’re playing by and be able to sustain a budget and have other sports survive. I think every coach would take that at this point. There’s no old school, young school. There’s none of that. We’re comfortable paying the players.”

Georgia is preparing for a House settlement that could provide some structure, with the ability to pay athletes directly from a $20.5 million pool on July 1, with about $13.5 million expected to go to football players.

“It’s trying times, because not everybody knows kind of what we’re playing by, you know, in terms of the rules and everything,” Smart said. “But it’ll work itself out. It’s one of those challenging times for everybody. Our coaches and assistants are the ones on the road having to deal with it, and the head coaches are out trying to raise money and playing golf tournaments.”



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SB | Buckley’s List of Postseason Accolades Grows, Named NFCA Third Team All-Region

Story Links LOUISVILLE, Kent. — After her historic 2025 campaign, sophomore infielder Sam Buckley has been honored by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as a third team member of the All-West Region Team. Arguably one of the most stacked region’s in Division I Softball, featuring the likes of NCAA Postseason Qualifiers Arizona […]

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LOUISVILLE, Kent. — After her historic 2025 campaign, sophomore infielder Sam Buckley has been honored by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as a third team member of the All-West Region Team. Arguably one of the most stacked region’s in Division I Softball, featuring the likes of NCAA Postseason Qualifiers Arizona State, UCLA, Arizona, Stanford, Grand Canyon, Cal, UC Santa Barbara and San Diego State, Buckley was the lone honoree out of the West Coast Conference. This is the second straight year that the Gaels have had an honoree on the All-West Region team, as Odhi Vasquez earned a spot a season ago. 

With one of the most prolific seasons in Saint Mary’s Softball history, Sam Buckley broke the 10 year old single season records for home runs (14), the 15 year old single season runs scored record (47) and the 13 year old single season RBI record (41), all while becoming just the fourth Gael to hit over 0.400 for the entirety of a season, and the first in 25 years. If her impressive offensive numbers weren’t enough, Buckley also committed just two errors all season while manning the hot corner, finishing off the year with a stellar 0.983 fielding percentage, tied for the best of any Gael non-first base infielder with Marissa Montelongo from a season ago. 

Buckley was a driving force behind the Gaels first two WCC titles last season and this season. Just a sophomore, she is on pace to break the program batting average, runs scored, RBI, triple, home run and walk records. 

#GaelsRise





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Florida Atlantic University Athletics

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 2-seed Florida Atlantic softball team opens play in the NCAA Gainesville Regional on Friday, May 16, against No. 3-seed Georgia Tech. First pitch between the Owls (44-10) and the Yellow Jackets (27-22) is at 2 p.m. on ESPNU.   For the second straight year, Florida Atlantic is in the NCAA Regionals, […]

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 2-seed Florida Atlantic softball team opens play in the NCAA Gainesville Regional on Friday, May 16, against No. 3-seed Georgia Tech. First pitch between the Owls (44-10) and the Yellow Jackets (27-22) is at 2 p.m. on ESPNU.
 
For the second straight year, Florida Atlantic is in the NCAA Regionals, this time as the only team from a non-power conference to earn an at-large bid. In the double-elimination bracket, the victor of this game will play on Saturday against the winner of the matchup between No. 1-seed Florida and No. 4-seed Mercer. 

This marks the program’s 13th postseason berth, the most among any FAU sport.

 

 

 

  • The Owls are led by Head Coach Jordan Clark in her third season at the helm of the program with a record of 120-46. She and her assistants have been named AAC Coaching Staff of the Year for the second consecutive season. 
  • Florida Atlantic has won 40+ games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2003-04.
  • The Owls lead the nation in fielding percentage (.984).
  • Nationwide, FAU is 12th in ERA (2.37), 18th in doubles (90), 19th in batting average (.336), 22nd in runs (356), 24th in hits (486), and 30th in strikeouts thrown (306). 
  • As a pitching staff, Florida Atlantic has allowed two runs or less in 11 straight games.
  • Junior pitcher Autumn Courtney (23-3) was voted unanimously as the American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year and to the All-Conference First Team. She has the fifth most victories nationwide and is 21st in ERA (1.80) as well as 32nd in strikeouts (163). Her one-hit, seven-strikeout performance in the AAC Semifinals earned her a spot on the All-Tournament team.
  • Senior pitcher Ainsley Lambert leads the NCAA in saves with 11 to go with her 7-1 record and an ERA of 1.63, the 15th lowest nationwide.
  • The Owls have set its single-season program record in runs.
  • Redshirt sophomore outfielder Kylie Hammonds has reached base in 50 out of 54 appearances on the season and has a current streak of 23 games. She leads the Owls in on-base percentage (.515). runs (52), walks (33), and hit-by-pitches (13).
  • Junior catcher Chloe Yeatts’ 51 RBI in a single season is the most by an Owl since 1995 and is one away from tying the program record.
  • Florida Atlantic boasts the AAC Defensive Player of the Year in junior third baseman Jesiana Mora. She also has a team-high eight home runs.
  • Outfielder Bella Foran leads the team in batting average (.420) as a freshman. 
  • FAU is No. 31 in the RPI rankings.

 

  • Georgia Tech is led by Head Coach Aileen Morales in her eighth season.
  • The Yellow Jackets are making their first NCAA Regional appearance since 2022.
  • Freshman outfielder Alyssa Willer leads the team in batting average (.354), on base percentage (.496), and slugging percentage (.636).
  • Senior pitcher Sophia Voyles has totaled 130 strikeouts and holds a 2.79 ERA.
  • The Yellow Jackets and the Owls have faced off eight times, with the series currently tied at 4-4. Their last meeting was in 2015, an FAU 2-0 victory.

 

Owl fans are encouraged to make the trip to Gainesville and paint Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium in red as another postseason run begins this weekend. Tickets, both all-session passes and single-session, are on sale now and can be purchased HERE.  
 

Fans in the South Florida area who are unable to make the trip to Gainesville can attend a watch party at the Duffy’s Sports Grill on St. Andrews Blvd. in Boca Raton for an early Happy Hour on Friday to cheer on their hometown team and take advantage of 2-for-1 drink specials.
 
 

To stay up to date on all things FAU softball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUSoftball.
 
The Owls’ 2025 postseason is powered by Demand the Limits Injury Attorneys.
 



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Lucas Named NFCA All-Central Region Third Team

Story Links WICHITA, Kan. – For the third time in her career Wichita State outfielder Lauren Lucas has earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region honors, it was announced Thursday afternoon. A native of Little Elm, Texas, Lucas was named to the NFCA All-Central Region Third Team after another standout season on […]

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WICHITA, Kan. – For the third time in her career Wichita State outfielder Lauren Lucas has earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region honors, it was announced Thursday afternoon.

A native of Little Elm, Texas, Lucas was named to the NFCA All-Central Region Third Team after another standout season on the diamond for the Shockers. Lucas returned to action after missing all of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury to lead the team in batting average (.378), hits (62) and on base percentage (.493). She added 11 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs and 42 RBIs. Her 13 home runs were a career high, besting her previous high of 10 back in 2022. Lucas closed the book on her collegiate career, becoming just the second Shocker in school history to finish with 40+ doubles, 10+ triples and 25+ home runs. Her name is found on several Top 10 career charts at Wichita State, including batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, doubles, triples, RBIs, runs scored, total bases and walks.

Last week Lucas was named a First Team All-Conference honoree for a third time. She was also an NFCA Third Team All-Central Region selection in 2022 and 2023.

Wichita State has placed at least one on the All-Central Region teams every season since 2018.



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Kirby Smart Paints Grim Picture For College Sports in Latest Statement Regarding NIL

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart paints a concerning future for college athletics with his latest statement regarding NIL. College football head coaches are constantly forced to navigate new issues revolving around the league and have seen the sport undergo some massive changes over the past decade. But no other change appears to be more […]

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Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart paints a concerning future for college athletics with his latest statement regarding NIL.

College football head coaches are constantly forced to navigate new issues revolving around the league and have seen the sport undergo some massive changes over the past decade. But no other change appears to be more headache-inducing than the emergence of NIL.

While the policy change has been viewed as an overall positive, it has brought forth its fair share of issues. Many of which have created financial ripples throughout college athletics. Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart shared his thoughts on the issue and expressed his desires for the sport moving forward.

“I just want to be able to have a freshman come in and not make more than a senior and I’d like for other sports to be able to still survive.” Said Smart. “You know, we’re on the brink of probably one to two years away from a lot of schools cutting sports.”

While football is a massive sport that produces millions of dollars in revenue each season, other sports may be forced to go by the waist-side due to the increase of competitive prices when it comes to fielding a football roster.

Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a simple fix for the issues that the NIL era of college football presents, and the sport (along with other college athletics) will likely continue to undergo a litany of changes in the near future.

Join the Community:

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking “Follow” on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @BulldogMaven & follow us on Twitter at @DawgsDaily

Other Georgia News:





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Mark Pope, Kentucky Receive Bad Update from No. 1 College Basketball Prospect

Mark Pope is feeling the urgency at Kentucky. His first season as the Wildcats’ head coach ended with an appearance in the Sweet 16 at the NCAA Tournament and a respectable No. 12 ranking in the final Associated Press poll. But Pope understands that his task is to take the historic Kentucky program back to […]

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Mark Pope is feeling the urgency at Kentucky. His first season as the Wildcats’ head coach ended with an appearance in the Sweet 16 at the NCAA Tournament and a respectable No. 12 ranking in the final Associated Press poll. But Pope understands that his task is to take the historic Kentucky program back to the top of college basketball.

“We want to play the hardest schedule; we want to play the best teams; we want to win the most games; we want to have the best players; we want to have the highest NIL; we want to have the coolest uniforms; we want to have the most media attention. This is Kentucky,” Pope said at his first offseason press conference.

It must have been a little discouraging then for Pope to learn that top 2026 recruit Tyran Stokes has opted to postpone his visit to Lexington, a visit that was set to begin Thursday and last through Saturday.



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