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Last week before Texas Tech softball headed west for its series at Arizona, Red Raider coach Gerry Glasco said he wasn’t planning on pitching NiJaree Canady in every game.
Maybe he meant every inning?
The Red Raider ace ended up throwing 17 of 18 innings against the Wildcats this past weekend — and putting her team on the cusp of a Big 12 title.
Texas Tech won the series and now stands one win from securing a share of the league crown. Win two games over the next two weekends against Arizona State and BYU, and Texas Tech will win the Big 12 title for the first time in program history.
The Red Raiders wouldn’t have gotten to this point without Canady, the reigning national player of the year, transferring to Texas Tech. It was fitting, then, that she played such a big role over the weekend.
More: Oklahoma State softball wins series vs UCF as Amanda Hasler blasts 2 HRs for Cowgirls
After going the distance but losing the series opener, Canady was inserted early in Game 2. Texas Tech had taken an early lead with four runs in the first inning but gave one back in the bottom of the inning. Sensing a chance to close down Arizona and even the series, Glasco went to Canady in the second inning.
She allowed just one hit and no runs as Texas Tech secured the win. But since the Red Raider bats got hot and secured a run-rule victory, Canady only needed to throw four innings, opening the door to her throwing again in the third game.
Which she did, starting and getting the complete-game victory.
Canady wasn’t quite as sharp, allowing five hits, two earned runs and walking four as she threw 138 pitches. But in crunch time, she was clutch; in three of the last four innings, she sat down the Wildcats in order.
Let’s get to this week’s Big 12 power rankings:
Record: 36-10, 16-2 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 1
Going to Arizona and winning a series is never easy. Winning it after dropping the first game? Even tougher. Now, Texas Tech sets its sights on piling up more wins and improving its chance of hosting an NCAA Tournament regional.
More: Texas Tech softball picks up big series win over Arizona, moves closer to Big 12 title
Record: 37-9, 14-7 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 2
No shame in losing twice to NiJaree Canady, but in doing so, the Wildcats are probably not going to host super regionals. Regionals? That’s likely, but beat Texas Tech, and Arizona might’ve worked its way to a top-eight seed.
Record: 23-19, 11-7 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 3
Another weekend, another series win for the Cyclones. But a run-rule loss in the series finale against Kansas won’t help Iowa State’s NCAA Tournament chances. The Cyclones haven’t climbed to be on the bubble yet.
Record: 27-15, 8-8 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 4
A series win at UCF is huge for the Cowgirls’ chances of hosting a regional. And OSU got the series-deciding win after head coach Kenny Gajewski was ejected. Wacky weekend in Orlando.
CARLSON: A Women's College World Series without OU or OSU? Why our softball world might be upended
Record: 33-16, 13-8 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 5
Talk about wacky: The Sun Devils won their series against Baylor, but they bookended those two wins with a mid-week shutout loss to Grand Canyon and a run-rule loss to the Bears.
Record: 29-12, 11-7 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 7
Check out these scores: 14-13, 10-8, 14-5. Not from football but rather BYU’s series sweep of in-state rival Utah.
Record: 26-20-1, 7-11 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 6
The Golden Knights are still in line for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament, but adding another series loss to that losing record in the Big 12 makes things feel a bit squishy.
Record: 22-23, 8-10 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 8
Signs of life in a run-rule victory in the series finale at Arizona State. Baylor needs more of those in the final weeks of the season.
Record: 12-34, 4-14 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 9
Before the season, Utah coach Amy Hogue worried about the Utes’ offense. After scoring 26 runs in three games against BYU and still getting swept, the offense doesn’t seem to be the issue.
Record: 19-22, 5-13 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 10
The Jayhawks got a nice run-rule victory in the series finale at Iowa State, but they stay behind Utah because the Utes won their series earlier this season.
Record: 20-19, 3-13 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 11
The Cougars had a bye week — and didn’t play a single game. Huh.
Jenni Carlson: Jenni can be reached at [email protected]. Like her at facebook.com/JenniCarlsonOK, follow her at @jennicarlsonok.bsky.social and twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok, and support her work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Big 12 softball power rankings: Texas Tech in control after Arizona wins
Continue reading...
Maybe he meant every inning?
The Red Raider ace ended up throwing 17 of 18 innings against the Wildcats this past weekend — and putting her team on the cusp of a Big 12 title.
Texas Tech won the series and now stands one win from securing a share of the league crown. Win two games over the next two weekends against Arizona State and BYU, and Texas Tech will win the Big 12 title for the first time in program history.
The Red Raiders wouldn’t have gotten to this point without Canady, the reigning national player of the year, transferring to Texas Tech. It was fitting, then, that she played such a big role over the weekend.
More: Oklahoma State softball wins series vs UCF as Amanda Hasler blasts 2 HRs for Cowgirls
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After going the distance but losing the series opener, Canady was inserted early in Game 2. Texas Tech had taken an early lead with four runs in the first inning but gave one back in the bottom of the inning. Sensing a chance to close down Arizona and even the series, Glasco went to Canady in the second inning.
She allowed just one hit and no runs as Texas Tech secured the win. But since the Red Raider bats got hot and secured a run-rule victory, Canady only needed to throw four innings, opening the door to her throwing again in the third game.
Which she did, starting and getting the complete-game victory.
Canady wasn’t quite as sharp, allowing five hits, two earned runs and walking four as she threw 138 pitches. But in crunch time, she was clutch; in three of the last four innings, she sat down the Wildcats in order.
Let’s get to this week’s Big 12 power rankings:
1. Texas Tech
Record: 36-10, 16-2 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 1
Going to Arizona and winning a series is never easy. Winning it after dropping the first game? Even tougher. Now, Texas Tech sets its sights on piling up more wins and improving its chance of hosting an NCAA Tournament regional.
More: Texas Tech softball picks up big series win over Arizona, moves closer to Big 12 title
2. Arizona
Record: 37-9, 14-7 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 2
No shame in losing twice to NiJaree Canady, but in doing so, the Wildcats are probably not going to host super regionals. Regionals? That’s likely, but beat Texas Tech, and Arizona might’ve worked its way to a top-eight seed.
3. Iowa State
Record: 23-19, 11-7 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 3
Another weekend, another series win for the Cyclones. But a run-rule loss in the series finale against Kansas won’t help Iowa State’s NCAA Tournament chances. The Cyclones haven’t climbed to be on the bubble yet.
4. Oklahoma State
Record: 27-15, 8-8 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 4
A series win at UCF is huge for the Cowgirls’ chances of hosting a regional. And OSU got the series-deciding win after head coach Kenny Gajewski was ejected. Wacky weekend in Orlando.
CARLSON: A Women's College World Series without OU or OSU? Why our softball world might be upended
5. Arizona State
Record: 33-16, 13-8 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 5
Talk about wacky: The Sun Devils won their series against Baylor, but they bookended those two wins with a mid-week shutout loss to Grand Canyon and a run-rule loss to the Bears.
6. BYU
Record: 29-12, 11-7 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 7
Check out these scores: 14-13, 10-8, 14-5. Not from football but rather BYU’s series sweep of in-state rival Utah.
7. UCF
Record: 26-20-1, 7-11 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 6
The Golden Knights are still in line for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament, but adding another series loss to that losing record in the Big 12 makes things feel a bit squishy.
8. Baylor
Record: 22-23, 8-10 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 8
Signs of life in a run-rule victory in the series finale at Arizona State. Baylor needs more of those in the final weeks of the season.
9. Utah
Record: 12-34, 4-14 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 9
Before the season, Utah coach Amy Hogue worried about the Utes’ offense. After scoring 26 runs in three games against BYU and still getting swept, the offense doesn’t seem to be the issue.
10. Kansas
Record: 19-22, 5-13 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 10
The Jayhawks got a nice run-rule victory in the series finale at Iowa State, but they stay behind Utah because the Utes won their series earlier this season.
11. Houston
Record: 20-19, 3-13 Big 12
Last week’s ranking: 11
The Cougars had a bye week — and didn’t play a single game. Huh.
Jenni Carlson: Jenni can be reached at [email protected]. Like her at facebook.com/JenniCarlsonOK, follow her at @jennicarlsonok.bsky.social and twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok, and support her work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Big 12 softball power rankings: Texas Tech in control after Arizona wins
Continue reading...
