The Red Raiders cleaned up this week, garnering loads of conference recognition as the preseason winds down. It's enough firepower to recreate the success of the 2025 season.
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech Softball had its best year to date in 2025, winning a Big 12 championship and reaching the Women's College World Series where they were one win away from achieving the program's first ever national title.
Now as we prepare for the 2026 season, the Red Raiders return enough firepower to make another run at history.
This week, the Big 12 Conference announced its preseason poll and list of players to watch as games get underway next week.
Texas Tech unanimously sits atop the preseason poll after receiving all `10 possible first-place votes for 100 points. Oklahoma State sits second with 87 points and one first-place vote that tied with Tech. Tied for third is Arizona and Arizona State with 77 points apiece.
Last season, the Red Raiders tore through the conference with a 20-4 mark en route to finishing the season 54-14 overall in Year 1 with head coach Gerry Glasco.
It was also the first year having pitcher NiJaree Canady in Lubbock. The former player and pitcher of the year enters his fourth and final year of collegiate softball looking to continue etching her name into the record books.
The star pitcher was a unanimous First Team All-American and the NFCA Pitcher of the Year in 2025 with a remarkable 0.89 earned run average in the circle. Canady also led the team in home runs last season with 11 as a utility hitter.
She leads a large group of Red Raiders to see themselves named to the Big 12 All-Conference Preseason Team.
Texas Tech has an astounding seven representatives earning All-Conference recognition. The team with the next-most is Oklahoma State, Arizona and Arizona State with two players each.
In addition to returning so much talent, Glasco made a splash in the portal as soon as the team got back from Oklahoma City. It was a clear all-in commitment to this season being even more historic than last.
The Preseason All-Conference group includes four returners from last year's WCWS team (Allred, Canady, Davis, Johnson) and a trio of transfer portal recruits (Burns, Pannell, Terry).
The Red Raiders get the year underway on Feb. 5 at the McNeese Tournament in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Texas Tech will play McNeese State, North Texas and Louisiana Monroe at the event.