Texas Tech Softball takes on No. 13 Arizona for three-game set

Riding a 14-game win streak, Texas Tech will face its strongest Big 12 opponent of the season in the Arizona Wildcats for a three-game series.

At 25-1, the Red Raiders have been nearly perfect, only stumbling against now-No. 3 Nebraska and in an exhibition game versus Team Japan. With just the one official loss, Texas Tech ranks third in the nation behind 23-0 Tennessee and 23-1 Texas.

Arizona is the highest-ranking Big 12 team besides Texas Tech, slotting in at No. 13 according to D1 Softball. The Wildcats are 20-5 and undefeated in the Big 12 following a sweep of BYU last week.

Here’s what to expect across the three-game set in Lubbock, Texas.

Canaday stays hot

This may be one of her toughest matchups of the year, but NiJaree Canady is up for the challenge against Arizona’s high-powered offense. Canady just became the first pitcher in Texas Tech softball history with three no-hitters, blanking Houston in the Big 12 opener.

Canady is 9-1 with a 0.98 ERA. Over her last six appearances, Canady hasn’t allowed a single earned run, striking out 46 batters and surrendering three hits across just over 25 innings. The senior ranks 10th in the nation in ERA.

In 2025, Canady faced the Wildcats four times, posting a 3-1 record. She allowed two runs in two of those outings and shut out Arizona in the remaining games. She’ll want to punch out more batters this time around, as she failed to reach double-digits in any of Texas Tech’s games against Arizona last season.

Runs for the Raiders

Across their last 10 games, the Red Raiders have scored no lower than seven runs in a game, and are averaging 14.1 runs. They tagged Houston pitchers for 10, 11 and 12 runs in order across the weekend sweep.

It’s hard to point to one reason why the Red Raiders offense has been so potent. Kaitlyn Terry, who has been an outstanding second pitcher behind Canady as well, leads the team with a .574 average. Second baseman Mia Williams and catcher Lagi Quiroga share the team homerun lead with 10 apiece, also both boasting an OPS above 1.500. Mihiya Davis is a dynamo leadoff hitter and baserunner, batting .511 with 25 stolen bases.

As a whole, the team has a ridiculous .415 batting average, good for second in the country. The Red Raiders rank top-five nationally in other notable hitting stats as well, such as home runs, hits, slugging percentage and runs. Texas Tech’s 273 total runs ranks third in the NCAA, only behind UCLA’s 280 and Oklahoma’s 351.

The Dangerous Wildcats

Arizona has the potential to be Texas Tech’s biggest threat for the Big 12 championship. The Wildcats are on an eight game win streak, most recently sweeping BYU with three-straight mercy rule victories. Two of their losses were to Oklahoma, the best offense in the country, and two more were to Texas, who ranks higher than the Red Raiders.

Sophomore Sereniti Trice is the biggest weapon in Arizona’s lineup, hitting .545 while starting all 25 games. Trice isn’t a power threat, but can slap the ball to all fields and is one of the fastest players in college softball. Catcher Sydney Stewart leads Arizona with eight home runs, and as a whole the team has an impressive 1.047 OPS.

The Wildcats will rotate primarily between two pitchers during the series– Rylie Holder and Jalen Adams. Adams has the most appearances with 19, starting 11 games and accumulating a 2.68 ERA. Holder’s ERA is slightly better at 2.50, but the freshman has 20 less innings pitched. Neither starter has many strikeouts. Across over 100 combined innings, Holder and Adams only have 43 punch outs. The Arizona defense will certainly be busy against Texas Tech’s red hot offense.

The series begins Friday, March 13 at Rocky Johnson Field in Lubbock, Texas. Games two and three will be played on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

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