OKLAHOMA CITY – Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco admitted Thursday that star pitcher NiJaree Canady was pushed “to the very limit” during the 2025 Women’s College World Series (WCWS), after she carried a massive pitching workload across multiple games before ultimately showing signs of fatigue in the decisive Game 3 loss to Texas.
Canady, the nation’s leader in ERA (0.97) and a two-time NFCA National Pitcher of the Year, shouldered the bulk of Texas Tech’s tournament success. Over the course of the WCWS, she threw more than 686 pitches, including seven innings on May 29, seven more on May 31, and additional appearances in all three championship games. Despite her dominance, fatigue took its toll, and by the time Game 3 rolled around, Canady lasted just one inning, giving up five earned runs on five hits and throwing only 25 pitches before being replaced.
Glasco didn’t shy away from acknowledging the physical demands placed on his ace. “We pushed it to the very limit,” he said. “All you had to do was look at the velocity the first night compared to the second night and tonight. And it was slowly edging away.”
Even with the tough ending, Canady’s performance throughout the tournament was nothing short of extraordinary. She pitched every inning of Texas Tech’s first five WCWS games, leading the team past Ole Miss, UCLA, and even top-seeded Oklahoma to reach the program’s first-ever finals appearance.
Off the field, Canady made headlines by securing a second NIL endorsement deal reportedly worth over $1 million, further highlighting her growing prominence in collegiate sports.
Though Canady was pulled early in the final game, freshman Samantha Lincoln stepped in with poise, delivering three hitless innings in relief and keeping Texas Tech competitive. While the Red Raiders ultimately fell short, their journey to the finals — including snapping Oklahoma’s long-standing WCWS dominance — marked a historic achievement for the program.
Coach Glasco praised Canady’s heart and resilience, stating, “She gave everything she had, not just for herself, but for her teammates and this university.”
