RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
This Summer is shaping up to be a very exciting one for Cassidy Curd, the senior lefty pitcher from Florida, who helped her Lady Dukes team coached by James Lamar finish 32-1 in the Fall after making it to the title game of PGF Nationals in 2021.
Cassidy is part of a three-headed monster pitching staff for the Lady Dukes that also consists of Florida-committed righthander Kegan Rothrock and Duke-bound righty Sophie Garner-MacKinnon.
That Lady Dukes squad is ranked #2 in our 2022 preseason 18U team rankings and Cassidy was listed in our final 2022 Extra Elite 100 rankings in the Top 25 of that class… here’s what we wrote in her profile…
T-25—Cassidy Curd, P/1B, Lady Dukes – Lamar (Duke)
Cassidy was one of three standout pitchers for Coach James Lamar that helped the team come up big and emerge as one of the top programs in the country. She helped the East Coast team make it to the PGF 18U Nationals title game and, as Coach Lamar comments: “Number 19 was a major reason for our run at PGF during the Summer of 2021. Cassidy is great in circle and one heck of a competitor.” The Duke commit had a winning record of 16-2 and an ERA of .078 for the Summer. At the plate, Cassidy won games with her bat as well, several times in walk-off fashion, as she hit .433 with 26 RBIs and seven home runs. For Treasure Coast High in Port St. Lucie, Florida, the then Junior hit .426 with 16 walks for a .562 on-base percentage and in the circle had a 1.32 ERA with 120 K’s in 69 innings.
The future is, indeed, bright for this standout student-athlete. We reached out to Coach Lamar to get his thoughts on what Cassidy’s strengths are and what he sees her accomplishing this summer and beyond.
Said Coach Lamar this morning:
“Cassidy is a competitor; she has faced the best of the best and shut them down for complete games. I am extremely impressed with her work ethic and her ability to win in any situation. She is tough, the scary part is she has not even scratched the surface of her full potential.”
“With the addition of Laura Rothrock as our pitching coach I have seen her grow tremendously, mentally and physically in the circle,” the Lady Dukes head coach continues. “I can only imagine what she will be able to accomplish in college under on the best pitching coaches in the ACC. Cassidy has her eyes set on clipping 70 mph this summer and she has a vigorous workout schedule that starts at 5 am four days a week to be ready for this summer. Simply put, we love Cassidy Curd and the Curd family—her parents are the driving force behind her success, they have always done things right and it shows through Cassidy.”
We recently caught up with Cassidy to get the latest including her thoughts on what led her to commit to Coach Marissa Young and the Blue Devil program.
Here’s what the senior had to say…
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Player Name: CASSIDY CURD
Positions: Pitcher / First Base
High School (City/ST): Treasure Coast (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) High
Club Team: Lady Dukes 18U Gold – Lamar
Committed To: Duke University
Date Committed: September 5, 2020
Looking back over your softball career so far, what’s been your top 1-2 softball experiences? My top experiences in softball so far would be placing second in PGF Nationals last summer. The energy my team played with was electric and it made me realize just how in love I am with the sport. It wasn’t the outcome we had hoped for but luckily, we have another chance at it this upcoming summer and we are well equipped for that.
How did Duke first find you to start the recruiting process?
I played alongside other Duke commits in the Fall and Summer of my 2020 season and, blessed with that opportunity, I was able to showcase my talents and catch the eye of my dream school.
When did the Blue Devil actually offer you the scholarship?
They offered me a scholarship on September 1, 2020.
When and how did you commit?
After receiving the offer my parents agreed that it would be best to take a visit to the campus and see how I felt being there. We flew out on September 4, 2020, and took two days to walk around campus, see the softball stadium and facilities, and even meet one of the (now former) players, Raine Wilson, who showed me around campus and shared her personal experiences at Duke.
On September 5, 2020, after an amazing morning of falling more and more in love with Duke, my parents and I were walking through Krzyzewski Ville, and I looked at them and told them: “There is nowhere else I would rather be for the next four years of my softball career.”
After sharing that with them I sat down and called each of the coaches individually and announced my commitment to them.
What was it about Duke that helped you decide it was the place for you? Did you have an “a ha” moment where it just hit you?
There was a lot of factors that played into why I chose Duke, the coaching staff is one of the most supportive and motivating staff I have ever came across.
Coach Young welcomed me with open arms and told me she truly believed I was a great fit for her program, and it was an honor to hear that after seeing what she has built and what she’s continuing to build. As soon as I was done walking around campus, I knew without a doubt I was going to commit to Duke.
Who helped you in your softball decision… anyone? Family? Coaches?
Coach Lamar, my head travel coach was extremely helpful in my softball decision. He pushed me to limits I didn’t know I could reach let alone exceed, he motivated me and not only inspired me to be a better player on the field, but a better person off the field as well.
My brother played a large role in this decision as well, he has had his own experiences with collegiate baseball and he called me right before I committed and told me, “Follow your heart, the rest will all fall into place.” And that is exactly what I did.
What will you study in college? Do you know what you’ll major in yet?
I would like to study either medical or law when I get to college. I don’t know exactly what ill major in, but I plan on broadening my scope when I get to Duke and begin taking classes.
What did your the Duke coaches say they liked about your game enough to offer you?
Duke had told me they liked my grit and competitiveness on the field and that’s what stood out to them most. They said they loved the type of teammate and player I was and that it would be a perfect fit for their program.
What top tournaments will you be playing in this year?
This summer, my team will be playing in Top Gun Invitational on June 16-19; Colorado Sparkler June 27 to July 3 and PGF Nationals from July 22 to July 30.
Knowing the girls Coach James has recruited and the team we have been building this summer is going to be electric and you’re going to want to see the Lady Dukes play!
What’s something about you off the field that not many know?
Something off the field that not many people know about me is I absolutely love reading novels and I enjoy writing my own spin offs!
Where would you like to be in 10 years? 20 years?
In 10 years, I would like to be graduated college (obviously) and working at a job I truly enjoy. I hope to stay involved in the softball community and work with young girls on finding a path in the sport just like I had.
In 20 years, I hope to be starting a family and instilling in my children the same things my coaches, family, and friends taught me over the years. Inspiring them, motivating them, and watching their lives unfold into whatever it is they dream of it to be.
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball