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Team Three: 2020 Season Recap
3/25/2020 1:41:00 PM | Softball
DURHAM, N.C. – During its third season, Duke softball was off to its best start in program history with a 23-4 record, including its first win over a ranked opponent as the Blue Devils took down fourth-ranked Texas.
Head coach Marissa Young and the Blue Devils closed out the 2020 season to improve to 77-62 over the past three years. Duke went 1-2 in ACC action, playing Notre Dame in what would be its only league series of the campaign. Following the loss against the Fighting Irish, the Blue Devils went on a nine-game win streak.
For the first time in program history, Duke was recognized in major polls, receiving votes in both the USA Today/NFCA Division Top 25 Coaches Poll and ESPN.com/USA Collegiate Softball Top 25 Poll. The Blue Devils were first featured in ESPN's poll on Feb. 18 with three votes. After taking down No. 4 Texas the following week, Duke began receiving votes in the coaches' poll and would continue to be recognized for the next three weeks. In the first unofficial RPI of the season, Duke checked in at No. 11.
Ten of Duke's 23 victories came in run-rule fashion, including its season opener against Clemson (11-0 in five innings) and two on the second day of the Big 10/ACC Challenge in which the Blue Devils outscored Indiana and Rutgers, 38-3, through 10 innings.
NATIONAL STAT RANKINGS…
Among all Division I programs in the country, Duke landed in the top 25 of eight statistical categories. The Blue Devils ranked ninth in win-loss percentage (.852), 10th in earned run average (1.61), 11th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.18), 14th in hit batters (4), 15th in doubles (44), 18th in scoring (6.59), 18th in slugging percentage (.528) and 20th in triples per game (.37). Duke finished the season 26th in batting average (.319) and 32nd for both stolen bases per game (1.70) and on base percentage (.404).
Individually, Duke had seven student-athletes represented in 14 stat rankings. Having a breakout sophomore campaign, Caroline Jacobsen ranked 12th in runs batted in (31), 15th in home runs (9), 24th in RBI per game (1.15), 32nd in total bases (60) and 36th in home runs per game (.33). Freshman Gisele Tapia hit nine doubles in her first year as a Blue Devil to stand 25th in the country. Junior Jameson Kavel checked in at 25th in runs per game (1.12) and 21st in triples (3) as sophomore Deja Davis was eighth with four. Out of 57 student-athletes ranked, junior Rachel Crabtree was ninth in sacrifice flies (3).
In the circle, junior Brianna Butler was 14th in ERA (0.95) and 30th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.18) while sophomore Shelby Walters was fifth in both strikeout-to-walk ratio (10) and walks allowed per seven innings (.58).
AMONG THE ACC…
The Blue Devils 23 victories were the most in the league, coming ahead of Virginia Tech, which finished with 21. Offensively, Duke finished first in runs scored (178), hit-by-pitch (22) and triples (10) while ending second in batting average, doubles (44) and on base percentage. The Blue Devils wrapped the season third in total bases (359), slugging, hits (217), total plate appearances (799), sac bunts (13) and stolen bases (46).
Duke's pitching finished first in ERA and wins while coming in second for opposing batting average (.199) and innings pitched (170.0). The Blue Devils struck out the third most batters in the league, tallying 159 in the young season, as their pitchers let up the least amount of runs and walks with 44 and 38, respectively. Duke's pitching trio of Butler, Walters and Peyton St. George all had an ERA in the top 10.
Kavel (.377), Crabtree (.373) and Jacobsen (.368) represented the Blue Devils in the top 10 for league batting average while Kavel led the ACC in runs scored with 29. Jacobsen was second in RBI while finishing third in total bases, slugging and home runs. Butler claimed the top ERA in the league while St. George was second in wins (10) and eighth with 66 strikeouts and 681 innings pitched. Only allowing three walks through 36 innings, Walters led the league with the least free bases.
SHATTERING RECORDS…
While the Blue Devils were on pace to do more damage in the last 28 games of the season, the team still broke numerous records in the first half of the 2020 campaign.
SEASON RECORDS
As a squad, Duke took down the season home run record, previously 24 in 2019, tallying 26 on the season. Jacobsen led the team with nine long balls – a single-season record – which surpassed the former mark of six and captured a record-high .789 slugging percentage. Dominique Salinas' .519 on base percentage was also a season high. Led by Butler's program-best 0.95 ERA, Duke's pitching staff combined for its best ERA in school history at 1.61.
SINGLE-GAME RECORDS
Freshman Kamryn Jackson broke the single-season RBI record, racking up seven against Rutgers (2/15) with a 3-for-3 performance including two homers – previous was five by Kristina Foreman against Virginia (3/24/19). Butler was dominant in the circle in game one of the doubleheader versus Gardner-Webb (3/8), reeling in a program-high 14 strikeouts – previous was a combined 13 from Butler and St. George earlier in the season.
The Blue Devils broke records during the Big 10/ACC Challenge: hits (18), doubles (6), runs scored (22), runs in an inning (10) and RBI (21). A few days later, Duke tied its single-game doubles record with six against Campbell (2/19).
TOP 100 LIST
Despite the season being cut short, Softball America announced its 2020 College Top 100 list as three Blue Devils checked in with Butler at No. 62, Jacobsen at No. 64 and St. George at No. 78.
For more information on Duke softball, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "DukeSoftball".
#GoDuke
Head coach Marissa Young and the Blue Devils closed out the 2020 season to improve to 77-62 over the past three years. Duke went 1-2 in ACC action, playing Notre Dame in what would be its only league series of the campaign. Following the loss against the Fighting Irish, the Blue Devils went on a nine-game win streak.
For the first time in program history, Duke was recognized in major polls, receiving votes in both the USA Today/NFCA Division Top 25 Coaches Poll and ESPN.com/USA Collegiate Softball Top 25 Poll. The Blue Devils were first featured in ESPN's poll on Feb. 18 with three votes. After taking down No. 4 Texas the following week, Duke began receiving votes in the coaches' poll and would continue to be recognized for the next three weeks. In the first unofficial RPI of the season, Duke checked in at No. 11.
Ten of Duke's 23 victories came in run-rule fashion, including its season opener against Clemson (11-0 in five innings) and two on the second day of the Big 10/ACC Challenge in which the Blue Devils outscored Indiana and Rutgers, 38-3, through 10 innings.
NATIONAL STAT RANKINGS…
Among all Division I programs in the country, Duke landed in the top 25 of eight statistical categories. The Blue Devils ranked ninth in win-loss percentage (.852), 10th in earned run average (1.61), 11th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.18), 14th in hit batters (4), 15th in doubles (44), 18th in scoring (6.59), 18th in slugging percentage (.528) and 20th in triples per game (.37). Duke finished the season 26th in batting average (.319) and 32nd for both stolen bases per game (1.70) and on base percentage (.404).
Individually, Duke had seven student-athletes represented in 14 stat rankings. Having a breakout sophomore campaign, Caroline Jacobsen ranked 12th in runs batted in (31), 15th in home runs (9), 24th in RBI per game (1.15), 32nd in total bases (60) and 36th in home runs per game (.33). Freshman Gisele Tapia hit nine doubles in her first year as a Blue Devil to stand 25th in the country. Junior Jameson Kavel checked in at 25th in runs per game (1.12) and 21st in triples (3) as sophomore Deja Davis was eighth with four. Out of 57 student-athletes ranked, junior Rachel Crabtree was ninth in sacrifice flies (3).
In the circle, junior Brianna Butler was 14th in ERA (0.95) and 30th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.18) while sophomore Shelby Walters was fifth in both strikeout-to-walk ratio (10) and walks allowed per seven innings (.58).
AMONG THE ACC…
The Blue Devils 23 victories were the most in the league, coming ahead of Virginia Tech, which finished with 21. Offensively, Duke finished first in runs scored (178), hit-by-pitch (22) and triples (10) while ending second in batting average, doubles (44) and on base percentage. The Blue Devils wrapped the season third in total bases (359), slugging, hits (217), total plate appearances (799), sac bunts (13) and stolen bases (46).
Duke's pitching finished first in ERA and wins while coming in second for opposing batting average (.199) and innings pitched (170.0). The Blue Devils struck out the third most batters in the league, tallying 159 in the young season, as their pitchers let up the least amount of runs and walks with 44 and 38, respectively. Duke's pitching trio of Butler, Walters and Peyton St. George all had an ERA in the top 10.
Kavel (.377), Crabtree (.373) and Jacobsen (.368) represented the Blue Devils in the top 10 for league batting average while Kavel led the ACC in runs scored with 29. Jacobsen was second in RBI while finishing third in total bases, slugging and home runs. Butler claimed the top ERA in the league while St. George was second in wins (10) and eighth with 66 strikeouts and 681 innings pitched. Only allowing three walks through 36 innings, Walters led the league with the least free bases.
SHATTERING RECORDS…
While the Blue Devils were on pace to do more damage in the last 28 games of the season, the team still broke numerous records in the first half of the 2020 campaign.
SEASON RECORDS
As a squad, Duke took down the season home run record, previously 24 in 2019, tallying 26 on the season. Jacobsen led the team with nine long balls – a single-season record – which surpassed the former mark of six and captured a record-high .789 slugging percentage. Dominique Salinas' .519 on base percentage was also a season high. Led by Butler's program-best 0.95 ERA, Duke's pitching staff combined for its best ERA in school history at 1.61.
SINGLE-GAME RECORDS
Freshman Kamryn Jackson broke the single-season RBI record, racking up seven against Rutgers (2/15) with a 3-for-3 performance including two homers – previous was five by Kristina Foreman against Virginia (3/24/19). Butler was dominant in the circle in game one of the doubleheader versus Gardner-Webb (3/8), reeling in a program-high 14 strikeouts – previous was a combined 13 from Butler and St. George earlier in the season.
The Blue Devils broke records during the Big 10/ACC Challenge: hits (18), doubles (6), runs scored (22), runs in an inning (10) and RBI (21). A few days later, Duke tied its single-game doubles record with six against Campbell (2/19).
TOP 100 LIST
Despite the season being cut short, Softball America announced its 2020 College Top 100 list as three Blue Devils checked in with Butler at No. 62, Jacobsen at No. 64 and St. George at No. 78.
For more information on Duke softball, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "DukeSoftball".
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
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