Cassidy Curd Ready to Lead Duke Softball Toward Another Postseason Run
Duke’s Winning Standard
Over the last several seasons, the Duke Blue Devils have built a steady reputation for winning. They have posted 40 or more victories every year since 2021, highlighted by a 52-win campaign in 2024 that ended with a trip to the Women’s College World Series.
Under Head Coach Marissa Young, the program has become one of the elite teams not only in the ACC but across the nation. In eight seasons, Young has compiled a record of 306-124 at Duke. In 2020, when COVID swept through and shut the season down, Duke had already raced out to a 23-4 record. Outside of those first couple of years building the program, Young and the Blue Devils have been a consistently winning team.
Cassidy Curd’s Role
One player who has been at the center of that success is senior pitcher Cassidy Curd. Over three seasons in Durham, Curd has put together a 46-15 record with a 2.21 ERA, holding opponents to a .185 average while piling up 469 strikeouts in 104 appearances.
She already sits second in Duke’s strikeout history, trailing only Peyton St. George’s 641. With an absolute dominant season, Curd has the chance to come close to that mark in just four years of pitching.
Now entering her senior season, she has one more chance to help lead the Blue Devils to new heights. Coming off last year, that is something she is not taking for granted. Curd admitted to me yesterday that the 2025 season did not meet her standard.
Mental Reset
She was honest about the struggles she faced. “Last year I didn’t have the year that I wanted and I think I went through a lot of like mental turmoil, a lot of ups and downs for me,” said Curd.
“I wasn’t in a good space mentally. Like I didn’t come to the stadium putting my best foot forward. And I know that. So, I think I went through the motions a little bit last year and sitting with that over the summer and knowing I don’t want to take a single second with this team, Team Nine, for granted.”
After the season ended with a home regional loss to Georgia, the reality set in. Now, with work over the summer and a fresh outlook, she is ready and excited to get going for the 2025-26 year.
“I think my highs were really high and my lows were really low, and it was really hard for me to maintain a balance,” Curd said. “But yeah, a lot of work put in over the summer on the mental part of the game. So feeling pretty good.”
Sharpening Her Arsenal
Along with the mental reset, Curd also focused on her craft in the circle. She pointed out that her command was not where it needed to be last season, especially with her off-speed pitches, and her numbers showed it.
“I think a big part of it too was my inability to command an off-speed pitch. So there have been a bunch of things that I’ve been working on this off-season to come back ready. And I will say a lot of them I do think are mental, because I think that’s majority of the game,” said Curd.
The Wright Return
One major addition for the Blue Devils this year is the return of Jala Wright to Durham. Wright, the former Duke standout and former teammate of Curd’s, is back home, and Cassidy could not be happier. She called it the best thing to happen to Duke softball this season.
The automatic chemistry between the two and the high-level experience Wright brings will not only benefit Curd but the entire team.
“I think it’s fun just having her back around and hearing her voice again and her encouragement and the fire that she has and the passion that she has for the game is awesome,” said Curd.
Wright was a force in the circle for the Blue Devils before moving on to the professional ranks, where she now pitches with the Atlanta Smoke. That type of experience, paired with the maturity gained at the pro level, is something she now brings back to Durham. For Curd, having Wright back is especially meaningful.
“I’m so happy to have her to kind of lean on to help me guide these other pitchers that are here. And I think it’s huge. She has experience in pro and collegiate, she’s dealt with the ups and the downs… she’s two years removed from it. So I’m sure she’s had a lot of time to reflect, look back on it and see what she would have known in our shoes, which I think is insight that I’m not able to give my fellow pitchers now,” Curd said.
The dynamic between the two goes beyond mentorship. It is a back-and-forth exchange of ideas that sharpens both of them.
“I get to pick her brain and be like, what did that look like? What did that feel like? What did you see? And then she’ll pick my brain. And I think one of the best things about it is being able to have those honest conversations with her… So I’m so excited for this season with her. I think truly from the bottom of my heart, that was the biggest pickup we could have had from a coaching perspective.”
Chasing More
After reflecting on last season and the mental hurdles she faced, Curd has turned her focus fully toward what lies ahead. For her and Duke, it is no longer just about bouncing back, it is about chasing the ultimate prize.
Curd and the Blue Devils program have tasted getting to OKC. That came in 2024, the first time in this young program’s history. While you always want to win it all, there is always that silver lining in breaking through for the first time.
Now Cassidy and the few that remain from that team are looking for more. Not only do they want to get back, they want to win it all. For them, the time is now or never.
“Our goal that year was get to the World Series. We just wanted to get there. And I think this year we have done that, been there, done that. Now we are wanting to go to the World Series and we want to compete for a national championship. It is not just about getting to Oklahoma City anymore.”
That hunger to take the next step ties directly back to what has built Duke softball so quickly, a strong culture and a head coach who sets the standard.
“Today for June”
“Today for June.” That is the motto inside the Duke program. It reflects the belief that championship teams are built now, not when the season arrives.
This year’s Blue Devils squad features 10 new faces, blended with a strong and talented veteran core. Even with so much turnover, Curd is energized by the mix, and she believes this group has the potential to be special when 2026 rolls around.
“I can say this with 100% confidence. I think this is the most excited I’ve been for a season based off of like where the team has been in the fall,” Curd said. “We’ve had two team practices and they’ve just been electric. Everybody is so happy to be there. Energy is really high.”
That type of enthusiasm is exactly what you would expect from a Marissa Young coached team. Since her arrival, Young has built a culture grounded in family, accountability, and hard work. It is never too early to begin the climb toward Oklahoma City, and the foundation that gets laid in September and October often dictates how far a team can go in May and June.
“The culture is the best thing about Duke softball and it’s something that we’ve harped on from day one. That’s one of the reasons I committed here. I came on my visit and I saw the way the girls interacted with each other and there’s just no words for it,” said Curd.
Curd understands that truth well.
“One of the things on an outsider’s perspective you don’t realize about postseason is like nothing else in the season matters up until that point. You make it to the postseason. It’s a whole new season. And at that point, you’re not just riding on raw talent. What you’re riding on is your team’s chemistry and bond and how bad you want it on an emotional level.”
Looking Ahead
With fall ball games on the horizon and practices already in motion, the Duke Blue Devils remain, in my opinion, a top-tier pick in the ACC. Even with 10 new faces, this program has wasted no time laying the groundwork for the upcoming season.
Cassidy Curd will be a major part of that effort in the circle. After a summer of working on herself both inside and out, she is determined to make her senior campaign one to remember.
Stay tuned for more from Durham, as I will continue bringing updates and insights.
