By james art One of Jerry Glasco’s accomplishments since taking over as head coach of the Texas Tech softball team in late June has been assembling the top-rated transfer class. The group, of course, is headlined by national player of the year NiJaree Canady, who was touted during the Red Raiders’ fall exhibition series.
Canady continued his dominant ways Thursday night at Rocky Johnson Field, striking out nine Lubbock Christian batters in five innings of work. She allowed her first base runner of the fall when she hit an LCU batter. The Stanford transfer then settled in, breaking out of the jam to continue his near-perfect slump.
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“We’re trying to get used to her,” Glasco said of Canady, “trying to figure out what she wants to be called, what she wants her pitches to be called and working the pattern and just getting her used to it and getting her settled comfortable.”
In Tech’s three fall games so far, Canady has gone 12 innings, striking out 27 of the 37 batters she’s faced, walking none and leaving a trail of zeros on the scoreboard.
But Canady’s exploits are only part of the equation for Glasco in his first year in Lubbock. He brought with him a host of Louisiana talent that was also impressive. Mihyia Davis, for example, was 6-for-6 in Texas Tech’s 17-1 win over LCU.
Yet perhaps the young, inexperienced players stood out the earliest.
Former head coach Craig Snyder put together a 2024 recruiting class that was ranked No. 2 in the country by Extra Inning Softball. Glasco felt he could keep this class of seven players together and accomplished that goal, even adding to it when he arrived.
Freshmen have played big roles so far this fall. Haley Tawney (Magnolia West) and Bailey Lindemuth (Burleson Centennial) start at shortstop and third base, while manning the No. 2 and No. 3 batting order, respectively.
“(Bailey) and Haley are just elite-level freshman defenders on third-and-down,” Glasco said. “(We’re) trying to get them where they’re going to be comfortable in February when we get into the real season. The crowd that’s really good here tonight is really good for these freshmen to be able to play in front of that crowd and get used to spring coming in.”
Aledo’s Brenly Gonzalez also has a notable role. The left-handed pitcher struck out the side in his first inning Thursday and fanned two of the game’s final three batters.
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“That changeup is elite,” Glasco said of Gonzalez. “She just makes people look stupid with her. It was one of the big surprises of the fall…”
In six innings of relief, Gonzalez has recorded 14 hits of her own.
Texas Tech has two more showcases against other teams this fall, returning to action Thursday to play LCU again, this time at Maner Park. The Red Raiders will close out the fall with four games between the teams at Rocky Johnson Field Nov. 19-22.