Tag: Texas Tech Red Raiders Softball

National Player of the Year NiJaree Canady commits to Texas Tech

The Texas Tech Red Raiders picked up a big recruiting win, earning a commitment from National Player of the Year NiJaree Canady.

In a move that creates a seismic shift in the balance of power in the world of college softball, NiJaree Canady has committed to Texas Tech.

The USA Softball National Player of the Year is making the move from Stanford, where she helped lead the Cardinal to back-to-back Women’s College World Series appearances. Now, the Red Raiders become a favorite in the Big 12 and to make it to Oklahoma City next spring with the best pitcher in softball in the circle.

Canady led the nation with 337 strikeouts and a 0.73 ERA and was 24-7 for Stanford. She allowed just 44 walks. She held opponents to a .147 opponent’s batting average and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 0.69.

In the 2024 WCWS, Canady started five elimination games for Stanford, going 4-1 and allowing just one earned run. The lone loss came in a 1-0 pitcher’s dual vs. Texas.

The Oklahoma Sooners were hoping to bolster their pitching staff with Canady, but ultimately it was Texas Tech and new head coach Gerry Glasco who pulled off the huge recruiting win.

The Sooners will roll with Kierston Deal, Peytn Monticelli, incoming freshman Audrey Lowry, and transfer additions Sam Landry (Louisiana) and Isabella Smith (Campbell).

Deal has shown promise in her first two years in Norman, but hasn’t been relied upon as a frontline starter to this point. She’ll have her chance in 2025 as the Sooners head into the SEC.

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Kelly Maxwell dazzles, Tiare Jennings hits two home runs in Sooners win over Texas Tech

The Oklahoma Sooners got a fantastic outing from Kelly Maxwell and Tiare Jennings launched two home runs as the Sooners beat Texas Tech 14-0

The No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners traveled to Lubbock, Texas, to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. OU took the first of three games 14-0.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] threw six innings, striking out 10, allowing two hits and four walks to move to 8-0 on the season, and [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] led the way with two home runs and six RBIs.

Oklahoma got the scoring going in the top of the first. After [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] stole second, Jennings brought her home on an RBI double to put Oklahoma up 1-0.

In the second inning, [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] hit her seventh home run of the season to put Oklahoma up 2-0.

In the third innings, the Sooners put up three runs on a pair of walks from [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] and the first of Jennings’ two home runs to give the Sooners a commanding 5-0 lead.

Oklahoma added another run in the fourth to make it 6-0.

Maxwell cruised throughout the game until running into a bit of trouble in the sixth inning. She allowed a leadoff walk, then hit the next Texas Tech batter before issuing another walk to load the bases. The veteran star then showed incredible poise, striking out the next three Red Raider hitters to keep the game scoreless through six.

Then in the top of the seventh, the Sooners lineup put an exclamation point on the evening with an eight-run inning to leave no doubt.

Alyssa Brito led off the inning with a single and then Tiare Jennings launched her second home run of the game to put OU up 8-0. [autotag]Riley Ludlam[/autotag] walked and then with one out, so did Alynah Torres. Singles by [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] and a [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] fielder’s choice tacked on three more runs before [autotag]Maya Bland[/autotag] doubled to bring in two more and make the score 13-0. Jennings and Ludlam walked to load the bases for [autotag]Quincee Lilio[/autotag] who also walked to score Bland and make it 14-0 Oklahoma.

[autotag]Peytn Monticelli[/autotag] came in to pitch a scoreless seventh, striking out two and hitting a batter to close out the game.

The Sooners moved to 25-1 on the season and 4-0 in Big 12 play.

Tiare Jennings led the way at the plate with a 3-for-3 day with two home runs, six RBIs, a double, and two walks. She retook the team RBI lead and now sits with nine home runs and 31 RBIs on the season. Jennings’ batting average is now up to .423.

Cydney Sanders, who had been red hot in the month of March, didn’t record a hit in the game, but walked four times had an RBI and scored a run. Jayda Coleman was 2-for-4 and reached base on a walk.

Over her last three starts, Kelly Maxwell is 3-0 and hasn’t allowed a run while recording 25 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched.

It was a strong performance to set the stage for the weekend on a cool night in Lubbock. The Sooners will take the field Saturday at 1 p.m. CT against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

More: How to watch the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners vs. Texas Tech

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Oklahoma Sooners preseason voted No. 1 in Big 12 preseason coaches poll

The Oklahoma Sooners were voted No. 1 in Big 12 preseason coaches poll. How did the rest of the conference stack up?

Surprise, surprise. The three-time defending national champions were voted to win the Big 12. The Sooners have won 11 consecutive Big 12 titles and haven’t lost a regular season series in the conference since 2011 and are 121-4 in Big 12 play since 2016.

In 2023, the Sooners went 18-0 and outscored their conference opponents 123-17 along the way. The pitching staff threw 10 shutouts against Big 12 competition.

In the expanded Big 12, new foes await, but until someone’s able to knock of the Sooners, they’ll remain the favorite in the conference and for the national title.

When they begin the season on February 8 against Utah State, they’ll look to extend their 53-game winning streak and begin their trek to a fourth-straight national championship. No one has ever won four-straight titles, but this Sooners squad looks set up to make another run.

The Sooners return four All-Big 12 first-team selections, including Big 12 Player of the Year [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag].

Let’s take a look at the Big 12 coaches poll.

Note: Coaches could not vote for their own team.

Conference schedule revealed for Oklahoma Sooners final Big 12 season

The Oklahoma Sooners softball program now knows who their conference opponents will be in their final swim through the Big 12.

The Oklahoma Sooners will venture through the Big 12 one last time in 2024 and now we know the conference part of their schedule.

The Sooners have dominated the Big 12 since it was established in 1996. They’ve won 15 regular season conference titles, including the last 11. They’ve won eight tournament titles.

In 2023, Oklahoma completed the best season in college softball and set the record for consecutive wins at 53 straight and counting.

As Oklahoma looks to add to their trophy, here’s a look at their conference schedule for the 2024 season.

Updated Big 12 softball standings heading into final week of the regular season

What do the Big 12 standings look like heading into the final week of the regular season?

The Oklahoma State Cowgirls were nipping at the heels of the Oklahoma Sooners for much of the 2023 season. After being swept by Texas following Oklahoma’s sweep of the Longhorns, the Sooners created enough distance to clinch their 11th consecutive Big 12 championship.

The Sooners are 15-0 in Big 12 play as they prepare for their final weekend of the regular season, a road trip to Stillwater to take on the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. Oklahoma State’s playing for seeding this weekend and hoping to overtake the Longhorns, who will face Baylor.

Neither Texas nor Oklahoma State want to see Oklahoma in the semifinals of the Big 12 championships. They’d like to put that matchup off for as long as possible.

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Here’s a look at the Big 12 standings ahead of the final week of the regular season.

Big 12 standings update: Oklahoma sweeps Baylor, Longhorns sweep Oklahoma State

What do the Big 12 standings look like after Oklahoma and Texas completed their three-game sweeps in conference play?

The Oklahoma Sooners went on the road and swept a tough opponent to open their lead in the Big 12 standings to 3.5 games over the Texas Longhorns and four games up on Oklahoma State.

That provides the Sooners an opportunity to clinch the Big 12 regular season title when the Kansas Jayhawks come to town this weekend. With just two Big 12 series remaining before the Big 12 tournament, the Sooners are peaking with the postseason approaching.

The Sooners Tuesday night matchup against the Wichita State Shockers was canceled due to inclement weather.

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Here’s a look at the Big 12 softball standings after the weekend’s action.

Updated Big 12 standings: Sooners only unbeaten team in Big 12 play after weekend’s upsets

Oklahoma remains the only unbeaten team in conference play after Oklahoma State dropped their Sunday matchup to last place Iowa State.

The Big 12’s bottom three teams, Texas Tech, Kansas and Iowa State were able to take a game from the teams that are two through four in the standings: Oklahoma State, Texas and Baylor.

Though each of the favorites earned series wins, it was surprising to see Iowa State take a game from Oklahoma State in extra innings and Kansas beat Texas by six runs.

Oklahoma State’s extra-inning loss to Iowa State prevented the Cowgirls from keeping pace with the Sooners and holding a four-game lead on the Texas Longhorns. Instead, the loss set up an opportunity for the Longhorns to catch the Cowgirls this weekend in their three-game series in Austin.

With less than a month to go in the regular season, here’s a look at the Big 12 standings ahead of some big-time matchups in conference play.

Updated Big 12 standings: Sooners sweep Texas Tech, Oklahoma State continues to roll

The Oklahoma Sooners continued to roll in Big 12 play, Baylor beat No. 4/5 Tennessee twice. Here’s an updated look at the Big 12 standings

The top four teams in the Big 12 had quite the weekend. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas each went 3-0 in Big 12 play, while the Baylor Bears went 3-0 with a pair of top 5 wins over Tennessee.

There’s still much to be determined in the conference landscape, but Oklahoma and Oklahoma State appear on a collision course to decide the Big 12 regular season championship. Again.

Oklahoma State biggest conference challenge remaining is Texas, and the Sooners still have to face Baylor, the only team to beat Oklahoma this season. However, with the way these two programs are performing on the diamond, it feels like an inevitability that the in-state rivals will contend with each other for the Big 12 title.

With week three of conference play in the books, let’s take a look at the up-to-date Big 12 standings and what’s on the horizon for each program.

No. 1 Oklahoma Softball vs. Texas Tech: How to watch, weekend preview, key players, schedule,

The Oklahoma Sooners get set to host the Texas Tech Red Raiders for a three-game series. Here’s a look at the two sides and how to watch.

The No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners welcome a Texas Tech Red Raiders team looking to build off of a strong showing against Texas and a series win over Iowa State.

The Red Raiders boast a strong lineup with six players who have hit seven or more home runs on the season. They’re 28-12 in 2023 and 2-4 in Big 12 play. Texas Tech in No. 14 in the country in runs per game and No. 6 in the nation in home runs per game.

Oklahoma is coming off a sweep of the Texas Longhorns and in the midst of a 25-game winning streak. They’re as balanced a team in the country with the No. 1 offense in runs per game and boast the No. 2 ERA in the country at 1.00.

Here’s a series preview of the Oklahoma Sooners vs. Texas Tech.

Updated look at the Big 12 standings after Oklahoma’s sweep of Texas

An updated look at the Big 12 standings heading into week three of conference play.

Week two of conference play is behind us, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to separate themselves from the pack after their three-game sweep of the Texas Longhorns.

The series sweep of Texas put the Sooners in the driver’s seat in the conference and put a sizable gap between them and their Red River rival. The Longhorns would need some help to get back into the Big 12 regular season title race.

With Oklahoma State on a bye last week, the Sooners are 1.5 games up on the Cowgirls in the standings but hold three more wins currently.

There’s a clear top three teams in the conference with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas.

Here’s a look at the latest Big 12 standings heading into week three of Big 12 play.