The final weekend of the 2026 Big 12 softball regular season is here, and it brings a big series in Lubbock as the No. 2 Texas Tech Red Raiders host the Baylor Bears.
Texas Tech has already locked up the Big 12 regular season title, but the series remains critical for Baylor’s postseason hopes, and the Bears are looking to pull off an upset win over the Red Raiders.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are having another outstanding season with a 48-4 overall record and a 19-2 Big 12 record. The Red Raiders are riding a six-game winning streak into the series and are a dominant 15-1 at home. This season, their only home loss was to Arizona, and they are no longer ranked No. 1 in the country due to losses to Texas State and Utah earlier this month. Tech has already clinched the No. 1 seed for the Big 12 Tournament, and now the goal is to maintain that momentum for a high national seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Red Raiders’ pitching staff has been dominant this season, led by NiJaree Canady (1.34 ERA, 20-3) and Kaitlyn Terry (sub-2.00 ERA, 20-1). These two may be the best softball pitching duo in the country. Canady struck out her 1,000th batter in her career recently.
Texas Tech’s offense has also produced a ton of runs this season. Kaitlyn Terry is a true dual threat, leading the team in batting average (.485) and home runs (10). Outfielder Mihyia Davis is the active career leader in both hits (330) and stolen bases (136). The Red Raiders have been having no issues putting runs on the scoreboard this season.
This series will be an emotional finale for seven Texas Tech seniors, including stars such as Canady, Davis, and Alana Johnson, who will be honored in the game Saturday. Senior day will be a very special game for the Red Raiders seniors, who have done wonderful things for the softball program.
The Baylor Bears have had an up-and-down season, with a 27-2 overall record and a losing record in Big 12 play at 9-12. The Bears are in “must-win” territory, and they need to pull off an upset and get a win against the Red Raiders. They are currently sitting in 6th place in the Big 12 standings, just a half-game ahead of Utah. They got swept last weekend by No. 14-ranked Oklahoma State and likely need at least one win in Lubbock to secure a spot in the eight-team Big 12 Tournament, which kicks off on May 6th.
Will Texas Tech finish the regular season with a sweep of the Bears, or can the Bears pull off an upset to secure their spot in Oklahoma City for the Big 12 tournament? The answer appears to be a sweep by the Red Raiders, but it is not impossible to envision Baylor winning one game of this three-game series, as they need at least one win to prolong their season.
Latest Texas Tech News
Stay up-to-date on Texas Tech athletics by bookmarking Texas Tech On SI and following us on X/Twitter.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
