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2026 NCAA softball preview: Can Texas Tech, NiJaree Canady bounce back?

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2026 NCAA softball preview: Can Texas Tech, NiJaree Canady bounce back?


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Step up to the plate: The 2026 softball season is here.

Texas won its first national championship in program history after defeating instate rival Texas Tech in a winner take all Game 3 in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. But the Red Raiders are ranked No. 1 in at least one preseason poll on the strength of NiJaree Canady’s right arm and the team’s top-ranked transfer class.

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“Obviously it will be very difficult to improve upon our 2025 season, but as a staff we feel like we have made tremendous improvements as we enter our second season at Texas Tech,” head coach Gerry Glasco said.

Here’s five storylines heading into the 2026 softball season, including some early player of the year nominations:

NEBRASKA softball coach refuses to project ceiling for Huskers’ season

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Who won the transfer portal?

The addition of Stanford transfer NiJaree Canady paid instant dividends for Texas Tech in Gerry Glasco’s first season as head coach. The Red Raiders made their first Women’s College World Series appearance last season and fell just short of the program’s first national championship as runner-up to Texas.

Don’t be surprised to see Texas Tech back in Oklahoma City. The Red Raiders reloaded their roster with a top transfer class that brings depth at the pitcher position and extra pop to the lineup. The seven newcomers combined for 105 home runs last season, an upgrade from Texas Tech’s 60 homers.

Texas Tech added All-Americans Mia Williams (Florida), Taylor Pannell (Tennessee) and Jasmyn Burn (Ohio State), plus Kaitlyn Terry (UCLA), Lagi Quiroga (Cal) and Jackie Lis and Desirae Spearman (Southern Illinois).

“We wanted to add depth and experience in as many places as possible as we try to win the national championship,” Glasco said.

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Can Texas defend championship?

The Longhorns are in prime position to repeat with many contributors of their championship squad returning. Sure, the departure of senior third baseman Mia Scott is a blow, but Texas will have continuity in the circle with ace pitcher Teagan Kavan and catcher Reese Atwood back. Kavan had a 28-5 record with a 2.16 ERA and 230 strikeouts last season, while Atwood was named the NFCA Catcher of the Year after leading the team in home runs (21), RBIs (89), slugging percentage (.822) and walks (41).

Atwood and Kavan are among 10 players from Texas’ championship squad that are coming back. Four of those players —  Atwood, Kavan, Kayden Henry and Katie Stewart — were named to the 2026 preseason All-SEC Team selected by a vote of the conference’s 15 head coaches. Texas’ four selections tie Oklahoma for the most. The Longhorns were also picked to win the 2026 SEC Championship.

The Longhorns will also get a boost from the return of shortstop Viviana Martinez, who was sidelined the entire 2025 season with an injury. Martinez started 61 games in 2024 and had a .376 batting average with 70 hits, 52 RBIs and 46 runs.

Texas led the nation in hits (630) last season and its lineup will be even more dangerous with the additions of transfers Kaiah Altmeyer (Arizona), Taylor Anderson (Oklahoma State) and Brenlee Gonzales (Texas Tech).

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What’s up with Oklahoma this season?

Oklahoma’s reign of four consecutive national titles ended last season, but the Sooners look to return to softball supremacy with a squad that features a mix of veterans, the top-ranked 2026 recruiting class and key transfers.

Let’s start in the circle. Right-handed pitcher Sam Landry was the Sooners’ ace last season with 191.2 total innings pitched, 114 more innings than left-handed pitcher Kierston Deal. With Landry having graduated, Deal will most likely get the ball and look to bounce back from a down year, where her ERA was up and strikeouts were down. She posted a 10-2 record with 50 strikeouts and a 3.42 ERA in 77.2 innings last season, compared to her 1.97 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 78.1 innings in 2024. Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso brought in reinforcements with transfer pitcher Sydney Berzon, who recorded a 18-8 record and 2.46 ERA as LSU’s ace in 2025.

That’s not the only additions. Oklahoma’s recruiting class includes Keegan Baker, Ki’ele Ho-Ching, Jerrell “Ori” Mailo, Malaya Majam-Finch, Ella Kate “EK” Smith and Payton Westra. 

“This is one of the best incoming freshman classes that we’ve had in a while,” Gasso said. “There’s a little bit of everything from pitching to great defense, but some big time hitters are going to make this offense powerful and elite. All of these athletes fit the championship mindset mentality.”

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We can’t forget about the returning Oklahoma players. Gabbie Garcia, Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering were all named to the 2026 All-SEC team. Despite battling an injury much of the season, Parker hit 15 homers and drove in 53 runs while batting .423.

Player of the Year candidates

  • Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady: The 6-foot right-handed senior was unanimously named to the Big 12 preseason team after posting a 1.11 ERA last season and leading the Red Raiders with 11 home runs. Canady was named to the USA Softball 2026 Collegiate Player of the Year watch list. She was one of three finalists in for the award in 2025 after winning it in 2024 at Stanford.
  • Texas catcher Reese Atwood: The 6-foot senior became the first Longhorns player to hit 20 or more home runs in back-to-back seasons and led the nation in with 89 RBIs, the second most in program history behind her own 90 mark in 2024. She was also solid behind the plate and posted a .988 fielding percentage with 313 putouts, 18 assists and four errors.
  • Nebraska pitcher Jordy Frahm: The 5-foot-8 two-way player recorded 23 homers and a .462 batting average last season, in addition to 286 strikeouts and a 1.56 ERA. She was named Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, becoming the first player to earn both in the same season.
  • Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens: The 6-foot-1 senior pitched over 226.2 innings last season and posted a 25–11 record with a 1.17 ERA and 306 strikeouts. She was named SEC Pitcher of the Year after leading the conference in ERA, games started (34), complete games (25), shutouts (7), innings pitched and strikeouts.

How much more parity is there in softball?

No. 1 overall seed Texas A&M was upset in its home regional in College Station, Texas, by Liberty in the postseason, marking the first time in history the top overall seed failed to advance out of its own regional.

The defeat highlights the growing parity in college softball, which can be tied directly to the transfer portal and NIL money being poured into programs. Landing a star player can change a program’s entire trajectory.

Texas Tech won the program’s first Big 12 championship and made its first WCWS appearance following the addition of NiJaree Canady in the transfer portal. It was made possible by Canady’s landmark NIL deal which paid her upwards of $1M, believed to be the largest in softball history. Canady landed another deal for the 2026 season and helped attract the team’s top transfer class.

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North Texas middle school closes after a norovirus outbreak

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North Texas middle school closes after a norovirus outbreak


A middle school in the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD is closed Friday after an outbreak of norovirus.

According to the school district, they closed Creekview Middle School in Fort Worth on Friday to sanitize and clean the building. The district said they plan on reopening the school on Monday.

The district said children started to get sick on Tuesday with what appeared to be a stomach virus and that on Wednesday it spread to a larger group.

EMSISD said they reached out to the Tarrant County Public Health Department and that they recommended disinfecting and cleaning the school on Wednesday night and reopening the next day.

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More cases continued to be reported on Thursday, so the public health department then recommended that they clean again and close the campus on Friday.

Parents were notified of the district’s decision on Thursday afternoon.

The district has not said how many students and staff were sickened in the outbreak.

Officials with Children’s Medical Center said that because norovirus is highly contagious and resistant to many common hand sanitizers, it presents a unique challenge for families.

The hospital says hand sanitizer isn’t enough and recommends thorough hand washing with soap and water. They also recommend parents keep their children home for a full 48 hours after symptoms stop to prevent further outbreaks.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are approximately 2,500 norovirus outbreaks in the United States each year and that they are most common from November through April. For further tips on preventing the spread of norovirus, visit the CDC.



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Trump heads to Texas, where 3 friends are battling it out in the Senate Republican primary

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Trump heads to Texas, where 3 friends are battling it out in the Senate Republican primary


WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump just can’t seem to choose among friends in the Texas Senate Republican primary.

So when he travels to the state on Friday for his first post- State of the Union trip, where he plans to promote his energy and economic policies, Trump will have all three candidates in the competitive race join him — just days before his party casts ballots in the primary race.

Sen. John Cornyn is battling for his fifth term and is being challenged by state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt in a primary fight that has become viciously personal. And all three men, missing the coveted endorsement from Trump, have been trying to highlight their ties to him as they ramp up their campaigning ahead of Tuesday’s vote.

For his part, Trump will be seeking to ride the message of his State of the Union address from Tuesday, where he declared a return to economic prosperity and a more secure America — two centerpiece arguments for Republicans as they campaign to keep their congressional majorities this fall.

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Trump’s hesitation to endorse in the Texas Senate primary speaks to the tricky dynamics of the race.

Cornyn is unpopular with a segment of Texas’ GOP base, in part for his early dismissiveness of Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign and for his role in authoring tougher restrictions on guns after the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. But Senate GOP leadership and allied groups see Cornyn as the stronger general election candidate, in light of a series of troubles that have shadowed Paxton.

Paxton beat impeachment on fraud charges in 2023, and has faced allegations of marital infidelity by his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, right, is joined by former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, left, during a campaign stop in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. Credit: AP/Eric Gay

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, have urged Trump to endorse Cornyn. They and allied campaign groups argue that the seat would cost the party hundreds of millions more to defend with Paxton as the candidate.

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“It is a strong possibility we cannot hold Texas if John Cornyn is not our nominee,” Scott told Fox News on Wednesday.

Hunt, a second-term Houston-area representative, was a later entry to the race, but claims a kinship with Trump, having endorsed him early in the 2024 race. Hunt campaigned regularly for Trump and earned a prime-time speaking slot at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

If no candidate reaches 50% in Tuesday’s primary, the top two finishers will advance to a May 26 runoff.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas,...

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, arrive before President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. Credit: AP/Allison Robbert

Cornyn’s campaign and a half-dozen allied groups have poured more than $63 million into the race since last fall, chiefly trying to slow Paxton but recently attacking Hunt in an effort to keep him from making it to the runoff.

Earlier this month, Trump feinted toward weighing in on the race when he said he was taking “a serious look” at endorsing in the Texas primary. He has since reaffirmed his neutrality.

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Still, you wouldn’t know it from watching TV in Texas. Cornyn has been airing ads since last year touting his support for Trump’s agenda, even though his relationship with the president has been cool at times. Paxton and Hunt both have ads airing now featuring them standing with Trump.

“I like all three of them, actually. Those are the toughest races. They’ve all supported me. They’re all good. You’re supposed to pick one, so we’ll see what happens. But I support all three,” Trump said earlier this month.

The GOP battle comes as Democrats have a contested primary of their own in Texas between state Rep. James Talarico, a self-described policy wonk who regularly quotes the Bible, and progressive favorite U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

Trump hasn’t been shy about wading into other contested Republican primaries in the state. Parts of Corpus Christi fall within Texas’ 34th congressional district, where former Rep. Mayra Flores is fighting to reclaim her seat against the Trump-endorsed Eric Flores. (The two are not related.) The winner of the primary will face off against Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, long a target of the GOP, whose district was redrawn to make it easier for a Republican to win.

Eric Flores will be at the Trump event at the Port of Corpus Christi, which technically is located in a neighboring district.

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Elsewhere in the state, the president has also endorsed Rep. Tony Gonzales, who is fighting calls from his own party to resign from Congress after reports of an alleged affair with a former staffer who later died after she set herself on fire. Gonzales is refusing to step down and has said that there will be “opportunities for all of the details and facts to come out” and that the stories about the situation do not represent “all the facts.”

Gonzales is facing a primary challenge from Brandon Herrera, a gun manufacturer and gun rights influencer who Gonzales defeated by fewer than 400 votes in their 2024 runoff. The White House did not return a request for comment on Thursday on whether Trump stands by his endorsement of Gonzales.



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Man sentenced to 15 years in Texas crash that killed founding member of The Chicks

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Man sentenced to 15 years in Texas crash that killed founding member of The Chicks


EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after admitting his reckless driving caused a head-on collision in rural West Texas that killed Laura Lynch, a founding member of the country music group now known as The Chicks, prosecutors said.

Domenick Chavez, 33, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with Dec. 22, 2023, crash in Hudspeth County, according to a news release Tuesday from El Paso County District James Montoya, who also oversees nearby Hudspeth County.

The news release said Chavez was driving a truck westbound when he tried to pass four vehicles on a two-way undivided highway and collided head-on with Lynch’s eastbound truck. Lynch, 65, of Dell City, was trapped in her vehicle and died. Prosecutors said Chavez was traveling between 106 mph and 114 mph.

Prosecutors said alcohol wasn’t a factor in the crash but that Chavez was driving on a suspended license, which had been revoked due to his failure to comply with DWI-related surcharges and penalties from convictions in 2014 and 2017.

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Lynch, along with Robin Lynn Macy and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer, formed The Dixie Chicks in the late 1980s. Lynch and Macy eventually left the band and Natalie Maines joined the sisters. The trio hit commercial fame with their breakthrough album “Wide Open Spaces” in 1998 and have won 13 Grammys. In 2020, the band changed its name to The Chicks.

In a social media post after Lynch’s death, The Chicks said Lynch had “infectious energy and humor” and was “instrumental” in the band’s early success.



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