Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady breaks down after heavy pitching load in Women’s College World Series

Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady threw every pitch for the Red Raiders in the Women’s College World Series through the first two games of the championship series and the first inning of the third.

Canady, who has signed a second NIL deal worth more than $1 million, finally broke down and was pulled after the first inning of Game 3 against Texas on Friday. After dominating much of the World Series, the two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association Pitcher of the Year gave up five hits and five earned runs on 25 pitches.

Canady threw 88 pitches on Wednesday, 107 on Thursday and started Friday in the game that will decide the championship.

She had no doubt she was going to pitch, despite going the distance in the previous five World Series games.

“I’m always going to play — like throw my game, throw what I’m confident in,” Canady said after a 4-3 win over Texas in Game 2. “It’s gotten me through three years, so I’m just going to keep doing that.”

Cat Osterman, one of the most decorated pitchers in U.S. softball history, says the heavy pitching load has taken a toll on Canady and Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan, but it’s not quite like if a baseball pitcher did it. Osterman said because of the way a softball is released, fighting through is more about endurance and leg strength than arm pain.

“It’s more of being fatigued than it is being sore or painful,” she said. “Obviously, with baseball guys, like it’s a five day recovery period. And I know the upper body probably feels a lot worse than anything. And that’s not the case for us.”

Osterman, who is a general manager of the Volts in the Athletes Unlimited softball league that begins play Saturday, said softball pitching still is tough on the body.

“I’m not going to say there’s not effort and strain on the arms, because absolutely there is, but it’s not as much the arm as it is the legs,” she said. “And so for us, it’s a matter of can you train your body to have enough endurance, core and lower half, to sustain the impact of 200 pitches a day, etc.

Osterman played for Texas back in the day when there were no off days at the World Series. Canady had breaks between games three times during this World Series. The first two were earned because of wins. The third was because there’s an off day built into the schedule before the championship series.

Osterman said she understands why Canady kept going. Osterman, for all she achieved, never won a national title because she pitched during one of UCLA’s championship runs.

“I mean, when you’re this close to winning a national championship, there’s nerves, there’s adrenaline,” she said. “It all plays a part.”

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