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WATCH: Canady outduels Binford to lift Texas Tech past Ole Miss in historic WCWS start

Ben Garrettby: Ben Garrett05/30/25SpiritBen
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Ole Miss softball two-way star Aliyah Binford (Photo credit: Ole Miss Softball/X)

Ole Miss two-way star Aliyah Binford was brilliant in the school’s first-ever College World Series game. 

However, NiJaree Canady has been on an historic run for Texas Tech this season. Unfortunately for Binford and the Rebels (42-20) she was as-advertised Thursday in Oklahoma City.

Canady allowed just two hits and no runs over all 7.0 innings of a 1-0 opening-round win for the Red Raiders (51-12). She struck out 10. Canady is the only pitcher in the country with an ERA below 1.00. She entered play at 0.89 and could become the first player in history to lead the country in ERA for three consecutive seasons.

Canady was the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year. She improved to 31-5 on the year. Canady also leads Texas Tech with 11 home runs. She hit second for the Red Raiders and finished 0 for 2 with a walk. They scored the game’s only run in the bottom of the fourth on an Alana Johnson double and Ole Miss error.

Binford, who set the single-season Ole Miss RBI record (55) last week, covered 6.0 innings and gave up just an unearned run on four hits with one strikeout and one walk. She matched Canady, the former National Player of the Year, with three hitless innings to open the game.

Binford was hitless with two strikeouts in three at-bats.

Ole Miss is the only unseeded team remaining in the NCAA Tournament.

“I’m really proud of our team — the journey we’ve been on, especially the last few weeks and what we’ve been able to overcome going into some pretty hostile and adverse conditions against some great teams in Arizona and Arkansas,” Ole Miss head coach Jamie Trachsel said earlier this week.

“So, proud of the journey and the season we’ve had. We have one more chapter in our story and we’re looking forward to having a lot to say about it here in Oklahoma City. But very grateful, very proud to be in great company. Super proud of our team for what we’ve accomplished the last few weeks and earning the right to be here.”

The Red Raiders this season won 50 games for the first time in program history. Twenty-five percent of those wins came via shutout, a school record and the best mark in the country. Thursday was the first for a team making its WCWS debut in 20 years. Texas Tech has done so in each of its six NCAA Tournament games.

The Red Raiders are now 32-1 on the year when scoring first. Canady, formerly of Stanford, has three career complete game shutouts in the WCWS. She retired the first 16 batters she faced.

Ole Miss faces elimination Friday at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2. The Rebels face either No. 9 seed UCLA or No. 16 seed Oregon. Texas Tech gets the winner.

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