No. 1 seed Texas Tech begins its Big 12 Tournament title defense against Baylor behind NiJaree Canady, KT Terry and Mihyia Davis.
Texas Tech softball enters the Big 12 Tournament with the kind of target every contender wants.
The No. 1-seeded Red Raiders open postseason play against No. 8 Baylor at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, looking to defend last year’s Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles.
First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m., and the winner moves on to face either No. 5 Kansas or No. 4 UCF in the semifinals.
Texas Tech has history on its side in this matchup. The Red Raiders beat Baylor 4-0 in last year’s Big 12 Tournament opener and own a 5-1 all-time tournament record against the Bears.
Now, Gerry Glasco’s team is trying to prove last season wasn’t a peak. It was the start of something bigger.
The star power is ridiculous. NiJaree Canady, the reigning National Pitcher of the Year, enters postseason play after clearing 1,000 career strikeouts.
She’s one of only two active pitchers with 1,000 Ks and the only active player with 1,000 strikeouts and 90 wins. She also threw her first career perfect game against Baylor on senior day.
Kaitlyn “KT” Terry has been just as dangerous. She’s hitting .476, sixth-best nationally, while also posting a 1.39 ERA and a 21-1 record in the circle. Terry also put together a school-record 24-game hitting streak this season.
Mihyia Davis gives Tech another game-changing weapon. Among active players, she ranks first in hits with 331, at-bats with 820 and stolen bases with 136.
The Red Raiders also bring serious heat from Jasmyn Burns, who has 16 home runs and 51 RBI, plus seven All-Big 12 selections. Glasco, named Big 12 Coach of the Year again, still hasn’t lost a conference series in 67 tries.
Now comes the fun part: proving it when the bracket gets real.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community for FREE! Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable App to stay even more connected!