Tag: acc softball

Duke’s Amiah Burgess named ACC Softball Co-Player of the Week

Duke freshman Amiah Burgess was named the ACC Softball Co-Player of the Week for the final week of the college softball regular season.

Duke outfielder Amiah Burgess was named one of the ACC Softball Co-Players of the Week for the final week of the college softball regular season.

Burgess ended her season with momentum after she racked up nine hits in 13 at-bats. She crushed two home runs and drove home seven runs across four games.

The freshman’s performance helped Duke notch non-conference wins against Longwood and Gardner-Webb before the Blue Devils swept NC State over the weekend.

Burgess finished her freshman regular season with a .372 batting average and a .476 on-base percentage. She hit four home runs and racked up 27 RBIs in 45 appearances, and her five doubles were tied for the fourth-most on the team.

The team finished the season 44-6, a new program record for wins in the season.

Burgess shared the honor with Virginia’s Shelby Barbee, while Syracuse pitcher Lindsey Hendrix was honored in the circle.

Clemson ends regular season unranked in major poll

NCAA Softball Top 25: the Clemson Tigers were unranked in the new Softball America Top 25 poll for Week 13, released on Monday, April 29.

Clemson finished its 2024 regular season unranked in at least one major Top 25 softball poll.

For the third consecutive week, coach John Rittman’s team was unranked in the new Softball America Top 25 poll, released Monday, April 29.

The Tigers won two of three games in their final regular-season series at Louisville over the weekend to finish at 33-16 overall and 15-9 in the ACC — fourth in conference standings.

The top nine teams in Softball America’s poll remained the same as last week. Texas (42-6) stayed at No. 1 for the third consecutive week after a 4-0 week. Oklahoma (45-4) held at No. 2 after going 3-0. Tennessee (No. 3, 37-9), Texas A&M (No. 4, 39-9), and Oklahoma State (No. 5, 42-8) rounded out the top five.

Duke (44-6, 20-4) was the highest-ranked ACC team in Softball America’s poll at No. 6. The Blue Devils concluded their regular season over the weekend by sweeping last-place NC State.

ACC leader Florida State (40-10 overall) was ranked 11th. Virginia Tech (38-1-1) was the only other ranked ACC school at No. 18.

Next up for Clemson is the ACC Tournament, scheduled to begin May 9 in Durham. Official seeding for the tournament has yet to be finalized.

Florida State currently sits atop the ACC at 18-3 in conference play with one series remaining in the regular season (beginning Friday at Syracuse). The Seminoles have won 14 straight entering the week and 22 of their last 23 dating back to March 23.

Where Clemson softball ranks in D1Softball, coaches polls

Clemson Softball: Here’s where the Tigers rank in the new coaches poll and D1Softball poll, released Tuesday, April 23.

There’s good news and bad news for Clemson softball in terms of Top 25 rankings for Week 12.

The Tigers went 3-1 last week with wins over Winthrop and winning two of three from Notre Dame in ACC play. That was enough to keep coach John Rittman’s team at No. 22 in the USA TODAY Sports/NCFA Division I Top 25 coaches poll, compiled by the 32 head coaches who make up the rankings.

Clemson fell one spot in the coaches poll from last week.

The Tigers fell out of D1Softball’s Top 25 poll, also released Tuesday. It’s the second major poll that Clemson was shut out of this week; the team was also unranked in Monday’s new Softball America Top 25 rankings.

Just as importantly, Clemson is ranked No. 23 in the RPI rankings. Those rankings hold more weight when the selection committee decides its seedings for the NCAA Division I Softball Tournament.

The top four teams were the same in both the coaches poll and D1Softball’s poll with Texas (38-6 overall) remaining No. 1 for the third consecutive week. Oklahoma (42-4) stayed at No. 2 while Tennessee (34-8) moved up to No. 3 in both polls.

Oklahoma State (39-8) shot up to No. 4 in both polls.

In D1Softball’s poll, UCLA jumped all the way to No. 5 after a series sweep of previously fifth-ranked Stanford. The Bruins (27-9) climbed 12 spots in D1Softball’s poll.

Duke (39-6) checked in at No. 5 in the coaches poll.

The Blue Devils were the highest ranked ACC team in either poll and one of four league members in this week’s rankings. Aside from Clemson at No. 22, the ACC also featured Virginia Tech (No. 13) and Florida State (No. 16) in this week’s Top 25.

The SEC led the way with 10 teams ranked in both polls.

Clemson is scheduled to close out the regular season portion of their schedule this weekend when they travel to Louisville for a three-game series beginning Friday. The Tigers are tied for fourth place in ACC standings with Virginia. They trail conference leader Florida State (15-3), Duke (17-4), and Virginia Tech (17-4).

Clemson remains shut out of Top 25 softball poll

NCAA Softball Top 25: the Clemson Tigers remained shut out of the Top 25 in Softball America’s latest rankings for Week 12, released on Monday, April 22.

The Clemson softball team remained shut out of the new Softball America Top 25 poll, released Monday, April 22.

It’s the second straight week that coach John Rittman’s team was unranked in the poll — although it certainly wasn’t for a lack of effort.

Clemson (31-15 overall, 13-8 conference) blanked Winthrop, 4-0, in its midweek game last week at McWhorter Stadium and won two of three games at Notre Dame.

Texas (38-6) stayed at No. 1 in Softball America’s poll for the second straight week while Oklahoma (42-4) held at No. 2. Tennessee (34-8) moved up one spot to No. 3 while Texas A&M (37-9) climbed three spots to No. 4. Oklahoma State (39-8) rounded out the top five.

The ACC had four teams ranked in the new poll. Duke (39-6) was the highest-ranked conference school at No. 6. Virginia Tech (No. 15), Florida State (No. 16), and Miami (No. 25) were also ranked.

Clemson will travel to Louisville to conclude its regular season schedule beginning Friday. After that, the Tigers will prepare for the 2024 ACC Softball Tournament, which begins Wednesday, May 8 in Durham.

Clemson is currently tied for fourth in ACC standings with Virginia. The Tigers trail conference leader Florida State (15-3 conference), Duke (17-4), and Virginia Tech (17-4).

Duke’s Cassidy Curd named ACC Pitcher of the Week after North Carolina sweep

Duke sophomore Cassidy Curd struck out 19 batters across 9.1 innings, including a five-inning shutout of UNC, en route to her second ACC Pitcher of the Week honor of the season.

Duke sophomore Cassidy Curd was named ACC Pitcher of the Week for the second time after 9.1 stellar innings against Charlotte and North Carolina.

Curd started her week with 4.1 scoreless innings against the 49ers on Wednesday, striking out seven batters and only allowing two hits and a walk. She earned the win for her efforts in the 6-1 triumph.

Three days later, in the second game of a weekend sweep of the Tar Heels, Curd struck out 12 UNC batters in just five innings. She surrendered two hits and a walk again, and the Tar Heels got shut out in the 8-0 win.

Curd leads the nation with 11.4 strikeouts per seven innings, and her average of 3.73 hits per seven innings is the seventh-fewest of any pitcher in the country. She has an ERA of 1.39 and a 7-2 record.

Curd was previously named ACC Pitcher of the Week in early March after 12 combined shutout innings against Elon and South Dakota State when she struck out 18 batters and gave up a single hit. Teammate Jala Wright has also been named ACC Pitcher of the Week twice.

Regan Spencer named ACC Pitcher of the Week

Regan Spencer was a standout this past week for the Tigers.

CLEMSON, S.C. – For the second time this season, senior Regan Spencer has been crowned ACC Pitcher of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday. This is the second ACC weekly honor for the Tigers this season and the second ACC weekly honor of Spencer’s career.

ACC Release

The Lexington, N.C., native earned the honor after finishing with a 1.00 ERA through two appearances. The right-handed pitcher pitched 7.0 innings with eight strikeouts to earn her sixth win and tally her first save of the 2024 season. Spencer opened the weekend with a five-inning shutout against Boston College She struck out five in Thursday’s game and without giving up a walk. Thursday’s game marked the 11th game of her senior campaign that she hasn’t conceded a walk in 18 total appearances which currently sits 21st in the NCAA for walks allowed per seven innings (1.04).

She concluded the weekend with two innings of work against the Eagles on Saturday morning. Her two innings of work earned her the first save of her senior year, third of her career. In those two innings, she struck out three while allowing only one hit. This included her entering the circle in the fourth inning with the bases loaded and no outs and shutting down the Eagles’ offense to force them to leave everyone stranded by picking up three quick outs. In total, she allowed only six hits, including only one extra-base hit, and has limited opponents to only eight extra-base hits during the season. Following last weekend, her season ERA also dropped to 0.70, which sits fourth in the NCAA through April 1.

Clemson returns to action on Tuesday, April 2 when the Tigers welcome Furman to McWhorter Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. on ACC Network. Tickets are still available both online and at the gate prior to first pitch.

Duke infielder Aminah Vega named ACC Player of the Week

After she cranked out seven hits, three home runs, and nine RBIs in a three-game sweep of Virginia Tech, Aminah Vega took home ACC Player of the Week honors.

Duke infielder Aminah Vega took home ACC Player of the Week honors in what was surely one of the easiest decisions the conference will have all season.

The Blue Devils swept Virginia Tech, who previously hadn’t lost a conference game, in a three-game series. Vega finished the week with seven hits in just 10 at-bats, including a four-for-four performance in the middle game on Friday. She cranked out extra-base hits, too, knocking three home runs (including two on Friday) and three doubles to generate nine RBIs for the series.

The Friday effort was one of the most impressive of the season, not just because of the gaudy stats listed above but because of how essential they were to the win. Duke trailed 4-0 after the opening inning, but Vega powered two-run homers in the first and fifth innings to knot the game at four runs apiece.

With the game tied in the bottom of the seventh, she came to the plate with a runner on first and one out, and she doubled to give the Blue Devils two runners in scoring position. That set the stage for Kelly Torres’ walk-off single two batters later.

Vega, a sophomore, is batting .414 for the season, the second-highest mark on the team. Her 41 hits and 12 doubles are both the most on the Duke roster, and her eight home runs trail only Claire Davidson’s nine.

Duke softball walks off Virginia Tech to clinch series

The Blue Devils needed only one run in the bottom of the seventh to clinch this weekend’s series against Virginia Tech, and Kelly Torres came through.

Duke softball needed just one win in the bottom of the seventh for a second straight win over Virginia Tech. It took the Blue Devils only five batters to find it.

After a double and two walks from the previous two batters, senior Kelly Torres strode to the plate with the bases loaded and one out on the board. She swung at the second pitch that Virginia Tech’s Lyndsey Grein rifled her way, and the ball rocketed off her bat.

The low, flat long drive looked like a potential lineout to center at first, but the ball kept flying and flying. Hokies centerfielder Emma Ritter could only watch helplessly as it whizzed over her head, one-hopping off the wall and bringing home the winning run.

The win, Duke’s eighth comeback of the year, improved the Blue Devils to 28-3 on the season and 9-2 in ACC play. They’ve taken two in a row from Virginia Tech, who hadn’t lost a conference game before the series began.

Duke trailed from the opening frame after the Hokies hung up four runs in the opening inning. Star Blue Devils pitcher Jala Wright got the start, and the senior had allowed just five earned runs in her 64 innings in the circle.

After an opening triple from Ritter, however, the Hokies set a different tone. Another Virginia Tech runner reached on a throwing error before Bre Peck launched a three-run homer into right-center field.

After another home run, a solo shot from Michelle Chatfield two batters later, Wright returned to usual form. She finished the outing with five strikeouts, six hits, and three earned runs in four innings.

The Blue Devils slowly pulled closer and closer throughout the evening. Second baseman Aminah Vega made the comeback possible, first smacking a two-run homer in the bottom of the first before blasting another two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game.

Right fielder Sarah Goddard pushed in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth, a one-out single that brought Torres around from second base, but the Hokies tied the game in the top of the seventh to set up Torres’ heroics.

The final game of the series takes place at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Duke softball wins road series over No. 16 Florida State

Duke softball lost its second game of the season on Saturday, but the Blue Devils still took two out of three from their ranked ACC foes.

Duke softball traveled to Tallahassee this weekend for its first ACC road trip of the 2024 season.

Despite the No. 6 Blue Devils suffering their first loss since the season opener, Duke still left with a series victory over the No. 16 Florida State.

The Blue Devils rode into town with a 20-game win streak and showed no signs of slowing down on Friday night.

Duke star pitcher Jala Wright got the start on the mound and continued her exceptional form to begin the 2024 season. She hadn’t allowed an earned run in her previous 26 innings when she tossed her first pitch of the weekend, and she retired her first nine batters of the opening game. She struck out the entire side in the second inning, and after a leadoff single ended her perfect game in the fourth, she retired the side with her fourth strikeout of the day to end the inning.

On the offensive end, senior left fielder Claire Davidson launched a two-run home run in the opening inning to claim an early lead. She drove in another run two innings later when she tripled into left field, giving Duke a 3-0 advantage.

Davidson came to the plate for the third time in the fifth inning with two runners on, and she again laced a single into the outfield for her fourth RBI of the afternoon. Second baseman Aminah Vega doubled home two more runs in the very next at-bat, and Duke led 7-0 after four innings.

Shortstop Jada Baker picked up two RBIs herself in the middle of the game, first with an RBI single in the fourth inning before a solo home run in the sixth stretched the lead to eight. A two-run double from Vega later ballooned the advantage to 10-0 as she, Baker, and Davidson drove in every Blue Devils run.

Florida State’s bats finally awoke in the bottom of the sixth, picking up four runs (including the first earned run on Wright in nearly a month) after a handful of singles and walks. However, the Seminoles couldn’t pull any closer than 10-5 before the final out was recorded.

The road rivals bounced back on Saturday, however, to hand Duke its first loss since the season opener. Duke’s star sophomore Cassidy Curd started the second game in the circle, but Florida State chased her after just two innings. After an opening flyout, the Seminoles laced together four straight hits in the first inning, including two doubles and a triple, for a 3-0 lead before the end of the opening frame.

The Blue Devils’ offense could never get off the ground in the second game of the weekend, with only one baserunner (an Ana Gold walk in the first) across the first four innings. Florida State added a fourth run in the third inning, and a sixth-inning Duke rally could only muster two runs.

With the series on the line on Sunday, however, the Blue Devils came through.

After a Florida State run in the opening frame, Francesca Frelick rocked around the tying run in the second with a sacrifice fly. One inning later, Vega and Amiah Burgess brought in another run each to stretch the advantage to 3-1.

Duke still led 5-3 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, but Florida State refused to let the series end early. With the tying run on third base with only one out, however, Duke gave Wright the ball again.

The star pitcher forced a groundout (albeit surrendering the tying run due to contact) and a flyout to force an extra inning.

As was the story on Friday, Claire Davidson played hero once again. The Blue Devils led by two after a double by slugger Ana Gold, but the senior outfielder launched another home run to break the game apart in extra innings.

Florida State couldn’t score a run in the bottom of the eighth, giving Duke the series win and improving the Blue Devils to 22-2 on the season.

The Blue Devils play UNC Wilmington in a home doubleheader on Wednesday.

Clemson Softball Predicted to Finish Second in Conference, Cagle Named Preseason All-ACC

Clemson softball is projected to finish second in the ACC in 2024.

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson Softball’s Valerie Cagle (P/UTL) has been selected to the Atlanta Coast Conference’s 2024 Preseason All-ACC Team, the league office announced Thursday. Additionally, the Tigers were predicted to finish tied for second alongside Duke after receiving 128 votes, include one first-place vote, from the league’s head coaches.

ACC Release

Cagle returns for her final year in the Orange and Regalia after being selected as the 2023 USA Softball Player of the Year. The redshirt senior is also the reigning ACC Player of the Year and garnered the honor in 2021 alongside being the 2021 ACC Freshman of the Year. In 2023, she started all 61 games and posted a .469 average with a .887 slugging percentage and .565 on-base percentage. She finished with a Clemson single-season record 83 hits, including 19 home runs, 15 doubles and one triple. In the circle, the Yorktown, Va., native held a 1.56 ERA through 38 appearances and tallied 25 victories with three saves. She put up eight solo shutouts through 193 innings with 188 strikeouts. Cagle also recorded the program’s first perfect game and an immaculate inning during the 2023 campaign.

Along with being named to the Preseason All-ACC Team, Cagle has also been named to the USA Softball Top 50 Watch List, the No. 1 player on D1Softball’s D100 Preseason Player Rankings, Softball America’s Preseason Player Rankings, D1Softball’s Pitcher Player Rankings, Softball America’s First Baseman Rankings and No. 4 on Softball America’s Preseason Pitcher Rankings.

Clemson will look to ‘Knock Down the Door’ during the 2024 campaign with the Orange and Purple scrimmage on Sunday, Feb. 4 at noon. This will be fans’ only opportunity to see the Tigers in McWhorter Stadium prior to the 2024 season beginning on Feb. 8 in Clearwater, Fla., at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. Clemson will be on the road for the first 11 games of the season before returning to McWhorter Stadium for the home opener on Friday, Feb. 23 at 4 p.m. against OIe Miss during the Clemson Classic.

Season tickets are sold out, but single game tickets can be purchased prior to arrival at McWhorter Stadium here. Not only are tickets available online, but they will also be available at the gate for walk-up sales on the day of each game. Fans are encouraged to visit the ticket table located outside the main gate of McWhorter to purchase their tickets. For more information, fans can call 1-800-CLEMSON (1-800-253-6766) or click here.

-Via Clemson Athletic Communications