Big 12 Softball Tournament: Scores, bracket updates for 2026 championship
Texas Tech Softball, seeded No. 1 in the 2026 Big 12 Softball Tournament, lost the championship to Arizona State 4-0 after winning the semifinals 14-0, ending their bid for a second straight conference title. The tournament, held May 7-9 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, featured eight teams with Texas Tech led by pitcher NiJaree Canady, who was also the second overall pick in the 2026 AUSL Draft.
Texas Tech Softball fell to Arizona State 4-0 in the 2026 Big 12 Softball Tournament championship game on May 9, ending their season after a dominant semifinal win over Kansas. The Red Raiders, seeded No. 1, had entered the tournament as favorites with a 50-5 overall record and a 21-3 Big 12 conference mark. Their season was highlighted by pitcher NiJaree Canady, who threw a perfect game in the regular-season finale against Baylor and was selected second overall in the 2026 AUSL Draft. The tournament took place May 7-9 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, marking Texas Tech’s first appearance as host of the Women’s College World Series site. It featured the smallest field of any Power Four softball tournament, with eight teams competing. Oklahoma State and Arizona rounded out the top three seeds, each finishing 16-8 in Big 12 play. In the quarterfinals, Texas Tech defeated Baylor 7-0, while Oklahoma State beat Utah 7-0 and Arizona State upset Arizona 2-1. Kansas advanced by defeating Central Florida 6-5. Texas Tech then dominated Kansas 14-0 in the semifinals, but Arizona State won the championship with an 11-7 victory over Oklahoma State. The tournament was broadcast on ESPN and streamed exclusively on ESPN+ and Fubo, with select games available live. Texas Tech’s loss marks the end of their pursuit for a program-record first national championship, which they narrowly missed last season.
This content was automatically generated and/or translated by AI. It may contain inaccuracies. Please refer to the original sources for verification.