Duke Talks Depth of Pitching Staff

DURHAM, N.C. – With the addition of two freshmen pitchers, Duke softball expanded its pitching staff depth as head coach Marissa Young has seven on her 2021 roster.

As a staff in 2020, the program put together the lowest earned run average in the ACC (1.61) which was also the lowest in program history. The Blue Devils went to work in the fall, looking to build off momentum from last year that was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"After emerging as one of the top-10 pitching staffs with the lowest ERA last season, this group came hungry to continue elevating their game," Young said. "Each of them had a goal to develop command of another part of the zone to strengthen their repertoire and give themselves another tool in their toolbox. They're more effective and more difficult for opposing hitters to devise a game plan against. But most importantly, our pitchers have developed a love for competing and live for the opportunity to thrive in the most difficult moments under pressure."

Senior Peyton St. George spent a lot of time working on the mental aspect of her game this fall.

"I think I have enough experience and physical fitness to get me to where I want to be - the Women's College World Series – but the mental game can always be improved," said St. George. "I've also purposely put myself in tough situations or challenged myself to do things that are out of the norm for me."

On the topic of doing things out of the norm, St. George recalls throwing a change-up instead of her bread-and-butter pitch in a full count situation with bases loaded in a scrimmage last week. It may not have gone her way this time, but she learned from the situation.

"Now I know how it will feel in a tight game and I can have the confidence I need to throw that pitch which is something I wouldn't normally do," St. George said. "Knowing that I don't have to rely on my strongest pitches in high-pressure situations gives me more confidence."

Junior Shelby Walters not only picked up or sharpened her skills over the past few months, but she also had time to sit back and evaluate her role within the program.

"I added a two seam and tweaked my changeup," said Walters. "I'm so excited to finally get to use them on some outside competition, because I'm sure the team is tired of hitting off us.

"The summer and fall gave me time to gain perspective of my place and purpose on the team, so I'm excited to put that to the test. I know everyone talks about how awful quarantine was – which I agree, it was terrible – but it also gave us all time to stop for a second and think about what we're doing."

Along with the five returning pitchers from last year, Duke added two newcomers with Claire Davidson and Lillie Walker. Young said the upperclassmen have set a great example for Davidson and Walker who have also bought into the process.

"The older pitchers understand our wholistic approach to building successful pitchers, and they have modeled the way and instilled those values in our freshmen pitchers," Young said. "There's so much more that goes on behind the scenes than what you see in the circle on gameday and in practice."

St. George says the upperclassmen have helped pave the way for Davidson and Walker, but there isn't a sense of hierarchy at Duke – everyone is treated the same no matter your class or position. The freshmen worked hard this fall against a strong Duke offense to put themselves in a better position once games roll around in the spring.

"Lillie and Claire have transitioned very well at the collegiate level," said St. George. "I think Coach Young has done a very good job at putting them in situations to succeed, but she's also allowed them to work through tough outings. It's so much better to experience the downsides as a college pitcher early so you're prepared when it's game time. Our own lineup humbles us as pitchers as Coach Bloomer and the hitters are constantly giving us a back-and-forth challenge. Lillie and Claire have both meshed into the staff quite well and will contribute amazing things for this program."

Young believes the pitchers had hit their stride last March before the abrupt end to the season, so she's excited to see them back in the circle.

"I look forward to seeing them dominate this season over the long haul," Young said. "We have so much depth in the circle which puts us in a great position with the new ACC four-game series format. They're poised and ready to compete to be a postseason team."

Similarly to Young's thoughts, Walters also believes the added depth in the pitching staff will help the Blue Devils for the 2021 campaign.

"With the new game regulations put in place due to COVID-10, having depth in a pitching staff is so important," Walters said. "Having four games is going to make it harder on pitchers to mix up their stuff so batters can't catch up. Having a large staff can help with that, especially with different pitchers throwing different things. We've talked as a staff many times about how we have each other's backs whenever we get into trouble and it's great knowing you have help if you need it. This is the closest staff I've ever been a part of and I'm so thankful we have such a depth and appreciation of what we're all trying to accomplish."

The 2020 season elevated the bar for Duke softball. With success comes higher expectations and St. George knows the staff is ready.

"Expectations for the spring have already exceeded last year, because we know what we're capable of and we'll continue to hold ourselves to the highest standards," St. George said. "To lead the ACC as a staff isn't a goal anymore – it's an expectation. Now we're looking towards the bigger picture such as leading the NCAA in pitching categories. Unlike past years as a new team, we don't play as the underdog anymore. We play like we're fighting for that top 10 ranking and eventually, a spot in the WCWS."

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Duke Talks Depth of Pitching Staff

Players Mentioned

Claire Davidson

Peyton St. George

Lillie Walker

Shelby Walters

Duke information

Duke Talks Depth of Pitching Staff

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Players Mentioned

Claire Davidson

Peyton St. George

Lillie Walker

Shelby Walters

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