By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High product NiJaree Canady, the 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year as a sophomore at Stanford, announced Wdnesday afternoon that she is transferring to Texas Tech out of the transfer portal.
College softball player of the year NiJaree Canady, a former two-sport star at Topeka High, announced Wednesday that she is transferring to Texas Tech. [Stanford Athletics]
Canady, a multi-time All-State softball and basketball honoree at Topeka High, will join the Red Raiders, a member of the Big 12, with two years of college elibibility remaining.
Canady announced her commitment on X (formerly Twitter) and ESPN reported that Canady, a right-handed pitcher, has agreed to a record-breaking name, image and likeness deal.
Canady entered the transfer portal last month after leading Stanford to back-to-back Women's College World Series appearances in 2023 and 2024.
As a sophomore Canady posted a 24-7 pitching record while leading the nation with a 0.73 earned run average and 337 strikeouts.
Canady, who was named the national freshman of the year in her first season at Stanford, compiled an 0.67 earned run average over her two seasons with the Cardinal, posting 555 strikeouts in 365⅔ innings.
At Texas Tech Canady will join first-year coach Gerry Glasco, who was hired in Lubbock last month after a seven-year stint at Louisiana.
ESPN reported that Canady confirmed that she took trips to Tennessee, Alabama, UCLA, Kansas and Texas Tech before picking the Red Raiders. Canady had also reportedly considered a return to Stanford.
Texas Tech is coming off a 29-21 record this past spring under Craig Snider, who resigned following the season, while Glasco led Louisiana to a 45-19 record in 2024, including a win over national champion Oklahoma.
Canady helped lead Topeka High to back-to-back Class 6A state softball championships as a junior and senior, the first two state softball titles in school history, while being named the Gatorade Kansas Softball Player of the Year both seasons.
Canady earned All-City, All-Centennial League and All-State softball honors all three of her high school seasons and also earned All-State honors and played in three state tournaments in basketball, scoring more than 1,000 points, before bypassing her senior season to concentrate on softball.
Canady was named the Topeka Shawnee County Girls Athlete of the Year in 2022.
