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Rebuilding Red Raiders: Demi Elder Leads Texas Tech on Historic WCWS Run

Nicole Reitz|
Jun 2, 2025; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders outfielder Demi Elder (2) yells after hitting a triple and driving in a run in the second inning against the Oklahoma Sooners during the NCAA Softball Women's College World Series semifinal game at Devon Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images
Jun 2, 2025; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders outfielder Demi Elder (2) yells after hitting a triple and driving in a run in the second inning against the Oklahoma Sooners during the NCAA Softball Women's College World Series semifinal game at Devon Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

For the first time in five years, college softball will have a new national champion, and that’s all due to the impressive season the Texas Tech Red Raiders have put together under head coach Gerry Glasco, who has deemed he would win in any capacity since taking the job a year ago in June. 

After taking down the four-time defending champions Oklahoma Sooners, on Monday night, the Red Raiders shocked the nation and certainly proved who they are. 

Texas Tech is the first program in WCWS history to reach the championship series in its debut trip to Oklahoma City, coincidentally, a feat the Sooners accomplished in 2000.

However, it has been quite a rebuilding effort for the program to reach this point. The highly esteemed Glasco took over after leading the Louisiana softball program, where he built the Ragin’ Cajuns into a top-25 team that boasted an impressive .773 winning percentage during his seven-year tenure.  

He brought with him five players, while several others transferred out. Notably, 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Ni'Jaree Canady transferred in from Stanford and made headlines, becoming the first college softball player to earn $1 million in NIL deals. 

But the walk-off and first-ever trip to the championship in Texas Tech history means something more profound to the one remaining senior, Demi Elder, who has been through every up and down one player can imagine with a single program. 

Three coaches over four years, and recruited by an entirely different coach before she arrived on campus, she has never been to the postseason, and has never been part of a truly established culture. 

She has felt the pain of losses and the weight of uncertainty, so why not take the transfer portal route? The outfielder set career highs in batting average, runs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBIs, total bases, slugging, walks, and on-base percentage in 2024 and could have landed at another well-established home. 

The Texas native claims she is happy right where she is. 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way," Elder said in the post-game press conference. I seriously wouldn’t change anything. Obviously, there’s been a lot of ups and downs in my career, but this feeling when we walked it off was everything. I wouldn’t change it for the world.” 

Elder’s RBI triple kicked off the two-run second inning and was a pivotal piece in the historic win. A moment that she has earned through these last four years in Lubbock.

While Oklahoma’s ace, Sam Landry, watched Glasco and five of her former Cajun teammates move on to the finals, she couldn’t be happier for Texas Tech and what they have built this year. 

“It's bittersweet,” Landry said in the post-game press conference. “I wished him luck going forward. Neither one of us wanted to be where we met in the postseason. Super happy for them. That's a lot of my old teammates. I'm glad they're getting to experience it.” 

Texas Tech remains on a 12-game winning streak going back to its regular-season finale at BYU. In a season full of firsts, they’ll collect another one on Wednesday as they take on the Texas Longhorns and play for a national championship. 

More News: Texas Tech Softball Shocks Oklahoma, Advances to WCWS Finals for First Time

More News: Texas Tech Softball Head Coach Gerry Glasco’s Championship Pursuit in WCWS Driven by Love, Loss, and Legacy

More News: OU Softball's Sam Landry Could Square Off Against Biggest Supporter – Now Texas Tech’s Head Coach

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Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018 .Her work has been published in various publications like Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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