Texas Tech Wins Back-to-Back Big 12 Titles with Arizona State Sweep
No. 5 Texas Tech clinched back-to-back outright Big 12 regular season titles with a 7–1 win over No. 24 Arizona State on Sunday, finishing off a road sweep and mathematically locking up the conference crown with three games still left to play.
For a program that had never won a Big 12 title prior to last season, the Red Raiders now have two and they did it the same way they have all year: dominant in the circle, deep at the plate.
NiJaree Canady delivered another ace performance, working five innings and allowing just one run (unearned), while navigating through some traffic. She scattered three hits and worked around four walks, keeping Arizona State from ever building momentum on the scoreboard. The win marked her 20th of the season, another milestone for one of the best to ever do it.
After she exited in the sixth, sophomore Samantha Lincoln took over and shut the door. The left-hander allowed just one hit across the final two innings, striking out two and stranding a runner to end any chance of a Sun Devil rally to secure the win.
Texas Tech’s offense definitely made life easier on the pitching by getting on the board early and often. They first broke through in the second inning with a Hailey Toney RBI double, followed by a Victoria Valdez groundout that pushed across another run. An inning later, Taylor Pannell opened things up with a two-run home run to left to extend the lead to 4–1. Yet another two-out rally which was a theme of the series fro the Red Raiders, perhaps a good omen for postseason magic ahead.
Joining Pannell to lead the way at the plate on Sunday was Mia Williams. The junior finished 3-for-4 while adding her team-leading 18th home run of the season in the sixth, a solo shot that stretched the advantage to 5-1.
Texas Tech added two more in the seventh, capitalizing on pressure on the bases. Mihyia Davis came around after forcing a throwing error on a steal of third, and Williams followed with an RBI single to cap her big day.
In total, the Red Raiders racked up 10 hits and scored in four different innings. The sweep not only secured the conference title, it keeps Texas Tech trending upward nationally. Entering the day at No. 11 in RPI, the Red Raiders are positioning themselves for a potential top-10 spot as postseason seeding approaches.
A season that has rewritten the program record book: 107 home runs, 453 RBIs, 32 run-rule wins, 11 consecutive hitless innings against opponents, and four no-hitters — two from Canady and two from Kaitlyn Terry. Texas Tech now sits at 19–2 in Big 12 play, having already locked up the Big 12 title with one series to play as they host Baylor next weekend in Lubbock.
Before that though they have a scheduled midweek with Tarleton State on Tuesday, if that holds as planned you could see a Big 12 Championship celebration at the newly minted Tracy Sellers Field that night fans. Stay tuned to the team page for more information.
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