Coach Patty Gasso Addresses Rumors About NiJaree Canady Joining the OU Sooners
“OU softball needs pitching, and NiJaree Canady is searching for a new team. The Stanford star and the Sooners seem like an ideal match, but as of now, nothing is confirmed,” said Gasso.
Well, isn’t that something? As OU softball aims to strengthen its pitching roster following its historic fourth straight national championship, the nation’s top pitcher is reportedly available.
NiJaree Canady, Stanford’s standout named the 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, has officially entered the NCAA transfer portal, according to D1 Softball. KSNT 27, a TV station from her hometown of Topeka, Kansas, first reported her intention to transfer.
Canady posted a remarkable 24-7 record with a 0.73 ERA over 230⅔ innings last season, striking out 337 batters and walking just 44. She led Stanford to their second consecutive Women’s College World Series appearance, helping the Cardinal reach the national quarterfinals again in 2024.
Throughout her career, Canady boasts a 41-10 record with a 0.66 ERA over 366⅓ innings, accumulating 555 strikeouts and 65 walks. After throwing 135 innings in 2023 and earning Freshman of the Year honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, she was even more crucial to Stanford in 2024.
Canady pitched the fourth-most innings nationally, including all 26 innings of Stanford’s games at the 2024 WCWS in Oklahoma City. This makes her a logical transfer portal candidate for Oklahoma, where Coach Patty Gasso needs pitchers who can handle significant innings. However, Canady wouldn’t have to bear the entire load in Norman, as Gasso has been cautious with pitcher usage after overworking Paige Parker during the 2016 and 2017 championship runs.
Oklahoma State transfer Kelly Maxwell led OU in innings in 2024, with 155⅓ frames—75⅓ fewer than Canady pitched for Stanford this year.
Run support is also vital for a pitcher’s success. OU had the second-best offense in the country in 2024, averaging 7.85 runs per game, compared to Stanford’s 4.61 runs per game, which ranked 109th nationally. Without Canady’s dominant pitching, Stanford likely wouldn’t have made it to the final four in 2024.
Despite losing ten seniors, OU’s offense is expected to be strong in 2024, led by freshman All-Americans Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering, and supported by Hannah Coor, Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, and Maya Bland. The 2024 recruiting class includes highly-touted prospects like infielders Sydney Barker, Gabbie Garcia, Kadey McKay, and Tia Milloy, catchers Corri Hicks and Riley Zache, and outfielder Chaney Helton.
OU’s pitching staff will undergo changes with Maxwell, Nicole May, and Karlie Keeney exhausting their eligibility, and SJ Geurin entering the transfer portal. Returning pitchers include Kierston Deal and Paytn Monticelli, who both showed promise last season, along with incoming freshman Audrey Lowry, the 2023-24 Gatorade Player of the Year in Indiana.
Adding a pitcher with extensive postseason experience, like Canady, would be ideal for OU. While Deal and Monticelli have some NCAA Tournament experience, Canady’s 98 innings in the postseason over the past two years would be invaluable.
Would OU’s relative youth deter Canady? She might consider playing for a more experienced SEC team like Florida or Texas, or even return home to Kansas, similar to Jordy Bahl’s move to Nebraska. However, this seems unlikely given the competitive landscape.
Despite occasional struggles in 2024, OU remains a top contender. This sense of inevitability extends to the transfer portal as well. Given the program’s “Championship Mindset,” the new Love’s Field stadium, and the opportunity to work with pitching coach Jennifer Rocha, Canady might find it hard to turn down OU.
OU also has a potential advantage in student manager KJ Miller, a longtime friend of Canady from Topeka, which might influence her decision.
Joining OU would make Canady a central figure in the softball-crazed Sooner State, potentially boosting her national profile.
Ultimately, two things are clear: OU needs pitching, and NiJaree Canady needs a new home. The Sooners and the Stanford star seem like a perfect match. How good? We’ll find out soon.
