Texas Tech softball is headed to Super Regionals for the first time in program history after dominating the Lubbock Regional last weekend, going 3-0 and outscoring Mississippi State 19-7 over two games.
It was a strong showing from the Red Raiders‘ offense, and with NiJaree Canady in the circle, they’ve been one of the nation’s toughest teams to score on.
That will be put to the test this weekend, though, when Tech heads east to take on Florida State in the Tallahassee Super Regional.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the statistical matchup and see how the teams stack up against one another and where they rank nationally in the major categories.
Tallahassee Super Regional: Tale of the Tape
| 12 Texas Tech | vs. | 5 Florida State |
|---|---|---|
| 48-12 | Record | 49-10 |
| 16th | RPI | 3rd |
| 41st | SOS | 13th |
| 1.84 (2nd) | ERA | 2.23 (6th) |
| .328 (27th) | AVG | .353 (5th) |
| .404 (39th) | OB% | .438 (12th) |
| .511 (43rd) | SLG% | .591 (11th) |
| 6.43 (28th) | Scoring | 7.64 (8th) |
| 4.43 (2nd) | K/BB | 3.44 (8th) |
| .971 (41st) | FLD% | .966 (103rd) |
How They Got Here
Texas Tech Red Raiders (48-12)
Texas Tech won the Big 12 regular season title and then dominated its way through the Big 12 Tournament bracket to earn the No. 12 seed in the tournament.
The Red Raiders needed just three games to advance out of the Lubbock Regional, and outscored their opponents 25-7 over those three matchups:
- Texas Tech 6, Brown 0
- Texas Tech 10, Mississippi State 1 (F/6)
- Texas Tech 9, Mississippi State 6
The only concern coming out of the weekend was an anomalous performance by Canady on Sunday, in which she allowed eight hits, six runs (three earned), and walked two batters. The Bulldogs were playing with their season on the line, and while that certainly can force a team to be more aggressive, but that’s still the most hits and runs that she’s allowed all season.
Florida State Seminoles (49-10)
Meanwhile, Florida State has had a tougher road over the past couple of weeks. After taking down Georgia Tech and Duke to get to the ACC Tournament Final, the Seminoles dropped a 2-1 contest to Clemson to finish as the runner-up. Still, as the ACC regular season champion, the Noles got the No. 5 seed and navigated their way through regionals:
- Florida State 10, Robert Morris 1 (F/5)
- Florida State 8, USF 0 (F/6)
- Auburn 8, Florida State 3
- Florida State 4, Auburn 0
Florida State jumped out to a 1-0 lead early in Sunday’s first game against Auburn, but the Tigers put up seven total runs in the fourth and fifth innings to build a 7-1 lead and eventually force the if-necessary game. They responded with a strong 4-0 win later in the afternoon. The Noles aren’t invincible, but the combination of Jazzy Francik and Ashtyn Danley is as solid a one-two punch as there is in the country, and they showed that in the win-or-go-home game.
Tallahassee Super Regional: Schedule
JoAnne Graf Field | Tallahassee, FL
May 22 | ​​​​​​​Game 1: Texas Tech vs. Florida State, 6 p.m. | ESPN2
May 23 | ​​​​​​​Game 2: Florida State vs. Texas Tech, 2 p.m. | ESPN2
May 24 | Game 3: Texas Tech vs. Florida State, 6 p.m. | TBD (if necessary)
Tallahassee Super Regional: Prediction
This series sets up to be one of the most competitive of the weekend, and it will be the toughest series that Texas Tech has played all season. They’re far from inexperienced, though, as three-game series against South Carolina, Arizona, and Oklahoma State, plus two games against both Texas and Texas A&M have given the Red Raiders enough to feel confident heading into this one.
From the perspective of total roster composition, Florida State is the more complete team and carries an offensive advantage into the series with one of the most balanced lineups in the country. When you add the fact that Jazzy Francik (1.57 ERA) and Ashtyn Danley (1.58 ERA) rank eighth and ninth nationally in ERA, it seems like a daunting task for the Red Raiders to find a way out of this round.
But Texas Tech has something that Florida State can’t match, and that’s the NiJaree Canady effect. Canady single-handedly negates any offensive advantage that the Seminoles might have. She’s all too familiar with these moments, and heading into a weekend where her team is viewed as the underdog, I’ve got to imagine we’ll see her at her best. It’s going to take a complete effort, and it’ll almost assuredly take three games, but I’m taking Texas Tech to win this series and advance to the program’s first Women’s College World Series.
