Freshman flamethrower leads Lady Bears to shutout win over No. 1 Florida

Head coach Glenn Moore’s Baylor softball team will be depending on the strong left arm of freshman pitcher Whitney Canion to lead the Lady Bears this spring. And what an arm it is!

Canion, the Texas Gatorade Player of the Year as a high school senior last year in Aledo, Texas, has been clocked as fast as 71 mph on the radar gun. When you factor in the shorter distance from the pitching circle to the plate (40 feet compared to baseball’s 60 feet 6 inches), that’s the equivalent of throwing 100 mph in baseball.

Her talent is already paying dividends for Baylor. In just her second collegiate start, Canion pitched a complete game shutout as the Lady Bears beat top-ranked Florida 1-0 in Gainesville — the first time Baylor has ever defeated the No. 1 team in the country. In her two starts against the Gators this weekend, Canion struck out 19 batters in 15 innings, allowing just seven hits and one earned run.

The Lady Bears now return to Waco for their home opener, hosting the Getterman Classic this weekend. Season and individual game tickets are now on sale; get yours today!

Sic ’em, Whitney Canion and all the Lady Bears!