Game #1 Info: 5/28 @ 11:00 a.m. on ESPN
Final Score: Texas Tech 8, Mississippi State 0
Links: Recap | Box score
Key Pitchers: Nijaree Canady 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 SO; Kaitlyn Terry 1.0 IP
Key Hitters: Jackie Lis 2-3, 1 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI; Mihyia Davis 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI; Mia Williams 1-1, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB; Lauren Allred 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI

Texas Tech jumped out early on Mississippi State with a Lis 2-run homer and never looked back. The Davis score at the plate was all hustle as was the Terry score to end it. Before you know it, Mississippi State was run-ruled and the game was over. And Taylor Pannell will face her former team in Tennessee and her former coach who accused Texas Tech of tampering.

Game #2 Info: Texas Tech vs. Tennessee, 5/30 @ 2:00 p.m. on ABC
Final Score: Tennessee 2, Texas Tech 1
Links: Recap | Box score
Key Pitchers: Kaitlyn Terry 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 SO; Nijaree Canady 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 7 SO
Key Hitters: Lauren Allred 1-3; Taylor Pannell 1-4, 1 R

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese: War of words extends after Texas Tech, Tennessee softball WCWS game

“We were walking through the line, just saying good game,” Pannell said, “and (Weekly) said that I made a mistake instead of good game, which, it’s kind of crazy, like celebrate with the team, and I just think it’s funny she’s still thinking about it, but it’s old news, whatever.”

Gerry Glasco said he had no idea the alleged incident occurred. He went through the handshake line as normal.

“It happened behind me,” Glasco said. “I don’t know exactly what happened.”

Weekly denied ever saying this to Pannell to the Knoxville News Sentinel, saying, “If you rewatch at the tape of the handshake line, you’re going to see me go just as fast by her as anybody else,” Weekly said. “I didn’t even know where she was in the handshake line … that’s an outright lie. I said good game like I said to every other player.”

Game #3 Info: Texas Tech vs. UCLA, 5/31 @ 6:00 p.m. on ESPN
Final Score: Texas Tech 8, UCLA 7
Links: Recap | Box score
Key Pitchers: Nijaree Canady 4.0 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO; Kaitlyn Terry 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO
Key Hitters: Mia Williams 3-5, 1 HR, 3 R, 1 RBI; Taylor Pannell 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI; Mihyia Davis 3-6, 1 R; Lauren Allred 1-2, 2 RBI, 2 BB; Kaitlyn Terry 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB; Jasmyn Burns 1-3, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB; Hailey Toney 2-5, 1 R

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese: Texas Tech softball’s team identity shines in WCWS win over UCLA

Canady and Terry’s willingness to share the load spreads to the Red Raiders, who can often be swapped in and out of the lineup at any moment to give Texas Tech the best chance to win. In addition to the nine starters for the game, Glasco also inserted five additional subs (including Canady, who came on in relief) to get the job done.

While Mia Williams and Jasmyn Burns hit home runs in the victory, Hailey Toney (who had been in and out of the batting order as she works through a hitting slump) had her first multi-hit game since May 2. Desirae Spearman got one at-bat and had her first hit since May 8.

Game #4 Info: 6/1 @ 6:00 p.m. on ESPN
Final Score: Texas Tech 5, Alabama 4
Links: Recap | Box score
Key Pitchers: Kaitlyn Terry 4.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 SO; Nijaree Canady 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 SO
Key Hitters: Mia Williams 1-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI; Lauren Allred 1-3, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI; Taylor Pannell 2-3, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI; Hailey Toney 2-3, 1 RBI

No. 11 Texas Tech has forced a second game in the Women’s College World Series Semifinals with a 5-4 win over No. 1 Alabama with Williams delivering a walk-off home run at Devon Park. The decisive game between the Red Raiders (60-8) and the Crimson Tide (56-8) to determine who reaches the WCWS Finals is set to begin at 9:09 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN. The winner will face No. 2 Texas at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the first game of the WCWS Finals.

Tied at 4 after Alabama’s Jana Young hit a two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning, Williams led off the bottom of the seventh and hit her 26th home run of the season to give the Red Raiders the win. Tech hit three home runs in the game with Taylor Pannell giving the Red Raiders a 4-2 lead with a two-run shot in the fifth after a solo homer by Lauren Allred in the third. Pannell and Hailey Toney led the Red Raiders with both infielders going 2-for-3 at the plate while Jackie Lis and Kaitlyn Terry both had singles in an eight-hit game for Tech. Toney gave the Red Raiders a 1-0 lead with a double in the second inning for the game’s first run. Williams finished the game 1-for-4 and now has a team-leading 85 RBI this season with the walk-off home run.

Game #5 Info: 6/1 @ 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
Final Score: Texas Tech 2, Alabama 0
Links: Recap | Box score
Key Pitchers: Nijaree Canady 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 SO
Key Hitters: Jasmyn Burns 2-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI; Mihyia Davis 2-3, 1 R

NiJaree Canady (29-6) threw a dominant complete-game shutout and Jasmyn Burns hit a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning for the Red Raiders (61-8) who had forced the decisive game with a 5-4 win in the first game of the night. Top-seeded Alabama (56-9) had its season end after being limited to only two hits against Canady who had six strikeouts after also recording the win in the first game.

“I’m just so proud of my girls,” Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco said. “They really bought in. I feel like the last 30 days that we just have come together and became a whole different team. They’re just playing for each other so well now. They’re finding ways. I thought all night we talked about two games, KT and NiJa, were just so outstanding. Then to share the ball and to it do the way they do, amazing. NiJa had 57 pitches at the end of the first game. I thought we could get four or five out of her, and we can go back to KT, who had 70. NiJa, that was the 2025 version of NiJa Canady.”

Texas Tech will play Texas beginning on Wednesday, June 3rd:

• Championship Game #1 Info: 6/3 @ 7:00 p.m. on ESPN
• Championship Game #2 Info: 6/4 @ 7:00 p.m. on ESPN
• Championship Game #3 Info (if necessary): 6/5 @ 7:00 p.m. on ESPN

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese: Vintage NiJaree Canady puts Texas Tech softball back in WCWS finals

Texas Tech got the win in Game 1 courtesy of a walk-off home run from Mia Williams. Canady then got the ball to start Game 2, a win-or-go-home game for both teams, and reminded everybody exactly who she is.

In perhaps her best pitching performance of the season (in which she’s pitched a no-hitter and a perfect game), Canady completed the first complete-game effort from Texas Tech’s pitchers in the postseason, striking out six batters, allowing just four base runners all game (two hits, one walk, one hit-by-pitch) and securing the Red Raiders’ return to the national championship series.

“Coach Tara just kept saying to go at hitters,” Canady said, “and, I don’t know, I just kept reminding myself timid has no power.”