Washington softball legend Danielle Lawrie, a two-time USA Softball Player of the Year and two-time Olympian, discussed possible transfer destinations for Stanford ace NiJaree Canady.
Lawrie mentioned the four-time defending champion Oklahoma Sooners as an obvious option but noted that while Canady might have her own considerations, Lawrie personally wouldn’t want to join a team losing 10 seniors. Instead, she would prefer to make an impact on a new contender. Texas was also mentioned, but the established Longhorns pitching staff might be a deterrent for Canady.
Lawrie highlighted the advantages of Florida State, particularly due to the pitching coaching expertise of Lonni Alameda, who coached Lawrie in the Olympics. While other schools were mentioned, Lawrie concluded by emphasizing the importance of winning, making Oklahoma a likely destination for Canady, the National Collegiate Player of the Year.
Canady’s 2023 season was memorable, with 337 strikeouts over 230.2 innings and an ERA of 0.73. Lawrie praised Canady as “one of the top five best pitchers [she has] ever seen in person,” highlighting her unique power in softball history.
As NiJaree Canady is expected to transfer, her tenure at Stanford will be remembered as one of the program’s greatest, even though she didn’t lead the Cardinal to the top. Replacing her production will be a significant challenge for the coaching staff this offseason.
