NiJaree Canady is a softball player who is playing for the Standford Cardinals Softball in NCAA 2023. She led her team to its first-ever state championships (2021–2022) and back-to-back victories overall. At the moment, she is one of the best softball pitchers in the whole country as she won the National Freshman of the Year Award.
In the ongoing NCAA Women’s College World Series 2023, she emerged as the impact player for the Cardinals as she registered 9 strikeouts against Washington Huskies. From this performance, she became a superstar for Stanford University and now she is the center of attraction in the WCWS.
Early Life
NiJaree Canady was born on 31st July, she is the daughter of Bruce and Katherine Canady and has a younger brother named Bruce Canady Jr. Her father Bruce played football in high school and college. Even though he’s only a sophomore, my brother, BJ Canady, has already been offered football scholarships at the Division I level. She graduated from Topeka High School in 2022.
Canady first heard from college recruiters while she was a middle school student. However, when September 1, 2020, drew near, things really heated up, and they continued to do so until the announcement. The recruitment process may be difficult for top prospects, but Canady said she was treated very nicely by the schools that pursued her.
After also making unofficial visits to Kansas and Oklahoma State, Canady eventually reduced her list of potential institutions to Stanford, Arizona, and UCLA. She didn’t make her final decision until last weekend.
NiJaree Canady Career
Canady was selected Shawnee County softball player of the year by TopSports.news as a junior after leading the Trojans to an undefeated season and the school’s first Class 6A state softball championship.
Canady had a perfect 21-0 pitching record, a 0.26 earned run average, 226 strikeouts, and also hit.478 with 13 home runs. She also had a.478 batting average. Canady performed at her peak during the 6A state tournament, going three whole games without allowing an earned run and hitting a solo home run in a 1-0 semifinal victory over Gardner-Edgerton.
After defeating Olathe North 7-1 in the state championship, high went on to win the semifinal match. Canady was also named to TopSports.news’ first-ever All-Shawnee County girl’s basketball team as a junior after guiding Topeka High to a second-place finish in the 6A state tournament and a 23-2 overall record. Canady had 20.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game on average.
Freshman
In her freshman year during the 2023 season, she displayed exceptional skills on the softball field. Starting in 22 games, she achieved an impressive 16-1 record. She stood out among her peers by leading the entire nation in two critical statistical categories: Earned Run Average (ERA) with an outstanding 0.48, and strikeouts per seven innings with an impressive 11.6.
Additionally, she ranked third in the country for allowing the fewest hits per seven innings, with a remarkable 3.31. Throughout the season, her performance was truly remarkable. In a total of 116 and one-third innings, she struck out an incredible 193 batters, demonstrating her exceptional pitching ability.
She achieved eight complete games, seven shutouts, and achieved two no-hitters. Notably, on February 12, 2023, she pitched her first career no-hitter against Liberty, showcasing her dominance on the mound. Another noteworthy achievement came on March 3 when she pitched her second no-hitter of the season against Villanova, recording a staggering 18 strikeouts.
While falling just one short of the program record set by Missy Penna in 2009, her 18 strikeouts secured the second-highest single-game record in Stanford softball history. Furthermore, she became the first Stanford player in over a decade to achieve multiple no-hitters in a single season since Teagan Gerhart’s remarkable feat in 2010.
Career Stats/Highlights
- All-City First Team (2019, 2021).
- All-League First Team (2019, 2021).
- All-State First Team (2019, 2021).
- Softball for Max Prep 2021 First Team All-American.
- 6A Sports Player of the Year (2021).
- City Player of the Year in 2021.
- Had a junior season ERA of 0.26, 232 strikeouts in 107.2 innings, a batting average of.478, and 13 home runs.
- Had a 0.82 ERA in his senior season, 163 strikeouts in 74.2 innings, a.530 average, and 42 RBIs.
NiJaree Canady Biography |
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|---|---|
| Real Name | NiJaree Canady |
| Birth Date | July 31, 1999 |
| Age (as of 2023) | 24 Years |
| Birth Place | Topeka, Kansas |
| Profession | Softball Pitcher |
| College | – |
| Qualification | Graduate |
Physical Statistics |
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| Height | in feet inches – 6’ 0” – in Centimeters – 182 cm |
| Weight | in Kilograms – 78 kg – in Pounds – 171 lbs |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
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Family |
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| Father | Bruce Canady |
| Mother | Katherine Canady |
| Sister | – |
| Brother | Bruce Canady Jr. |
Relationship Status |
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| Marital Status | Single |
| Who is her boyfriend? | None |
Personal Life
NiJaree is single and why not, being an asset to the university, she is only focusing on her career. Also, we couldn’t find any information about her past relationship. NiJaree Canady has managed to keep her personal life away from the media. However, it could be possible that she might be in a secretive relationship and just doesn’t want to make it public yet.
NiJaree Canady Net Worth
Being a college player, there is no clear information regarding the net worth of NiJaree Canady as of now. But, if she gets NIL Deals then she would make quite a hefty sum of money from it. She definitely announced her arrival at the national level and looking at her records, there is no doubt her future seems bright and promising with lots of success.
Trivia
- Canady was Kansas Softball Gatorade Player of the Year twice (2021, 2022).
- Extra Innings Softball has her ranked as the No. 11 recruit.
- She was named Athlete of the Year and Spring Athlete of the Year for Shawnee County in 2021–2022.
- She loves to read and play with her dog.