Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady (24) celebrates in the first inning of the Women's College World Series softball game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma Sooners at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on Monday. SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Injury reveal adds to Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady's lore

By Eric Smithling | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 5:37 PM ET

Texas Tech Red Raiders pitcher NiJaree Canady's legend continues to grow.

On Tuesday, one day after pitching another complete game to send Texas Tech to its first Women's College World Series championship round, manager Gerry Glasco told reporters that the Red Raiders ace has been dealing with a hamstring injury since February. (h/t ESPN)

Canady has thrown every pitch for Texas Tech during its unprecedented run. Per ESPN's Jake Trotter, Canady is the first WCWS pitcher to throw every pitch for a team that reached the finals since former UCLA ace Rachel Garcia (2019).

Entering Monday's semifinal against four-time defending champion Oklahoma, Canady had thrown 362 consecutive pitches this postseason. She threw another 106, including 75 strikes, in the 3-2 walk-off win.

Coming into tonight, NiJaree Canady has thrown 3️⃣6️⃣2️⃣ consecutive pitches for Texas Tech, every pitch of Super Regionals and the WCWS.

Additionally, she has thrown 6️⃣7️⃣1️⃣ consecutive pitches for her teams at the WCWS pic.twitter.com/Mts8ingSOE
— ESPN (@espn) June 2, 2025

Since Game 1 of the Super Regionals on May 22, Canady has a 0.80 earned run average, allowing four earned runs and 16 hits in 35 innings.

Those would be absurd numbers if Canady was fully healthy. Considering her hamstring injury, Canady's performance this postseason is one of the greatest in recent history.

It will be an even more remarkable accomplishment if Texas Tech completes the job and wins its first WCWS title. The Red Raiders play Texas in the best-of-three finals, with Game 1 on Wednesday.

Canady has already earned her historic $1M name, image and likeness deal she signed earlier this year, but her ability to weather her hamstring injury and remain dominant is further proof that the Red Raiders' NIL collective, The Matador Club, made a shrewd investment.

What Canady is accomplishing is one of the best current stories in sports. If we didn't see it with our own eyes, it would be hard to believe. That's what legends are made of.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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