PHOENIX \u2013 When Kaitlyn Terry was 3, a purchase cemented her future softball career, all thanks to a marked-down left-handed mitt.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe went to the Nike outlet in Anthem. Right-handed gloves were like 50 or 60 bucks, and they had all the left-handed gloves marked down to $4,\u201d said Joe Terry, Kaitlyn’s father. \u201cAnd at that point, we decided she was going to be left-handed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little did her parents know that decision would shape her into the one-of-a-kind player she is today.<\/p>\n
The Glendale native is an all-around pitcher\/utility player for the Texas Tech Red Raiders and is competing for a national championship as Tech takes on the University of Texas in the championship series beginning Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s definitely a blessing playing for the people back in Arizona,\u201d Terry said. \u201cThere are not many players who come out of Arizona who can be in this position, so it\u2019s just playing for the people back in Arizona and playing for my family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Terry started playing softball at 4 and was already a step above the rest.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe always played up. She was always the youngest on her team until she was about 14,\u201d her father said. \u201cShe got to start playing with her own age, and actually started getting recruited, so it\u2019s been from there on up she was being recruited and watched.\u201d<\/p>\n
By 16, Terry was already committed to playing softball at the Division I level after playing at Greenway High School, but not with the Red Raiders.<\/p>\n
Terry spent her first two years of her collegiate career at UCLA.<\/p>\n
In her two seasons spent in California, Terry left her mark in the pitching circle, claiming Pac-12 First-Team honors her freshman year and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, and made it to the Women\u2019s College World Series.<\/p>\n
During her sophomore campaign, Terry moved from exclusively pitching to playing both ways, all while leading the Bruins’ pitchers with a 20-5 record, and once again making it to the WCWS.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a gamer, and we knew from a young age,\u201d said Kristy Terry, Kaitlyn\u2019s mother. \u201c She had the mindset when she was very young of the game in general. I think she had the mindset before she had a talent, per se.\u201d<\/p>\n
In June 2025, Terry announced on Instagram that she would transfer to Texas Tech for her junior year, standing out in all areas of the game.<\/p>\n
Dominating in the circle and at the plate, Terry is tied for first on the team in batting average at .438 and leads the team with a 1.80 ERA.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoach Glasco just lets me be me,\u201d Terry said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s maybe not something I got at my old school, but I think it\u2019s just playing for my younger self again, and they just brought a side out that I needed that I didn\u2019t get the past two years.\u201d<\/p>\n
What separates Terry is her drive to compete.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s just a competitor,\u201d her father said. \u201cShe doesn\u2019t want to lose. It doesn\u2019t matter to her who she\u2019s playing. Who\u2019s in the other dugout. She plays the exact same way every game; she just wants to win, and that\u2019s what drives her. She\u2019s always been like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Texas Tech softball coach Gerry Glasco appreciates her drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you watch KT, you see the ultimate competitor,\u201d Glasco said in a postgame press conference Sunday. \u201cJust greatness. The competitiveness is like a Bobby Hurley. Just greatness is what I see. Tonight I saw her and her greatness giving everything she had to our ballclub.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
While the star power of the Red Raiders speaks for itself, the bond of this tight-knit group pays benefits, too..<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been amazing, and it\u2019s been great to see her so happy with this team,\u201d her mother said. \u201cThey\u2019re one. They have each other’s backs, and it\u2019s amazing to see.\u201d<\/p>\n
Terry herself is just one half of the dynamic duo that makes up Tech\u2019s talented pitching rotation.<\/p>\n
NiJaree Canady is the senior half and right-handed counterpart of the Terry-Canady combo and was a part of the reason Terry made the leap to Lubbock.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love being by her side. That was also a big reason I wanted to come here,\u201d Terry said. \u201cI wanted to be by somebody’s side who is an elite pitcher, knowing that she needed help, and I know exactly what my role is, being exactly where I am. Just watching her pitch is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
While this is not Terry\u2019s first run at a shot for the national title, the pressure is on as the Red Raiders and Longhorns are meeting again, as both teams were in the championship last year, with Texas ultimately winning.<\/p>\n
Terry tries not to let the expectations overcome her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try not to think about the pressure,\u201d Terry said. \u201cObviously, nerves are going to come tomorrow and the next day, but we just kind of think about it as just another game. Yeah, it\u2019s the championship, but knowing it\u2019s just another ball game, a game that we play pretty much every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Terry is soaking in every minute.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing here is just a blessing, and now being here in the championship, I\u2019m glad it\u2019s with this group of girls and this coaching staff, this team for Texas Tech,\u201d Terry said. \u201cAnd even the Lubbock community, the way they show out in Oklahoma City, it\u2019s insane. Just knowing you have so many people behind you, that there is so much support here at Texas Tech, and it\u2019s just so amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
This <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/2026\/06\/03\/kaitlyn-terry-wcws-texas-tech\/”>article<\/a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org”>Cronkite News<\/a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License<\/a>.<img src=”https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/favicon1.png?resize=85%2C85&ssl=1″ style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”><\/p>\n
<img id=”republication-tracker-tool-source” src=”https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/?republication-pixel=true&post=103715″ style=”width:1px;height:1px;”><script> PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: “https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/2026\/06\/03\/kaitlyn-terry-wcws-texas-tech\/”, urlref: window.location.href }); } } <\/script> <script id=”parsely-cfg” src=”\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/p.js”><\/script><\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCanonical Tag:<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCopy Tag\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tArticle Content:<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGlendale\u2019s Kaitlyn Terry finds her way back to WCWS with Texas Tech<\/p>\n
Jordan Talley, Cronkite News
\nJune 3, 2026<\/p>\n
PHOENIX \u2013 When Kaitlyn Terry was 3, a purchase cemented her future softball career, all thanks to a marked-down left-handed mitt.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe went to the Nike outlet in Anthem. Right-handed gloves were like 50 or 60 bucks, and they had all the left-handed gloves marked down to $4,\u201d said Joe Terry, Kaitlyn’s father. \u201cAnd at that point, we decided she was going to be left-handed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little did her parents know that decision would shape her into the one-of-a-kind player she is today.<\/p>\n
The Glendale native is an all-around pitcher\/utility player for the Texas Tech Red Raiders and is competing for a national championship as Tech takes on the University of Texas in the championship series beginning Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s definitely a blessing playing for the people back in Arizona,\u201d Terry said. \u201cThere are not many players who come out of Arizona who can be in this position, so it\u2019s just playing for the people back in Arizona and playing for my family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Terry started playing softball at 4 and was already a step above the rest.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe always played up. She was always the youngest on her team until she was about 14,\u201d her father said. \u201cShe got to start playing with her own age, and actually started getting recruited, so it\u2019s been from there on up she was being recruited and watched.\u201d<\/p>\n
By 16, Terry was already committed to playing softball at the Division I level after playing at Greenway High School, but not with the Red Raiders.<\/p>\n
Terry spent her first two years of her collegiate career at UCLA.<\/p>\n
In her two seasons spent in California, Terry left her mark in the pitching circle, claiming Pac-12 First-Team honors her freshman year and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, and made it to the Women\u2019s College World Series.<\/p>\n
During her sophomore campaign, Terry moved from exclusively pitching to playing both ways, all while leading the Bruins’ pitchers with a 20-5 record, and once again making it to the WCWS.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a gamer, and we knew from a young age,\u201d said Kristy Terry, Kaitlyn\u2019s mother. \u201c She had the mindset when she was very young of the game in general. I think she had the mindset before she had a talent, per se.\u201d<\/p>\n
In June 2025, Terry announced on Instagram that she would transfer to Texas Tech for her junior year, standing out in all areas of the game.<\/p>\n
Dominating in the circle and at the plate, Terry is tied for first on the team in batting average at .438 and leads the team with a 1.80 ERA.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoach Glasco just lets me be me,\u201d Terry said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s maybe not something I got at my old school, but I think it\u2019s just playing for my younger self again, and they just brought a side out that I needed that I didn\u2019t get the past two years.\u201d<\/p>\n
What separates Terry is her drive to compete.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s just a competitor,\u201d her father said. \u201cShe doesn\u2019t want to lose. It doesn\u2019t matter to her who she\u2019s playing. Who\u2019s in the other dugout. She plays the exact same way every game; she just wants to win, and that\u2019s what drives her. She\u2019s always been like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Texas Tech softball coach Gerry Glasco appreciates her drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you watch KT, you see the ultimate competitor,\u201d Glasco said in a postgame press conference Sunday. \u201cJust greatness. The competitiveness is like a Bobby Hurley. Just greatness is what I see. Tonight I saw her and her greatness giving everything she had to our ballclub.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
While the star power of the Red Raiders speaks for itself, the bond of this tight-knit group pays benefits, too..<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been amazing, and it\u2019s been great to see her so happy with this team,\u201d her mother said. \u201cThey\u2019re one. They have each other’s backs, and it\u2019s amazing to see.\u201d<\/p>\n
Terry herself is just one half of the dynamic duo that makes up Tech\u2019s talented pitching rotation.<\/p>\n
NiJaree Canady is the senior half and right-handed counterpart of the Terry-Canady combo and was a part of the reason Terry made the leap to Lubbock.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love being by her side. That was also a big reason I wanted to come here,\u201d Terry said. \u201cI wanted to be by somebody’s side who is an elite pitcher, knowing that she needed help, and I know exactly what my role is, being exactly where I am. Just watching her pitch is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
While this is not Terry\u2019s first run at a shot for the national title, the pressure is on as the Red Raiders and Longhorns are meeting again, as both teams were in the championship last year, with Texas ultimately winning.<\/p>\n
Terry tries not to let the expectations overcome her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try not to think about the pressure,\u201d Terry said. \u201cObviously, nerves are going to come tomorrow and the next day, but we just kind of think about it as just another game. Yeah, it\u2019s the championship, but knowing it\u2019s just another ball game, a game that we play pretty much every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Terry is soaking in every minute.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing here is just a blessing, and now being here in the championship, I\u2019m glad it\u2019s with this group of girls and this coaching staff, this team for Texas Tech,\u201d Terry said. \u201cAnd even the Lubbock community, the way they show out in Oklahoma City, it\u2019s insane. Just knowing you have so many people behind you, that there is so much support here at Texas Tech, and it\u2019s just so amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCopy Content\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTracking snippet:<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCopy Snippet\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"by Jordan Talley, Cronkite News June 3, 2026 PHOENIX \u2013 When Kaitlyn Terry was 3, a purchase cemented…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":321649,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[111207,56530,27,29,28,1769,61480],"class_list":["post-321648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-kaitlyn-terry","tag-nijaree-canady","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news","tag-texas-tech","tag-womens-college-world-series"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=321648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321648\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/321649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=321648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=321648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=321648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}