NiJaree Canady and Kaitlyn Terry made the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year top 25, a first-time program milestone for Texas Tech.
Texas Tech softball just added another milestone to a season that already feels historic.
NiJaree Canady and Kaitlyn Terry were both named top-25 finalists for the 2026 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, marking the first time Texas Tech has placed two players on the list in the same season.
The award honors the nation’s top college softball player and will be announced before the Women’s College World Series begins May 28.
For Canady, this is familiar territory. The senior pitcher has now reached the top 25 for the fourth straight season, a reflection of both her consistency and dominance.
She’s one of only two active players with 1,000 career strikeouts and the only active player with at least 95 wins and 1,000 strikeouts.
Her 2026 numbers back it up. Canady is 20-3 with a 1.38 ERA, 179 strikeouts in 127 innings, 11 complete games and two saves. Opposing hitters are batting just .139 against the two-time NFCA Pitcher of the Year.
Terry’s rise has been one of the biggest stories in Lubbock. The junior two-way standout is 20-1 in the circle with a 1.48 ERA, 125 strikeouts and only 39 walks across 104 innings.
At the plate, she leads the Red Raiders with a .489 batting average, 10 home runs, 50 RBI, a 1.405 OPS and 10 stolen bases.
Even more impressive, Terry has produced 24 extra-base hits while allowing just 21 as a pitcher.
Texas Tech, ranked No. 2/4 nationally, now turns its attention to a home series against Baylor beginning Thursday at Tracy Sellers Field. With Canady and Terry leading the way, the Red Raiders don’t just have star power.
They’ve got two legitimate national player of the year candidates.
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