Stanford University’s NiJaree Canady was chosen this week as the 2023 TUCCI/NFCA Division I Freshman of the Year, the Association revealed on Tuesday evening at the 2023 NCAA Women’s College World Series banquet in Oklahoma City.
Canady is the nation’s leader in ERA (0.48), strikeouts per seven innings (11.7) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.95), while ranking third in hits allowed per seven innings (3.34).
Over 116.1 innings of work, she is 16-1 and leads the Cardinal with 193 strikeouts and a 0.64 WHIP, while walking only 19 and holding her opponents to a miniscule .138 batting average.
She played a pivotal role in the Cardinal advancing to the Women’s College World Series for the first time since 2004 as Stanford was a perfect 5-0 during its run to the WCWS. During that stretch, Canady was 2-0 with a 0.40 ERA and 25 strikeouts to just one walk over 17.1 innings of work.
Joining Canady as finalists were Duke University’s D’Auna Jennings and Indiana University’s Taryn Kern.
The winner was voted by the Association’s Division I All-America Committee. For more information about all NFCA Awards, visit nfca.org.
Previous winners include Jordy Bahl (2022 – Oklahoma), Tiare Jennings (2021 – Oklahoma), Danielle Williams (2019 – Northwestern), Jocelyn Alo (2018, Oklahoma), Rachel Garcia (2017 – UCLA), Amanda Lorenz (2016 – Florida), Paige Parker (2015 – Oklahoma) and inaugural recipients – Annie Aldrete (Tennessee) and Kasey Cooper (Auburn) – in 2014. The award was not presented in 2020.
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A year ago this month, Extra Inning Softball did a spotlight on the outstanding pitcher as she was finishing up a fantastic career at the high school and club levels… here’s that inter
EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT: NIJAREE CANADY
Originally published June 30, 2022 on Extra Inning Softball
Stanford-bound P NiJaree Canady, #11 in the 2022 Extra Elite 100, who is at the Triple Crown Colorado 4th of July this week, recently talked to Extra Inning Softball about Louisville Lady Sluggers 18U-Huecker, the team to beat in the 18U division, Odicci Alexander, making chainsaw noises and winning a state championship for Topeka High in Kansas…
Also, as a bonus, here’s what we wrote about here in her 2022 Extra Elite 100 bio from Nov. 2021:
T-11—Nijaree Canady, IF, Louisville Lady Sluggers (Stanford)
“Nija” was the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year for 2020-2021 and earned Class 6A 1st Team All-State honors after going 21-0 with 13 home runs, a .478 batting average and 49 RBIs while recording 232 strikeouts and producing a minuscule 0.26 ERA to help her team win the softball title. She also helped her Topeka High team make a state title run in basketball where she averaged 20.3 points and 12.3 rebounds enroute to making it to the championship final. “Nija is a special young lady that only comes along every once in a great while,” her club head coach Jim Huecker says. “She has the ability on the field to control the game in the circle and is as feared as any hitter in the game.” The standout student-athlete finalized her college choice to attend Stanford on October 13, 2021. “Every coach that has recruited her,” adds Coach Huecker, “has stated that they feel she’s a player we will talk about for a long, long time.”
EXTRA ELITE Q&A
Name: NiJaree Canady
Hometown: Topeka, KS
High School: Topeka High
Club Team: Louisville Lady Sluggers 18U-Huecker
Grad Year: 2022
Height: 6-foot
Position: P
Nickname: Nija
Twitter: @CanadyNijaree
Honors: League and City Newcomer of the Year (2019); 1st Team All-League (2019); 1st Team All-City (2019); City Player of the Year (2021); 1st Team All-City and 1st Team All-League (2021); 1st Team All-State (2021); 6A Player of the Year (2021); Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year (2021); MaxPreps All-American (2021); Alliance All-Tournament Team (2021); Sports in Kansas All-State Top 9 Player (2021); Sports in Kansas All-Classes Player of the Year (2021); Sports in Kansas 6A Player of the Year (2021); Shawnee County Player of the Year (2022); 1st Team All-City (2022); 1st Team All-League (2022); 1st Team All-State (2022); Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year (2022); Alliance All-Tournament Team (2022); Alliance Under Armour All-Star Game player (2022); Alliance Final Forty (2022); Sports in Kansas All-State Top 9 Player (2022); Sports in Kansas All-Classes Player of the Year (2022); and Sports in Kansas 6A Player of the Year (2022).
Tell us about playing for the Louisville Lady Sluggers how you became involved with them…
I play with the Louisville Lady Sluggers out of Louisville, KY. One day when I was in the eighth grade, Coach (Jim) Huecker saw me play and I had hit one of the furthest home runs of my life. From then on, I’ve been on the 18U Louisville Sluggers!
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