Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady seems intent on making up for Game 1 'mistake'
It's not like Texas Tech star pitcher NiJaree Canady is struggling to find motivation, but there's no doubt that last night's brutal loss to Texas will offer more.
With a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 6th inning, Canady stepped to the circle looking to put the Red Raiders one step closer to a Game 1 victory. But with a runner on 1st and 3rd, head coach Gerry Glasco made the decision to intentionally walk Texas' Reese Atwood, arguably the best hitter in the country. Traditionally, that's sound logic given the circumstances. But Canady, who has appeared nearly flawless in her time as a Red Raider, continued to put the ball within striking distance for Atwood during the intentional walk. Staring at a 3-0 count, Atwood took a big swing at Canady's fourth pitch and connected, sending the ball to the outfield and sending two runners to home plate.
LONGHORNS TAKE THE LEAD 🤘#WCWS x 🎥 ESPN / @TexasSoftball pic.twitter.com/jDxdkzX5y0
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 5, 2025
Texas took a 2-1 lead into the 7th, and it eventually led to a 1-0 lead for the Longhorns in the WCWS Championship.
In hindsight, it probably would have been a better call to let your $1 million pitcher do what she does best in those moments, and Glasco seemed to acknowledge that after the game.
"Maybe it was the wrong decision," Glasco said after the game. "Maybe we should have went at [Atwood]. I wanted to go to the 4 hole with the bases loaded, and you've got a force out at every single base. Anything gets hit, you've got a better chance of making a play. Let the 4 hole beat you instead of the star."
But Canady was having none of it. Following the game, she owned the mistake and put the loss on her shoulders.
"I made that mistake. I think that loss is on me, and I apologize to my team," Canady said. "I'm a college pitcher, I'm a junior now, so I should be able to do that. That's no excuse."
"That loss is on me."
— Cole Banker (@colebankertv) June 5, 2025
NiJaree Canady taking ownership following the intentional walk gone wrong in the sixth inning.#TexasTech | @RedRaiderNation pic.twitter.com/emzAM3YwA2
The Red Raiders now face an uphill battle as they look to claw their way back into the series. The winner of Game 1 in the WCWS has gone on to win the championship nearly 80 percent of the time, highlighting just how much of a missed opportunity it was for Texas Tech on Wednesday night. Now, heading into Game 2 on Thursday, the Red Raiders are fighting to stay alive.
And with Canady stepping into the circle looking to make up for last night's mistake, it's hard to bet against the Red Raiders tonight.
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Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. In January of 2025, he took over as Publisher for Maryland On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.
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