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Seven Blue Devils Earn NFCA All-Region Recognition
5/14/2026 5:48:00 PM | Softball
DURHAM, N.C. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced the DI All-Region Teams Thursday afternoon with seven Blue Devils earning All-Region East honors.
The Blue Devils placed a program-high five on the first team in seniors Cassidy Curd, D'Auna Jennings and Aminah Vega, redshirt junior Jessica Oakland and sophomore Layla Lamar. Graduate student Tyrina Jones and freshman Gabriella Shadek were selected to the second team.
All seven Blue Devils now become eligible for the 2026 NFCA Division I All-America squads.
Vega has been the engine to one of the nation's top offenses, leading the Blue Devils in runs (82), hits (78), doubles (20) and triples (5) through 53 games this season. The DeBary, Florida native has rewritten the Duke record books in her final season, setting the career doubles record with 66 and matching Claire Davidson's single-season mark of 20. The 2024 NFCA All-America selection sits second all-time with 293 career hits and 52 home runs. Vega is the only player in program history to garner all-region honors in four consecutive seasons.
Oakland earned the third NFCA All-Region recognition of her career and first with the Blue Devils after playing her first two seasons at Minnesota. After missing the opening weekend due to injury, Okland has started all 48 games at shortstop. The San Jose, California product holds a team-leading .465 batting average with 73 hits, 11 doubles and 13 home runs. She sits second on the team with 64 RBI on the year. Oakland was named the NFCA National Player of the Week on April 21, following an explosive performance at the plate in one of the final weeks of the regular season. The redshirt junior was also selected to the ACC All-Tournament team after batting 5-for-8 (.625) with four RBI during the two games to lead the offense.
Curd continues to lead the Blue Devils' pitching staff in her final season. She holds a 4.37 ERA through 33 appearances and has collected 120 strikeouts in 139.1 innings. A native of Port St. Lucie, Florida, Curd owns a 17-2 record, which ranks third in the conference and 47th nationally. The lefty helped guide Duke to a 6-0 victory over Clemson in the regular season finale, holding the Tigers' offense scoreless through seven innings to set the program record with 13 career shutouts. With the first team nod, Curd has now earned all-region honors in three of her four seasons.
Jennings is one of three players to start all 53 games this season, anchoring the Blue Devils' outfield. Jennings is hitting .424 at the plate, tallying 78 hits, 13 doubles and 22 RBI. The slapper has also sent out a career-high five home runs this season. The Houston, Texas, native passed Jameson Kavel's career mark of 252 hits to become Duke softball's all-time hits leader. She now has 298 career hits to her name heading into NCAA play. Jennings also leads the team in stolen bases with 16 on the year. She picked up the third NFCA All-Region recognition of her career.
In her first season with the Blue Devils, Jones has already made her mark on the Duke offense, earning a spot in the starting lineup in all 53 games. This season, she has reached career highs in batting average (.332), hits (61), home runs (20) and RBI (73). Jones set the single-season RBI record during the series opener at Boston College, driving in four runs in the 12-2 win over the Eagles. She also set the program's single-season home run record with her solo shot in the bottom of the sixth inning to help guide Duke to a run-rule victory over Clemson. She ranks 10th in the NCAA and second in the ACC with 73 RBI on the year. The graduate student homered in five straight games after a tallying a three-run blast in the opening game against Boston College, a two-run shot against No. 7 Tennessee and one in all three games of the North Carolina series for the longest streak in the NCAA, tied with Taylor Pipkins of Clemson. Jones earned the first all-region nod of her career.
Lamar has seen action in 52-of-53 games this season, earning 51 starts in the outfield. She has proved her power at the plate, batting .380 with 57 hits, 10 doubles and 43 RBI. Lamar has launched 13 home runs on the year and recorded four multi-home run games. The Cary, North Carolina product has also shown her speed around the bases as one of just two players to record multiple triples this season. The sophomore earned all-region recognition for the first time in her after playing her first year at Florida.
Shadek has played a key role in the Blue Devils' offense in the second half of the season. She holds a .361 batting average heading into NCAA Championship play while blasting eight home runs and driving in 24 runs. The Kinnelon, New Jersey native closed out Duke's final weekend on the road in strong fashion, hitting a home run in all three games at Boston College. She drove in a career-high four runs in game one of the doubleheader, using an RBI-double and a three-run homer in back-to-back innings, to help Duke clinch the three-game series against the Eagles. She was named the ACC Freshman of the Week following her dominant performance. Shadek earned Third Team All-ACC honors and picked up the first all-region recognition of her career.
Duke opens action in the NCAA Durham Regional Friday at 12 p.m. against Howard. The Blue Devils and Bison are set to meet for the third time in program history and second time in NCAA postseason action. The two teams last met in the Durham Regional a season ago with the Blue Devils earning a 12-0 run-rule victory.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils softball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeSOFTBALL"
#GoDuke
The Blue Devils placed a program-high five on the first team in seniors Cassidy Curd, D'Auna Jennings and Aminah Vega, redshirt junior Jessica Oakland and sophomore Layla Lamar. Graduate student Tyrina Jones and freshman Gabriella Shadek were selected to the second team.
All seven Blue Devils now become eligible for the 2026 NFCA Division I All-America squads.
Vega has been the engine to one of the nation's top offenses, leading the Blue Devils in runs (82), hits (78), doubles (20) and triples (5) through 53 games this season. The DeBary, Florida native has rewritten the Duke record books in her final season, setting the career doubles record with 66 and matching Claire Davidson's single-season mark of 20. The 2024 NFCA All-America selection sits second all-time with 293 career hits and 52 home runs. Vega is the only player in program history to garner all-region honors in four consecutive seasons.
Oakland earned the third NFCA All-Region recognition of her career and first with the Blue Devils after playing her first two seasons at Minnesota. After missing the opening weekend due to injury, Okland has started all 48 games at shortstop. The San Jose, California product holds a team-leading .465 batting average with 73 hits, 11 doubles and 13 home runs. She sits second on the team with 64 RBI on the year. Oakland was named the NFCA National Player of the Week on April 21, following an explosive performance at the plate in one of the final weeks of the regular season. The redshirt junior was also selected to the ACC All-Tournament team after batting 5-for-8 (.625) with four RBI during the two games to lead the offense.
Curd continues to lead the Blue Devils' pitching staff in her final season. She holds a 4.37 ERA through 33 appearances and has collected 120 strikeouts in 139.1 innings. A native of Port St. Lucie, Florida, Curd owns a 17-2 record, which ranks third in the conference and 47th nationally. The lefty helped guide Duke to a 6-0 victory over Clemson in the regular season finale, holding the Tigers' offense scoreless through seven innings to set the program record with 13 career shutouts. With the first team nod, Curd has now earned all-region honors in three of her four seasons.
Jennings is one of three players to start all 53 games this season, anchoring the Blue Devils' outfield. Jennings is hitting .424 at the plate, tallying 78 hits, 13 doubles and 22 RBI. The slapper has also sent out a career-high five home runs this season. The Houston, Texas, native passed Jameson Kavel's career mark of 252 hits to become Duke softball's all-time hits leader. She now has 298 career hits to her name heading into NCAA play. Jennings also leads the team in stolen bases with 16 on the year. She picked up the third NFCA All-Region recognition of her career.
In her first season with the Blue Devils, Jones has already made her mark on the Duke offense, earning a spot in the starting lineup in all 53 games. This season, she has reached career highs in batting average (.332), hits (61), home runs (20) and RBI (73). Jones set the single-season RBI record during the series opener at Boston College, driving in four runs in the 12-2 win over the Eagles. She also set the program's single-season home run record with her solo shot in the bottom of the sixth inning to help guide Duke to a run-rule victory over Clemson. She ranks 10th in the NCAA and second in the ACC with 73 RBI on the year. The graduate student homered in five straight games after a tallying a three-run blast in the opening game against Boston College, a two-run shot against No. 7 Tennessee and one in all three games of the North Carolina series for the longest streak in the NCAA, tied with Taylor Pipkins of Clemson. Jones earned the first all-region nod of her career.
Lamar has seen action in 52-of-53 games this season, earning 51 starts in the outfield. She has proved her power at the plate, batting .380 with 57 hits, 10 doubles and 43 RBI. Lamar has launched 13 home runs on the year and recorded four multi-home run games. The Cary, North Carolina product has also shown her speed around the bases as one of just two players to record multiple triples this season. The sophomore earned all-region recognition for the first time in her after playing her first year at Florida.
Shadek has played a key role in the Blue Devils' offense in the second half of the season. She holds a .361 batting average heading into NCAA Championship play while blasting eight home runs and driving in 24 runs. The Kinnelon, New Jersey native closed out Duke's final weekend on the road in strong fashion, hitting a home run in all three games at Boston College. She drove in a career-high four runs in game one of the doubleheader, using an RBI-double and a three-run homer in back-to-back innings, to help Duke clinch the three-game series against the Eagles. She was named the ACC Freshman of the Week following her dominant performance. Shadek earned Third Team All-ACC honors and picked up the first all-region recognition of her career.
Duke opens action in the NCAA Durham Regional Friday at 12 p.m. against Howard. The Blue Devils and Bison are set to meet for the third time in program history and second time in NCAA postseason action. The two teams last met in the Durham Regional a season ago with the Blue Devils earning a 12-0 run-rule victory.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils softball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeSOFTBALL"
#GoDuke
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