05/09/2026
Set goals, hard work, overcoming challenges are all part of working towards your goals.
A great accomplishment for a great young lady.
Topeka native and former Kansas Pregame covergirl NiJaree Canady was named the 2026 Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Year after leading Texas Tech to a dominant regular season title and a 50-5 overall record. Canady helped the Red Raiders finish 21-3 in Big 12 play and earn the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
The former Stanford standout and three-time conference pitcher of the year has been one of the nation’s most dominant arms this season, leading the Big 12 and ranking sixth nationally with a 1.30 ERA while piling up 194 strikeouts in just 135 innings. Canady enters postseason play with a 21-4 record and made Texas Tech history this spring by throwing both a perfect game and a no-hitter in the same season. She also earned First Team All-Big 12 honors, marking the fourth all-conference first-team selection of her collegiate career.
(Photo: Heather Kindall Photography)