Texas Tech Climbs Into Softball ‘Power 10’ for Week 12

Originally posted on Heartland College Sports
By Bryan Clinton | Last updated Apr 29, 2025 1:22 PM ET

We’re approaching the final weekend of the 2025 regular season for college softball and it’s almost time to turn our attention to the NCAA Tournament.

With Oklahoma and Texas now out of the Big 12, the league has taken a step back in the national landscape, as would any conference that loses the top two programs in the country over the last three years.

However, the league isn’t totally out of the national championship picture.

NiJaree Canady and the Texas Tech Red Raiders just secured the program’s first Big 12 regular season title this past weekend, and with some movement elsewhere around the country, have climbed into Michella Chester’s “Power 10” for Week 12.

Power 10 Rankings are here @michellachester gives us her Power 10 rankings for week 12. How would you rank the top 10 teams?#NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/AtE6RvTvtO
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) April 29, 2025

“Texas Tech has been on the verge for a few weeks, but behind South Carolina,” Chester says. “With the Gamecocks losing their series to Auburn, the Red Raiders move in after winning their series over Arizona State.”

Canady remains the best pitcher in America with a nation-leading 0.88 ERA, the fifth-most strikeouts (220) of any pitcher, and has done so in just 150.2 IP, which ranks 41st nationally.

The Red Raiders will face BYU this weekend in Provo before heading to Oklahoma City for the Big 12 Tournament next weekend, where they’ll be the No. 1 seed.

This article first appeared on Heartland College Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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