Duke slugger Caroline Jacobsen announced on Monday that the 2022 season will be her last as a Blue Devil.
On her personal Instagram account on Monday, Jacobsen posted a message related to her entrance into the portal:
“Back in 2013 when Duke first announced the addition of a softball program, I remember having a conversation with my day that I would, “Go for it,” Jacobsen wrote. “Back then Duke felt like [a] dream, and in a way it still does. Flash forward nine years and that dream has turned into a degree from one of the best universities in the country and friends that will last a lifetime. I cannot thank Coach [Marissa] Young enough for allowing me to live out my dream beside my best friends. With that being said, I have decided to enter the transfer portal for my final year of eligibility to pursue a master’s degree. All good things must come to an end – but not yet. For now, I can’t wait to go to work with Team 5 and chase a championship!”
Jacobsen, who has two years of eligibility remaining entering the ’22 campaign and will be able to play one year at her eventual new home, officially entered the NCAA’s transfer portal on Monday, sources confirmed to Extra Inning Softball’s Justin McLeod. She carries a graduate transfer designation.
Following the NCAA’s extended eligibility waiver after the abbreviated 2020 season, Jacobsen is the fourth Blue Devil player to enter the portal this offseason while still planning to play the 2022 season in Durham. She follows Shelby Walters, Kristina Foreman, and Kyla Morris – all of whom will play this season and plan to transfer next summer.
As a freshman in 2019, Jacobsen tied for the team lead with six home runs. She started the 2020 season red-hot, finishing the shortened year with a .368 batting average, nine home runs, and 31 RBIs. In 2021, she recorded 17 extra-base hits – including six home runs – and led the team with 22 walks.
Jacobsen is a native of Tallahassee, Florida.
