Three Takeaways From Texas Tech’s 1–0 Win Over Ole Miss at 2025 WCWS

Texas Tech is moving on to the winner’s bracket after outlasting a red-hot Ole Miss team in both teams’ first-ever Women’s College World Series appearance.

The Red Raiders opened their WCWS debut with a textbook NiJaree Canady win on Thursday, knocking off the Rebels by a final score of 1-0 at OGE Energy Field in Oklahoma City.

Once again, timely hitting and a strong showing in the circle propelled Texas Tech to victory, and showed it’s more than just a Cinderella story—it’s a real threat in the WCWS field.

Here are three takeaways from the Red Raiders’ historic victory over the Rebels.

1. NiJaree Canady Sets the Tone Early

Getting past the Red Raiders means getting past NiJaree Canady, and Ole Miss is the latest team to learn firsthand—that’s much easier said than done. Canady retired the first 16 batters she faced, and after the Rebels broke up the no-hit bid in the sixth, she just kept on trucking. In all, Canady recorded 10 strikeouts and retired 21 of 23 batters faced and allowed just two hits on the evening. Perhaps the most important stat, though, is that she allowed zero walks on the evening, giving Ole Miss nothing to work with all night.

An RBI double in the fourth from Alana Johnson delivered the game’s only run, and that ended up being all the Red Raiders needed, as Canady proved once again that she’s the most polarizing player in the sport. With the win, Canady and the Red Raiders are the first team since 2005 to throw a shutout in their first WCWS game.

2. The Defense Was Special Again

NiJaree Canady is in Oklahoma City for the third year in a row, but it appears that her team has really benefitted from her experience, as they were cool, calm, and collected throughout tonight’s game. While she was incredible in the circle, the Red Raiders’ defense was special behind her, too.

There were several big-time plays that helped keep TTU’s shutout alive, including an impressive diving catch from center fielder Mihyia Davis to steal a hit, and once again, the Red Raiders avoided errors and kept everything in front of them all game. The Red Raiders have not trailed since the start of the NCAA Tournament, and now, they’re just two wins away from playing in the WCWS Championship Series.

3. Texas Tech Isn’t Just Happy to Be Here

This wasn’t just a “first time at the WCWS” win—it looked like a team built for this. Texas Tech stayed composed, capitalized on mistakes, and executed like a program that’s been here before. They’ll move on to face the winner of Oregon vs. UCLA in the winner’s bracket, and with NiJaree Canady in the circle, they’ve got a great chance to keep this thing rolling late into next week.