Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady Named Big 12 Athlete of the Year

 

LUBBOCK, TX — Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady was recently named the 2024-25 Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year, the conference announced Thursday, becoming the first Red Raider—male or female—to earn the league’s top individual honor.

Canady helped guide Texas Tech softball to a historic season, leading the Red Raiders to their first appearance in the Women’s College World Series finals and securing the program’s inaugural Big 12 regular-season and postseason championships.

The junior two-way standout was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship. She also collected First Team All-America recognition from the NFCA, D1Softball and Softball America.

Off the field, Canady was named the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Team Member of the Year and earned the Honda Sport Award for softball. She was also a top-three finalist for the USA Softball Player of the Year.

Statistically, Canady led the Red Raiders in home runs (11) and posted a 1.11 ERA with 319 strikeouts—both marks ranking second in single-season program history. Her 34 pitching wins tied a school record and led the nation, while her .829 winning percentage set a new Texas Tech single-season mark.

Canady is expected to return to Lubbock for her senior season as the Red Raiders aim to build on their national runner-up finish.

Read more at texastech.com.

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