Completed Event: Softball versus Georgia on May 18, 2025 , Loss , 2, to, 5 , (F/8)
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Final
Softball
2
vs Georgia
5
Game-Changer: Brianna Butler
2/10/2021 12:00:00 PM | Softball
On a long bus ride ahead of a game, you'll find her playing her Nintendo Switch. But on game days, you'll find her dominating in the circle.
Once upon a time, Brianna Butler was the youngest to don the Duke jersey. After graduating high school early in December 2017 to join the inaugural softball team, Butler took the field at 17 years old.
"Looking back now, it was more difficult than I thought it would be," Butler said. "I didn't get the chance to play softball my senior year, but instead I took time off to practice and get ready for Duke. The transition was hard, because I was young and didn't know anybody, but I got into the groove of things pretty quickly once the season rolled around."
Prior to becoming the first head coach of the Duke softball program, Marissa Young was an assistant at North Carolina where she'd recruited Butler. Duke was Butler's dream school so when the opportunity to play in Durham came, she jumped at it.
"I was more than ready to hop on board and start the program," Butler said.
And that she did. Young understood what Butler had given up to join the program and that it wouldn't be an easy road, but she knew what she was capable of in the long run.
"She made a big sacrifice giving up her senior year playing ball, going to dances and doing all of those things to start the program with us," Young said. "She also came to Duke where there is academic pressure, and she didn't have the fall to acclimate with the team so she was literally thrown into the fire. It wasn't easy, but it's truly been a joy to see her progression over the years."
For Butler, year one in collegiate softball was shell-shocking.
"I was playing with grown women and I was still 17 — my parents still had to sign off on all my forms, because I wasn't old enough to do it myself," Butler laughed. "I wouldn't say it was scary, but it was different yet really cool at the same time. Not a lot of people had the opportunity I did."
As a freshman, Butler played in 28 games with 11 appearances in the circle, including six starts. She threw 28 innings in which she garnered 15 strikeouts while putting together a 2.00 earned run average.
Having her first season under her belt, Butler began to grow into her own. Her quiet exterior was broken down as her teammates and coaches began to uncover her layers. They saw her humor, nerdiness, love of anime, coding and video games. They got to know who Bri was off the field while she continued to improve on the field.
She finished her sophomore year with the 10th best ERA in the conference at 2.97 and tallied a team-high nine wins through 120.1 innings with 59 punchouts.
"Ever since freshman year, growth has been my mindset," Butler said. "I want to be constantly improving. I have done that, and I want to continue that."
Then came junior year and a key change in Butler's game — confidence.
"Before last season, I knew I could be a good pitcher and I felt like I was, but I didn't see myself as someone who could dominate," Butler said. "This year I started to embrace my strengths rather than brush them off. My parents raised me to be humble, so I always told myself I wasn't that good."
Young saw the confidence boost in Butler last season and new it was a game-changer.
"The biggest thing for her was developing confidence and now she knows how good she is. She believes in herself when she takes the mound," Young said. "Her serious, quiet and stoic personality shows in those big moments. Whether it's a good or bad outing, you don't see her reaction; she's just so poised out there. She's a hard worker and has been really committed to the process the past few years and we've seen that in her performance."
Her confidence was due in part to facing her teammates during practices. Young had the pitchers throw live during the week which helped the pitchers see what worked or didn't work before the weekend.
Duke's lineup wasn't easy to shut down in 2020, breaking numerous program records while collecting a .319 batting average, including a season-high 26 homers. When Butler was able to overcome her teammates' offensive dominance, she knew she could face anyone.
And while Butler loves to throw an inside fastball, hitting 70 mph on a good day, the pitch that helped grow that confidence last year? Her curveball.
"When I started embracing my strengths, I started to get a little cocky about them, like my curveball," Butler said as she smiled. "It was a game-changer in the Gardner-Webb game, and you saw how that worked out."
In the victory, Butler was lights out, as her cocky curve led to a record-breaking appearance with 14 strikeouts.
Duke would play once more before covid-19 shut down their incredible campaign. In just year three as a program, the Blue Devils put together a 23-4 record while cracking the Top 25 for the first time.
Butler's shortened season ended with an 8-2 record and 58 strikeouts through 58.2 frames, leading the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 0.95 ERA, the lowest in program history.
On the verge of continuing that momentum in her senior year, Young has full faith in Butler's game.
"I look forward to seeing what she started last year continue for the long haul," Young said. "I think Bri has found the formula for her success — she believes in herself, is ready to go out there and show what she's worked so hard to do."
Butler was recently tabbed No. 67 in Softball America's Preseason Top 100, but to her the notoriety is a bonus. What means the most is taking the field with her teammates and them having full confidence in her ability.
In Butler's eyes, the sky is the limit for Team Four and they can establish themselves as one of, if not the best in the ACC. Individually, Butler's ready to return to the circle and take care of business with her confidence at an all-time high.
"I can see myself dominate and I can't wait to dominate again," Butler said. "I definitely didn't have that mindset when I first came in, but now that I do, I almost get a high from it — a feeling of being super confident and a top player."
Once upon a time, Brianna Butler was the youngest to don the Duke jersey. After graduating high school early in December 2017 to join the inaugural softball team, Butler took the field at 17 years old.
"Looking back now, it was more difficult than I thought it would be," Butler said. "I didn't get the chance to play softball my senior year, but instead I took time off to practice and get ready for Duke. The transition was hard, because I was young and didn't know anybody, but I got into the groove of things pretty quickly once the season rolled around."
Prior to becoming the first head coach of the Duke softball program, Marissa Young was an assistant at North Carolina where she'd recruited Butler. Duke was Butler's dream school so when the opportunity to play in Durham came, she jumped at it.
"I was more than ready to hop on board and start the program," Butler said.
And that she did. Young understood what Butler had given up to join the program and that it wouldn't be an easy road, but she knew what she was capable of in the long run.
"She made a big sacrifice giving up her senior year playing ball, going to dances and doing all of those things to start the program with us," Young said. "She also came to Duke where there is academic pressure, and she didn't have the fall to acclimate with the team so she was literally thrown into the fire. It wasn't easy, but it's truly been a joy to see her progression over the years."
For Butler, year one in collegiate softball was shell-shocking.
"I was playing with grown women and I was still 17 — my parents still had to sign off on all my forms, because I wasn't old enough to do it myself," Butler laughed. "I wouldn't say it was scary, but it was different yet really cool at the same time. Not a lot of people had the opportunity I did."
As a freshman, Butler played in 28 games with 11 appearances in the circle, including six starts. She threw 28 innings in which she garnered 15 strikeouts while putting together a 2.00 earned run average.
Having her first season under her belt, Butler began to grow into her own. Her quiet exterior was broken down as her teammates and coaches began to uncover her layers. They saw her humor, nerdiness, love of anime, coding and video games. They got to know who Bri was off the field while she continued to improve on the field.
She finished her sophomore year with the 10th best ERA in the conference at 2.97 and tallied a team-high nine wins through 120.1 innings with 59 punchouts.
"Ever since freshman year, growth has been my mindset," Butler said. "I want to be constantly improving. I have done that, and I want to continue that."
Then came junior year and a key change in Butler's game — confidence.
"Before last season, I knew I could be a good pitcher and I felt like I was, but I didn't see myself as someone who could dominate," Butler said. "This year I started to embrace my strengths rather than brush them off. My parents raised me to be humble, so I always told myself I wasn't that good."
Young saw the confidence boost in Butler last season and new it was a game-changer.
"The biggest thing for her was developing confidence and now she knows how good she is. She believes in herself when she takes the mound," Young said. "Her serious, quiet and stoic personality shows in those big moments. Whether it's a good or bad outing, you don't see her reaction; she's just so poised out there. She's a hard worker and has been really committed to the process the past few years and we've seen that in her performance."
Her confidence was due in part to facing her teammates during practices. Young had the pitchers throw live during the week which helped the pitchers see what worked or didn't work before the weekend.
Duke's lineup wasn't easy to shut down in 2020, breaking numerous program records while collecting a .319 batting average, including a season-high 26 homers. When Butler was able to overcome her teammates' offensive dominance, she knew she could face anyone.
And while Butler loves to throw an inside fastball, hitting 70 mph on a good day, the pitch that helped grow that confidence last year? Her curveball.
"When I started embracing my strengths, I started to get a little cocky about them, like my curveball," Butler said as she smiled. "It was a game-changer in the Gardner-Webb game, and you saw how that worked out."
In the victory, Butler was lights out, as her cocky curve led to a record-breaking appearance with 14 strikeouts.
Duke would play once more before covid-19 shut down their incredible campaign. In just year three as a program, the Blue Devils put together a 23-4 record while cracking the Top 25 for the first time.
Butler's shortened season ended with an 8-2 record and 58 strikeouts through 58.2 frames, leading the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 0.95 ERA, the lowest in program history.
On the verge of continuing that momentum in her senior year, Young has full faith in Butler's game.
"I look forward to seeing what she started last year continue for the long haul," Young said. "I think Bri has found the formula for her success — she believes in herself, is ready to go out there and show what she's worked so hard to do."
Butler was recently tabbed No. 67 in Softball America's Preseason Top 100, but to her the notoriety is a bonus. What means the most is taking the field with her teammates and them having full confidence in her ability.
In Butler's eyes, the sky is the limit for Team Four and they can establish themselves as one of, if not the best in the ACC. Individually, Butler's ready to return to the circle and take care of business with her confidence at an all-time high.
"I can see myself dominate and I can't wait to dominate again," Butler said. "I definitely didn't have that mindset when I first came in, but now that I do, I almost get a high from it — a feeling of being super confident and a top player."
Players Mentioned
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