DURHAM – Softball America announced its 2024 Top 100 Player List on Monday with the quartet of junior
Ana Gold and sophomores
Cassidy Curd,
D'Auna Jennings and
Aminah Vega among the top players recognized.
Gold led the way for the Blue Devils, earning the No. 37 spot, followed by Curd at No. 44, Jennings at No. 51 and Vega at No. 79.
Gold, a product of Ballston Spa, N.Y., played a pivotal role in the team's success on offense last season. During her sophomore campaign, she tallied 19 home runs to set the school record for single-season home runs while collecting 56 RBI, which tied
Kristina Foreman's program-best mark in 2022. Gold saw action in 59-of-60 games last season and finished second in the conference in home runs (19), home runs per game (0.32), RBIs (56), RBIs per game (0.95) and runs per game (0.90). She collected numerous accolades throughout the season, earning NFCA All-Region, All-ACC and two ACC Player of the Week nods.
Curd was stellar for the Blue Devils inside the circle and concluded her first season in Durham with an 18-3 record after 35 appearances. The Port St. Lucie, Fla., native became the first player in program history to reach 100-plus strikeouts during their initial season and finished with 159 on the year. She also became the first rookie to throw a no-hitter at the 2023 ACC Tournament and recorded the sixth overall at the postseason event, after Duke defeated Clemson, 2-0, in the semifinals. Curd tallied Duke's third no-hitter of the year and first solo seven-inning no-no in program history. She was named a top-10 finalist for the TUCCI/NFCA Freshman of the Year, joining Jennings as the first two Blue Devils to represent the program as finalists.
Jennings finished her first year in Durham in strong fashion, setting school single-season records in batting average (.462) and hits (80) and ranks sixth nationally in both categories. She placed second all-time in stolen bases with 21 on the year, which sits behind
Deja Davis' mark of 24 in 2019. The Houston, Texas, native proved her power on offense and earned her spot in the starting lineup in 58-of-60 games last year. Jennings also earned NFCA All-America honors and was named a top three finalist for the 2023 TUCCI/NFCA Freshman of the Year.
Vega made her presence known in her first season, batting .371 with 19 multi-hit games on the year. The DeBary, Fla., native led the team in triples (3) and total bases (119) and finished second behind Gold in home runs (12) and RBI (50). The starting second baseman was one of two players on the team to have competed in all 60 games this year, earning 59 starts. Vega's performance on the field also earned her NFCA All-Region, All-ACC and ACC All-Tournament team honors.
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