Where is NiJaree Canady from? What to know of Texas Tech softball ace

Texas Tech softball is just two wins away from its first-ever Women’s College World Series championship — a feat in which NiJaree Canady has played a large role.

The Stanford sophomore has been the catalyst for the Red Raiders in the postseason, not only pitching every inning since the start of the Tallahassee Super Regional, but also contributing at the plate with her power. The Red Raiders are going to ride their $1 million arm as far as she can carry them.

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Texas Tech takes on in-state foe Texas in the game WCWS championship series starting on June 4. Regardless of who emerges triumphant, the first to two wins in the best-of-three-game championship series will hoist the national title trophy for the first time in program history.

While Canady continues to dominate on the big stage, here’s what you need to know about her, including where she is from and why she transferred to Texas Tech:

Where is NiJaree Canady from?

Canady hails from Topeka, Kansas. She attended Topeka High School, where, in addition to being a softball star, she also gained acclaim as a four-star basketball recruit. However, she stopped basketball as a senior to focus on softball after committing to Stanford on Oct. 12, 2021. She was ranked the No. 11 overall recruit in the 2022 recruiting class by Extra Innings Softball.

As a junior in high school, she recorded 232 strikeouts in 107 2/3 innings with a 21-0 record and a 0.26 ERA. She also hit .478 with 13 home runs and 49 RBIs, previewing what her bat could do as a two-way player at the next level. Canady’s performance led Topeka to a state championship, and she earned Kansas Softball Gatorade Player of the Year honors.

She had averaged 20.6 points per game and 12.3 rebounds per game, leading her team to a runner-up finish during her junior season of basketball.

After deciding to focus solely on softball, Canady went 13-1 in her senior season with a 0.84 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 74 2/3 innings. She also hit .530 with seven home runs, 37 runs scored, and 42 RBIs. She led the Trojans to a second straight state championship and was once again named the Kansas Softball Gatorade Player of the Year.

Why did NiJaree Canady transfer from Stanford to Texas Tech?

While Lubbock, Texas, is significantly closer to Topeka than Stanford, California, that did not seem to be a major factor in why Canady picked the Red Raiders as her playing destination. Despite holding offers from softball powers such as Oklahoma, Texas and UCLA, Canady committed to first-year Red Raiders coach Gerry Glasco for numerous reasons.

Perhaps the biggest is the NIL figure Texas Tech offered. Canady got paid handsomely to transfer from Stanford to Texas Tech: a one-year, $1.05 million NIL contract. The second reason was the opportunity to bat more often. At Stanford, she got a total of 35 plate appearances over two seasons. She blasted two home runs in that small sample size, showing off her potential at the plate.

After Glasco offered her the chance to play both ways, Canady has run with it. In 128 plate appearances this season, she has a .297 batting average, .438 on-base percentage and a .683 slugging percentage with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs.

NiJaree Canady stats

Here’s a look at Canady’s pitching stats through three collegiate seasons at Stanford and Texas Tech:

• 2023 (Stanford): 13-3 record with four saves, nine complete games, seven shutouts, 0.59 ERA, 209 strikeouts, 21 walks and a .142 batting average against in 118 innings, 32 appearances (23 starts)
• 2024 (Stanford): 23-7 record with five saves, 24 complete games, nine shutouts, 0.73 ERA, 337 strikeouts, 44 walks and a .147 batting average against in 230 ⅔ innings, 41 appearances (29 starts)
• 2025 (Texas Tech): 33-5 record with two saves, 21 complete games, seven shutouts, 0.90 ERA, 304 strikeouts, 44 walks and a .153 batting average against in 226 innings, 43 appearances (34 starts)

And here’s a look at Canady’s hitting stats through three collegiate seasons at Stanford and Texas Tech:

• 2023 (Stanford): .111 batting average, .200 on-base percentage, 0 home runs, 1 RBI in 9 at-bats
• 2024 (Stanford): .154 batting average, .267 on-base percentage, 2 home runs, 3 RBI, in 26 at-bats
• 2025 (Texas Tech): .297 batting average, .438 on-base percentage, 11 home runs, 34 RBI in 101 at-bats