D1 Softball RPI Ranking: #12<\/a><\/p>\n Softball America Ranking: #4<\/a><\/p>\n NFCA\/GoRout Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll Ranking: #2<\/a><\/p>\n This is how Texas Tech can win their first national softball championship.<\/p>\n The biggest advantage Texas Tech has is NiJaree Canady. She is a two-time National Pitcher of the Year and a member of the USA Softball national team. She is the \u201cace\u201d needed to win a Women’s College World Series, and her pitching in last year’s NCAA Tournament was a major factor in the Red Raiders’ advancing to the national championship game. <\/p>\n In the double-elimination format of the WCWS, a dominant pitcher can carry a team through the winner\u2019s bracket. Texas Tech has to manage their starting pitchers’ workload in the Regionals and Super Regionals to make sure they are ready for the WCWS in Oklahoma City. Relief pitchers such as Desirae Spearman and Kaitlyn Terry must provide quality innings in the early rounds to keep Canady from throwing more pitches than she needs to before the best-of-three championship series.<\/p>\n Coach Glasco is one of the best offensive minds for college softball in the country. This season’s roster includes veteran hitters Mikayla Davis, Alana Johnson, and Jackie Lis. Tech\u2019s patience at the plate and power-hitting ability with Spearman and freshman sensation Ariel Arambula put opposing pitchers in high-stress counts. They have scored five or more runs in their last seven games, and during that stretch, they scored 11 or more runs in three of those games.<\/p>\n Texas Tech has secured the No. 1 seed for the Big 12 Tournament. Their goal now is to earn a top-8 national seed in the NCAA Tournament, because the top-8 seeds get the regional and super regional rounds played on their home fields. It is highly likely they get one of those top eight seeds and play their games before the WCWS at Tracy Sellers Field in Lubbock. Statistically, the easiest path to the World Series is having home-field advantage, and the Red Raiders this season at home are 15-1.<\/p>\n This Texas Tech roster has the memories and experience of playing on the biggest stage after being national runners-up in last year’s NCAA tournament. They wouldn’t be bothered by the lights and national media attention in Oklahoma City if they returned to play in the national championship game.<\/p>\n They have two remaining scheduled regular-season games before they play in the Big 12 tournament. Getting the series sweep of Baylor helps them in their goal of securing a top-eight national seed for the NCAA Tournament, in hopes of putting them in the best position to win a national championship.<\/p>\n Latest Texas Tech News<\/p>\n Stay up-to-date on Texas Tech athletics by bookmarking\u00a0Texas Tech On\u00a0<\/a>SI and following us onX\/Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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