Report: Stanford pitcher, 2024 USA Softball Player of the Year NiJaree Canady plans to enter NCAA transfer portal

Stanford pitcher NiJaree Canady plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, according to KSNT 27. She spent the past two seasons playing for the Cardinal and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Canady was named the 2024 USA Softball Player of the Year after taking Stanford to the Women’s College World Series. She led the country with a 0.73 ERA and 337 strikeouts to average 10.2 strikeouts per seven innings.

Canady threw 29 complete games this past season, including nine shutouts. She finished with a 24-7 record including five saves in 230.2 innings of work.

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Canady started all four games that Stanford played in the WCWS, which was the program’s second straight appearance and fourth overall. She led the Cardinal to wins against Oklahoma State and UCLA, finishing with 27 strikeouts across 26 innings pitched for the entire tournament.

Hailing from Topeka High School, Canady was twice named the Kansas Softball Gatorade Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022. She committed to Stanford as the No. 11 recruit in the country according to Extra Innings Softball after leading her high school to back-to-back state championships.

Canady immediately lived up to her high ranking to be named the D1 Softball Freshman of the Year. She finished the season with a team-high 218 strikeouts, including 18 in a March 3 matchup against Villanova to rank just one shy of the program record.

The star pitcher finished her true freshman campaign with two no-hitters and a 17-3 record with 10 complete games. She limited opponents to a .137 batting average and once again led the country with an ERA of 0.57.

Canady ends her career at Stanford with 555 strikeouts to rank fifth in program history. Now she will look to take her talents elsewhere and continue what has so far been an impressive college career.

The Cardinal are coming off of a 50-17 finish this past season, setting a new school record for the most victories in a single year. Now Stanford must rebuild after losing not only NiJaree Canady to transfer, but also Regan Krause, who just wrapped up her senior season. Krause was the next pitcher up behind Canady this season, finishing with a 20-7 record in 145 innings pitched.

The NCAA Softball transfer portal window opened on May 17 and players have 30 days to officially enter their name. Monday marks the final day that players can enter the portal.