How NiJaree Canady, No. 3 Texas Tech softball were downed by relentless Texas State

The Texas State Bobcats surround pitcher Maddy Azua (22) as they celebrate after beating the No. 3 Texas Tech Red Raiders 3-0 at Bobcat Softball Stadium in San Marcos, April 15, 2026. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman)

The Bobcats (29-16), a perennial powerhouse in the Sun Belt, have endured their ups and their downs this season. It looked as if they had broken through after beating Texas A&M and a series win against Louisiana-Monroe. But then the Bobcats dropped series to Louisiana and Marshall in the following weeks, falling to 9-6 in conference play.

They had fallen short of their lofty expectations, and Woodard said she challenged the team to be better. She had seen the potential. She wanted to squeeze it out of them, and a matchup with the Red Raiders did just that.

Texas Tech (42-4) respected Texas State's pedigree, sending ace NiJaree Canady to the circle. The pitcher is one of the best in the nation, having single-handedly carried the Red Raiders to the Women's College World Series Finals last season.

She and Azua dueled for three-and-a-half scoreless innings until infielder Aiyana Coleman stepped up to the plate with two outs in the fourth. She had learned from her first at-bat and pounced on Canady's first pitch, launching a solo home run to deep center field.

Canady's reputation didn't scare Coleman. Rather, she said she was excited to challenge herself.

"Taking advantage of the opportunities given," Coleman said.

Texas Tech Red Raiders starting pitche Nijaree Canady (24) gets ready for the second inning as the Bobcats take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Bobcat Softball Stadium in San Marcos, April 15, 2026. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman)

Thriving under pressure

That's what Azua did, too. The Round Rock High School product has been brilliant, but trouble arose in the fifth inning. Tech's Jackie Lis hit a leadoff single and advanced to second on another single. With two outs, Azua hit outfielder Desirae Spearman to load the bases.

But Azua, as she has tended to do, remained unflinching under pressure. Facing Kaitlyn Terry, who boasts the highest batting average on Texas Tech's roster, Azua induced a groundout to strand the runners and get out of trouble.

"To watch her get better and better and mature and be able to handle these situations, it's been fun," Woodard said. "I would match her up against anybody in the country."

It wasn't just Texas State's superstars. Catcher Megan Kelnar, who's struggled at the plate, worked a tough at-bat against Canady before sneaking an RBI single in the gap between the shortstop and the left fielder. Her defense also proved critical, gunning down a would-be base stealer in the third inning and keeping Texas Tech's base-runners honest all evening.

Texas State Bobcats catcher Megan Kelnar (00) bats in the third inning as the Bobcats take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Bobcat Softball Stadium in San Marcos, April 15, 2026. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman)

The Bobcats are riding a six-game win streak, their longest of the season. SouthernMiss — tied for third in the Sun Belt, just ahead of Texas State — visits this weekend.

When the Bobcats defeated the Aggies, Woodard said she didn't know if her players felt like they truly believed in themselves. This time, when given the option to add an even better team to the schedule, Texas State didn't hesitate.

The talent has always been there. After Wednesday night, it feels like confidence has been restored, too.

"We're playing a game of failures. You're not going to get a hit every single at-bat," Kelnar said. "Being able to brush that off, head into your next at-bat with the mindset of 'I'm going to get a hit' or 'I'm going to score this run,' really helps us simplify ... not make the game too big for ourselves."