Texas Tech is college softball's new villain — and the Red Raiders don't care

LUBBOCK, Texas — When Texas Tech rolled through the softball postseason last spring, collecting its first-ever Regional and Super Regional titles along the way, the Red Raiders became the darlings of the 2025 Women’s College World Series.Led by pitcher NiJaree Canady’s million-dollar arm — the ace received a lucrative name, image and likeness deal to transfer from Stanford to Tech before her junior season — and signature foot stomp, Texas Tech dazzled die-hards and casual fans, serving notice in a world long dominated by Oklahoma and other SEC schools that the revamped Big 12 was still going to be a factor.Advertisement