James Madison Dukes softball
{{Infobox college softball team
|name = James Madison Dukes Softball
|logo = James Madison University Athletics logo.svg
|university = James Madison University
|conference = Sun Belt Conference
|conference_short = Sun Belt
|city = Harrisonburg
|stateabb = VA
|state = Virginia
|coach = Loren LaPorte
|tenure = 7th
|stadium = Veterans Memorial Park
|capacity = 1,500
|nickname = Dukes
|wcws = 2021
|ncaa_tourneys = 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021
|super_regional = 2016, 2019, 2021
|conference_tournament = 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021
|conference_champion = 2009, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021
}}
The James Madison Dukes softball team represents James Madison University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) and plays home games in Veterans Memorial Park. JMU has won six CAA championships, including back-to-back Championships in 2016 and 2017. The Dukes have been to the NCAA Division I softball tournament nine times, hosting Regionals and Super Regionals in 2016. The team's head coach is Loren LaPorte, leading the Dukes to a 197–74 record in six seasons.
Coaching history
| class="wikitable" | |||
| style="text-align:center;"
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=James Madison Dukes|Years|Coach|Record|%}} | |||
| 2002–2012 | Katie Flynn | 283–252 | .528 |
| 2013–2017 | Mickey Dean | 187–49 | .738 |
| 2017–present | Loren LaPorte | 197–74 | .727 |
Season results
| class="wikitable" |
| Season
! Coach ! Record !CAA Record ! Notes |
|---|
| 2002
| Katie Flynn | 25–24 | 5–9 | |
| 2003
| Katie Flynn | 19–31 | 5–3 | |
| 2004
| Katie Flynn | 30–32 | 12–6 | |
| 2005
| Katie Flynn | 28–27 | 8–10 | |
| 2006
| Katie Flynn | 24–28 | 9–12 | |
| 2007
| Katie Flynn | 38–16 | 16–4 | |
| 2008
| Katie Flynn | 32–22 | 16–8 | |
| 2009
| Katie Flynn | 35–16 | 12–8 | CAA Champions, NCAA Regionals |
| 2010
| Katie Flynn | 24–33 | 11–10 | |
| 2011
| Katie Flynn | 29–23 | 8–11 | |
| 2012
| Katie Flynn | 30–26 | 15–5 | |
| 2013
| Mickey Dean | 42–17 | 18–3 |
| 2014
| Mickey Dean | 45–15 | 15–3 | CAA Champions, NCAA Regionals |
| 2015
| Mickey Dean | 48–10 | 19–0 |
| 2016
| Mickey Dean | 50–6 | 18–1 | CAA Champions, NCAA Super Regionals |
| 2017
| Mickey Dean | 52–8 | 18–2 | CAA Champions, NCAA Regionals |
| 2018
| Loren LaPorte | 43–14 | 19–2 |
| 2019
| Loren LaPorte | 51–10 | 20–1 | CAA Champions, NCAA Super Regionals |
| 2020
| Loren LaPorte | 13–6 | 0–0 | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic{{Cite web|last=|date=2020-03-12|title=NCAA cancels remaining winter and spring championships|url=http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/ncaa-cancels-remaining-winter-and-spring-championships|access-date=May 27, 2021|website=NCAA.org}} |
| 2021
| Loren LaPorte | 41–4 | 17–1 | CAA Champions, Women's College World Series |
| 2022
| Loren LaPorte | 21–21 | 10–5 | |
| 2023
| Loren LaPorte | 28–19 | 13–11 | |
2021 Season
After a dominant performance in the regular season, the Dukes entered the postseason with a 34–1 record. In the CAA tournament, the Dukes beat Delaware for their sixth conference title and were rewarded with the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA softball tournament.
The Dukes advanced to the Super Regionals after beating #9 Tennessee{{Cite web|last=Shiers|first=Mike|title=JMU Softball beats Tennessee 3-1; Advances to Regional Final|url=https://www.nbc29.com/2021/05/22/jmu-softball-beats-tennessee-advances-regional-final/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=www.nbc29.com}} and #25 Liberty twice in the Knoxville Regional.{{Cite web|author=AL LESAR |title=JMU Downs Liberty To Win Knoxville Regional|url=https://www.dnronline.com/sports/jmu-downs-liberty-to-win-knoxville-regional/article_d1786b92-acfd-5e0f-b64e-61cd3ed7172d.html|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Daily News-Record}} They then went on to beat #8 Mizzou on the road in the best-of-three series in Columbia, Missouri.{{Cite web|title=OKC BOUND! JMU Beats Mizzou to Reach First Women's College World Series|url=https://jmusports.com/news/2021/5/30/softball-okc-bound-jmu-beats-mizzou-to-reach-first-womens-college-world-series.aspx|access-date=2021-09-05|website=James Madison University Athletics}}
After punching their ticket to the Women's College World Series (WCWS) for the first time, the James Madison Dukes advanced to the WCWS semifinals after beating #1 Oklahoma 4–3 in eight innings{{Cite web|date=2021-06-03|title=James Madison shocks No. 1 seed OU in WCWS|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/31561030/unseeded-james-madison-upsets-no-1-seed-oklahoma-first-women-college-world-series-appearance|access-date=2021-09-05|website=ESPN.com}} and #5 Oklahoma State 2–1{{Cite web|date=2021-06-05|title=JMU wins another WCWS shocker, stuns Okla. St.|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/31568140/james-madison-cinderella-run-women-college-world-series-continues-upset-oklahoma-state|access-date=2021-09-05|website=ESPN.com}} in the first and second rounds of the tournament. In doing so, they became the first-ever unseeded team to start 2–0 in the WCWS and reach the semifinal games. Their historic run came to a close just short of the finals, falling to eventual champions #1 Oklahoma twice.
Championships
= Conference Championships =
| class="wikitable"
!Season !Conference !Record !Head Coach |
| 2009
|Colonial Athletic Association |35–16 |Katie Flynn |
| 2014
|Colonial Athletic Association |45–15 |Mickey Dean |
| 2016
|Colonial Athletic Association |50–6 |Mickey Dean |
| 2017
|Colonial Athletic Association |52–8 |Mickey Dean |
| 2019
|Colonial Athletic Association |51–10 |Loren LaPorte |
| 2021
|Colonial Athletic Association |41–4 |Loren LaPorte |
NCAA Regional appearances
| Class="wikitable" width="40%"
!style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|James Madison Dukes|color=white}}"|NCAA Regional Results |+ |
| style="background: #e3e3e3;"
|align="center"|2009 Knoxville, Tennessee Regional Lost to Tennessee, 3–4 Lost to Jacksonville State, 0–6 |
| style="background: #e3e3e3;"
|align="center"|2013 Knoxville, Tennessee Regional Lost to NC State, 0–2 Defeated Longwood, 5–0 Lost to NC State, 4–6 |
| style="background: #e3e3e3;"
|align="center"|2014 Lexington, Kentucky Regional Defeated DePaul, 6–1 Lost to Kentucky, 1–2 Lost to DePaul, 3–4 |
| style="background: #e3e3e3;"
|align="center"|2015 Harrisonburg, Virginia Regional Defeated Binghamton, 10–15 Lost to NC State, 0–2 Lost to Fordham, 1–2 |
| style="background: #e3e3e3;"
|align="center"|2016 Harrisonburg, Virginia Regional Defeated Princeton, 7–0 Defeated North Carolina, 10–1 Defeated Longwood, 5–1 |
| style="background: #e3e3e3;"
|align="center"|2017 Waco, Texas Regional Defeated Oregon State, 3–2 Lost to Baylor, 2–4 Defeated Kent State, 4–0 Lost to Baylor, 0–1 |
| style="background: #e3e3e3;"
|align="center"|2018 Knoxville, Tennessee Regional Defeated Ohio, 2–1 Lost to Tennessee, 3–12 Lost to Ohio, 3–7 |
| style="background: #e3e3e3;"
|align="center"|2019 Ann Arbor, Michigan Regional Defeated DePaul, 5–2 Lost to Michigan, 0–112 Defeated DePaul, 3–0 Defeated Michigan, 3–0 Defeated Michigan, 2–1 |
| style="background: #e3e3e3;"
|align="center"|2021 Knoxville, Tennessee Regional Defeated Liberty, 4–310 Defeated Tennessee, 3–1 Defeated Liberty, 8–5 |
Notable players
= National awards =
;NFCA National Player of the Year
- Megan Good (2017){{Cite web|title=NFCA {{!}} National Fastpitch Coaches Association|url=https://nfca.org/index.php|access-date=2021-09-05|website=nfca.org-gb}}
;Softball America Pitcher of the Year
- Odicci Alexander (2021){{Cite web|title=2021 NCAA Pitcher Of The Year: Odicci Alexander|url=https://www.softballamerica.com/stories/2021-ncaa-pitcher-of-the-year-odicci-alexander/|access-date=2021-11-16|website=Softball America}}
;D1 Softball's Woman of the Year
= All-Americans =
- 2014: Jailyn Ford (2nd team)
- 2015: Megan Good (2nd team)
- 2015: Jailyn Ford (3rd team)
- 2016: Jailyn Ford (1st team)
- 2016: Megan Good (1st team)
- 2017: Megan Good (1st team)
- 2018: Megan Good (1st team)
- 2018: Odicci Alexander (3rd team)
- 2018: Kate Gordon (3rd team)
- 2019: Odicci Alexander (3rd team)
- 2019: Megan Good (3rd team)
- 2019: Kate Gordon (3rd team)
- 2021: Odicci Alexander (2nd team)
Coaching Staff Awards
- NFCA Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year (2021){{Cite web|title=College softball: JMU's historic run captures 2021 NFCA DI national coaching staff of the year honors {{!}} NCAA.com|url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/softball/article/2021-06-24/college-softball-jmus-historic-run-captures-2021-nfca-di-national-coaching-staff-year|access-date=2021-09-05|website=www.ncaa.com}}
- NFCA Northeast Coaching Staff of the Year (2021){{Cite web|title=JMU Staff Named NFCA Northeast Coaching Staff of the Year|url=https://jmusports.com/news/2021/6/10/softball-jmu-staff-named-nfca-northeastern.aspx|access-date=2021-09-05|website=James Madison University Athletics}}