Stanford softball pitcher NiJaree Canady has decided to enter her name in the transfer portal, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Monday is the last day players can enter the portal, which opened on May 17th. 

This past season, Canady was named USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year after leading the nation in ERA and strikeouts. The star pitcher helped lead Stanford to back-to-back Women’s College World Series (WCWS) semi-final appearances in 2023 and 2024. This past postseason, Canady pitched in every WCWS and Super Regional game that the Cardinal played in. 

While Canady could potentially opt to return to Stanford, the Cardinal will likely need to offer a significant NIL package to entice her to stay put. 

If the ace pitcher transfers to a different school, it will be a huge blow for the Cardinal, who struggled to generate offense last year and lack proven pitching depth beyond Canady.

But with a new softball stadium set to be built by 2026, Stanford may need to find another star talent who can attract fans to the seats.