STANFORD, Calif. - NiJaree Canady has been named one of three finalists for the TUCCI/NFCA Division I Freshman of the Year Award, as announced Thursday by the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association).
The winner, which is voted on by the Association's Division I All-America Committee, will be announced on Tuesday, May 30, prior to the start of the 2023 NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Canady has produced a breakthrough rookie season, quickly cementing her reputation as one of the nation's elite pitchers while contributing to a staff boasting the country's best strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.19) and ranking fifth in ERA (1.56).
Bidding to become Stanford's first NFCA Freshman of the Year, Canady has compiled a 15-1 record in 27 appearances and 21 starts and is the national leader in ERA (0.46) and strikeouts per seven innings (11.8) while ranking third in hits allowed per seven innings (3.29).
Canady, who in 106.1 innings leads the Cardinal with 180 strikeouts while walking only 18, has also thrown two no-hitters while accounting for seven of Stanford's 19 shutouts, a total that ranks 10th in the country. Canady has tossed eight complete games and has limited opponents to a .137 batting average.
Following up an impressive regular season, Canady was dominant in her NCAA debut last weekend, holding Florida scoreless over 7.1 innings while allowing two hits and no walks to go along with 12 strikeouts in two appearances.
An All-Pac-12 First Team honoree, Canady's 18 strikeouts against Villanova on March 3 were the most since Missy Penna's school record of 19 back on March 23, 2009 against Cal Poly.
A six-time Pac-12 weekly award winner, Canady joined fellow rotation anchor Alana Vawter as top-25 finalists for the 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.
The TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award was created in 2014 to honor outstanding athletic achievement among Division I freshmen softball student-athletes. To be eligible, student-athletes must be nominated by their member head coach and in their first year of NCAA Division I collegiate competition as a true freshman or redshirt freshman.
Previous winners include Jordy Bahl (2022 – Oklahoma), Tiare Jennings (2021 – Oklahoma), Danielle Williams (2019 - Northwestern), Jocelyn Alo (2018, Oklahoma), Rachel Garcia (2017 – UCLA), Amanda Lorenz (2016 – Florida), Paige Parker (2015 – Oklahoma) and inaugural recipients – Annie Aldrete (Tennessee) and Kasey Cooper (Auburn) – in 2014.
No. 9 Stanford (43-13, 14-10 Pac-12) will face off against No. 8 Duke (48-10, 19-5 ACC) when NCAA Super Regional competition gets underway Friday in Durham, NC. The Cardinal is making its seventh NCAA Super Regional appearance and has advanced to back-to-back Super Regionals for the third time in school history (2022-23, 2008-09, 2005-06). Stanford's 43 victories are its most since a 48-11 finish in 2009 and the 40-win campaign is the first since 2012.