The No. 2-ranked Red Raiders witnessed a historic milestone by star pitcher NiJaree Canady in Game 1 of this week's Big 12 series with BYU.
LUBBOCK, Texas - NiJaree Canady, the two-time reigning National Pitcher of the Year, surpassed 1,000 career strikeouts this week as she powered No. 2 Texas Tech to an 11-1 win over BYU at Tracy Sellers Field on Thursday.
Canady bowled the milestone punch-out to end the top of the third inning. The senior superstar struck out 11 Cougars batters to help the Red Raiders (36-2) to their fifth-straight run-rule victory.
"It's amazing," Canady said postgame after moving to 14-2 in the circle. "A thousand career strikeouts means a lot. So, I'm just honored to have been able to get it."
Joining her two-hitter against BYU in the first game of the series was another stout offensive output by the Texas Tech hitters.
Jackie Lis - who was just named Big 12 Hitter of the Week - continued to produce with two home runs, first an inside-the-parker in the third inning and a grand slam in the sixth to seal the mercy rule. Lis now co-leads the team with 10 homers on the season. Last series against Iowa State, Texas Tech surpassed its program record for home runs in a season.
The Red Raiders scored their 11 runs on just five hits against BYU, and Lis' two home runs accounted for all of the runs batted in off of hits. Texas Tech got it done every way imaginable by scoring on a wild pitch, a sac ground out, tagging from third on a foul out, and scoring on a bases-loaded walk.
Canady became the 102nd player in NCAA history to surpass 1,000 strikeouts. She has 449 as a Red Raider from 2025-26, and recorded 555 in her first two collegiate seasons at Stanford in 2023-24. Her 136 strikeouts this season co-leads the Big 12 with Oklahoma State's Ruby Meylan, and she is the only player with a sub-2 earned run average in the league.
Texas Tech improved to 12-1 in conference play and hosts the Cougars on Friday at 6 p.m. CT with the game airing nationally on FS1. The Game 3 finale is scheduled for Saturday, April 4, at noon.
This home series is the Red Raiders' last games at the newly-dubbed Tracy Sellers Field until April 28, a standalone game against Tarleton State, whom Texas Tech beat in Stephenville on March 24, 12-0.
