No. 2 Texas Tech faces a grueling West Coast swing, showcasing a dominant pitching staff and explosive offense, aiming for national championship glory.
The road doesn’t get easier for No. 2 Texas Tech softball; it just gets longer.
After grinding through early-season tournaments, the Red Raiders (11-1) are packing their bags again, this time for Palm Springs and the prestigious Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
It’s another measuring-stick weekend for a team with national championship aspirations and one of the most dangerous pitching staffs in college softball.
Tech opens Thursday against Fresno State at 5:30 p.m. CT before a unique late-night exhibition against Team Japan at 8 p.m. CT.
From there, the schedule tightens. Bethune-Cookman awaits Friday at 12:30 p.m. CT, followed by a Saturday doubleheader against Cal State Fullerton (2 p.m. CT) and San Diego State (4:30 p.m. CT).
The Red Raiders close out Sunday morning against UC-Riverside at 11 a.m. CT. Every game will stream on FloCollegeSports.
If Texas Tech is going to stay near the top of the national rankings, it will start in the circle.
Kaitlyn Terry is hitting .480 at the plate while dominating as a pitcher with a 0.98 ERA and a perfect 4-0 record across 21.1 innings.
She’s struck out 35 batters and walked just four - an absurd strikeout-to-walk ratio - while also playing flawless defense with a 1.000 fielding percentage.
NiJaree Canady (1.57 ERA, 4-1 record, 28 strikeouts in 26.2 innings) and Samantha Lincoln (0.78 ERA in 18 innings) give Tech arguably the most balanced three-headed pitching attack in the country.
Lincoln’s microscopic ERA and Canady’s ability to generate swings and misses have made the Red Raiders look nearly untouchable when the trio is in rhythm.
Offensively, Tech already proved it can overwhelm opponents. The Red Raiders smashed 64 runs on opening weekend - shattering the previous program mark of 43 set in 2019 - and launched a record 12 home runs in the process. While the bats cooled slightly in Clearwater, the power potential remains obvious.
Head coach Gerry Glasco continues to experiment with combinations, refusing to settle on one lineup.
After using 57 different lineups last season, he’s again mixing and matching early, frequently playing 14 or more athletes in a single game. It’s about depth, versatility and finding the right formula for May.
Palm Springs presents another opportunity to sharpen that formula. For a team ranked No. 2 in the country, every inning is preparation for something bigger.