Overview
Back in February, our season preview started by saying “Duke fans will look to this year as a pivotal one in the trajectory of the Blue Devils’ youngest varsity team to date.”
It certainly was; Duke softball (52-9) earned its best record in program history by four wins, and recorded 20 ACC wins, also good for the program's best. The Blue Devils were more than just regular-season warriors: They won the league championship for the second time and advanced to new heights in the postseason, garnering their first Women’s College World Series berth. However, they lost back-to-back games in Oklahoma City, including to the eventual National Champions Oklahoma.
Duke came into this season with its highest expectations in program history after being a top-eight seed in the postseason last year and earning the right to host a Super Regional. Although it controversially wasn’t granted the right to host another Super Regional this season, it went to Columbia, Mo., and knocked off the hosts in three games. -Myles Powicki
Results relative to expectations
As a relatively young but exceptionally talented team and program, preseason expectations for Team 7 were still high. Having made the NCAA Super Regional in back-to-back years, the Blue Devils had already set an expectation of greatness for their budding program. Going into the season, it was readily apparent that Duke had all of the pieces to clear a path to the NCAA tournament for itself. Even with those high expectations, the Blue Devils managed to exceed every one of them and set a new bar of excellence for the program going forward.
Duke quickly shook off its opening game loss to No. 1-seed Oklahoma by going on a 21-game win streak, outscoring opponents by a margin of 173 to 18. However high preseason expectations were for head coach Marissa Young’s squad, the caliber of play in the opening weeks of the season immediately raised them.
All four softball beat writers predicted that Duke would win at least 40 games throughout the season. Team 7 blew those predictions out of the water, keeping their losses in the single digits and finishing off with a phenomenal 52-9 record. For a new program to make it that far in a sport generally dominated by perennial powerhouses was completely unexpected. Duke managed to defy the high expectations for the program in its seventh season and showed that its future is bright. -Elle Chavis
Best win
If this team has proven anything this season, it’s that it isn’t afraid to put up a good fight when it matters. With the World Series on the line, then No. 10-seed Duke fought through a nine-inning standoff with No. 7-seed Missouri and came out victorious, 4-3.
The team’s determination carried them through the first eight innings — until sophomore D’Auna Jennings broke the scoring dam loose in the top of the ninth. Staring down a 1-2 pitch, Jennings smacked the ball right over the fence with a look of grit on her face. After the homer, the Blue Devils grabbed three more runs in the inning. The Tigers put up a good fight in the bottom of the ninth with a homer and three total runs of their own, but it was not enough to rise above their opponents.
While the Duke batters were gritting their teeth in the earlier innings, sophomore Cassidy Curd was firing balls from the pitcher’s mound. The Port St. Lucie, Fla., native flamed the Tigers with a game-high seven strikeouts. Even when things got dicey, Curd proved her consistency and prowess. In the top of the third, Missouri sophomore Kayley Lenger was in scoring position, but Curd put a stop to any further advancement and got out of the inning unscathed.
The team proved its tenacity and belief. This win made Duke history, advancing the team to the World Series for the first time in program history.
Young put it best after the game, saying “Wow. This is what postseason softball is all about.” -Lilah Gorfain
MVP
It was a season of unprecedented success for the Blue Devils, in no small part due to the efforts of senior outfielder Claire Davidson. Boasting a .436/.531/.872 slash line, Davidson’s performance at the dish placed her firmly among the NCAA’s best sluggers. Her big bat would prove instrumental for Duke in many a contest, accounting for 18 homers and 67 RBIs on the year. She was promptly named to several publications’ All-American first teams, and was the unanimous ACC Player of the Year. Tapped as a finalist for the prestigious Honda Award, handed out to the best collegiate female athlete in her sport, Davidson’s season was nothing short of sensational. She will continue her softball career professionally, having been drafted in this year’s Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball Draft. -Luke Rinaldi
Accolades
Even without considering the countless awards won by Davidson, the Blue Devils raked in both team and individual accolades to commemorate their historic season. Duke won its second-ever ACC Championship, in conjunction with the team’s regular-season title. Most impressively, however, the Blue Devils were able to overcome the wall of the Super Regional. For the first time in program history, Duke advanced to the Women's College World Series.
The team produced three All-Americans in Davidson, Wright and Aminah Vega, and practically cleaned house in the ACC. Davidson was named ACC Player of the Year, Wright earned conference Pitcher of the Year honors, Vega was tapped as the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and head coach Marissa Young was named the ACC’s Coach of the Year. Freshman Amiah Burgess was on the All-ACC Third Team as well. The future is bright for the Blue Devils, who will be aiming for similar success next season. -Rinaldi
Draft picks
Davidson was chosen 15th overall in the Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball draft, the premier professional softball league in the U.S., and Jala Wright signed with the reigning Women’s Professional Fastpitch league champions, the Texas Smoke. -Powicki
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