By Michael Kinney
OKLAHOMA CITY– Coach Jessica Allister knew she had something. When she first began recruiting Nijaree Canady to Stanford University, she knew right away she was a program changer.
However, not even Allister could have envisioned the type of performance Canady has put forth in her first Women’s College World Series. The true freshman has the Cardinal in a position to move on and play in their first championship series since they last won it all in 2004.
Sunday Canady pitched a complete game, one-hit shutout to lead Stanford past Pac-12 rival Washington 1-0 in a crucial elimination game that kept her squad alive in the WCWS.
“I don’t think you expect anyone to put together the year that she had. I think it’s unrealistic to put those expectations on anyone. But we knew she was special. Also, we knew she was special when we were recruiting her,” Allister said. “When I called NiJaree on September 1st, I told her, I think you’re the best pitcher in the country. It wasn’t a “let’s bring you in here and bring a couple of other pitchers in here and see who says yes.’ She was my first phone call, and I told her, I think you’re the best pitcher in the country, and I think that I have proven to be correct.”
In three games at the WCWS, Canady has thrown 215 pitches in 13.2 innings. She has struck out 19 batters and walked just two.
In Canady’s two starts, she has allowed two runs against No. 1 Oklahoma and then shut out Washington in Sunday’s elimination game.
Canady closed out the contest by striking out the final batter of the game and then stomped down on the pitching mound as she let out a scream.
“I was just trying to get the out honestly,” Canady said. “I feel like getting a strikeout is the best way to end the game.”
According to Stanford’s Kylie Chung, what Canady is doing in the WCWS is just a continuation of what the freshman has done the entire season in route to racking up a 17-2 record and being selected to the First Team All-Pac-12 and the TUCCI/NFCA Division I Freshman of the Year. While wasn’t voted the conference’s pitcher or freshman of the year, she is the last one standing.
“I’ve been watching her do it for a few months now,” said Chung, who had the game-winning RBI Sunday. “It’s just unbelievable. When we hit against her in the fall, it’s got about the same result that you’re seeing all these other people have. It’s just awesome to see other people get struck out and not us. But she’s electric. Watching her stomp up on the mound and get excited. It just pumps us up even more. I love watching her play. I’m so excited to get to see her play for two more years.”
When Chung talked about struggling against Canady in the fall, Allister laughed and later described how frustrated her hitting coaches had gotten.
“Kylie’s not wrong. The fall when we faced her over and over and over again, it looked a lot like this,” Allister said. “Actually, Jessica Merchant, who works a lot with our hitters, I thought was about to tear her hair out. I think with every game that she continues to do it against other people, it makes her happier and happier.”
Canady is a native of Topeka, Kan., and played her prep ball at Topeka High. In her final two seasons, she combined to rack up a 34-1 record with 395 strikeouts and was named the Kansas Softball Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior and senior.
With Topeka being just a little over three hours away from Oklahoma City, Canady has played at USA Hall of Fame Stadium numerous times as part of the Alliance All-Star team.
Yet, Canady admits the Women’s College World Series is a much different level than anything she has played in before.
“I can’t believe I’m here right now,” Canady said. “This is the biggest stage to play softball on. To have an opportunity to play here with this team, it’s incredible.”
In order to keep the dream going, the Cardinal will have to get past the Sooners Monday. The two teams will face each other for the third time this season, with OU winning the previous two.
If Stanford wins the first game, the two teams will turn back around and play one more time with a trip to the championship series on the line.
Allister hasn’t announced whether Canady will take the mound in what will be Stanford’s third straight elimination contest. But it seems unfeasible to imagine the Cardinal getting past Oklahoma, who is riding a 50 game win streak, without Canady having a hand in the outcome in some manner.
“Coach Allister always talks about slowing the game down, especially in this atmosphere, just trying to slow the game down,” Canady said. “I try to take a lot of deep breaths and just throw each pitch the best I can.”
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