Duke softball began its season on Friday at the UCF Black and Gold Invitational in Orlando, Fla, without one of its most anticipated players.

Per a Duke spokesperson, transfer Jessica Oakland was out and will be reevaluated this week before the team heads to the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational. 

I’ve been asked a lot about Jess Oakland, and per Duke spokesperson, she’s out this weekend and will be re-evaluated beginning of next week.

— Brady (@BradyVernon) February 7, 2026

The former Big Ten Player of the Year and impact slugger transferred from Minnesota to Duke in 2024, but had to sit out the entire 2025 season due to winter transfer rules. Though missing live-action play, she jumped headfirst into the Blue Devils’ offseason to get back to her peak performance. 

Head coach Melissa Young even confirmed during the fall that she wasn’t worried about Oakland’s time off and was more than ready to utilize her talents on the field. 

“She hasn’t skipped a beat,” Young told Brady Vernon at Softball America. “The thing that has impressed me the most about Jess Oakland was last spring, when she made such an impact on our team in the dugout. Her presence, her conversation, how she supported her teammates. She was a key contributor last season when she wasn’t on the field. I’ve been excited to see her back on the field in competition mode because she demonstrates what it’s like to practice hard. This fall has been about not changing anything you were doing in the spring. She has developed defensively and as a hitter in her plate coverage. There’s a lot of expectation, but she has to remember the game doesn’t know, and it’s not all on her. If she remembers that, she’ll have a great year.”

Not having Oakland start the season is a bit of a blow for the Blue Devils. The lineup is now missing Ana Gold, who graduated in 2025, and Oakland was set to fill in those shoes. The middle infield is supposed to be comprised of the strong duo of All-American Aminah Vega and Oakland, both who landed on Softball America’s preseason rankings.

In her last season with the Gophers, Oakland hit .452, with 19 doubles, and 20 home runs to land NFCA Second Team All-American honors. 

She also became Minnesota’s single-season runs leader (68), tied for first in home runs in a single season (20), ranked fifth in doubles in a single season (19), finished fourth in walks in a single season (44), and ranked within in the top 10 in the NCAA in categories like average, doubles, homers, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and total bases. 

The rest of the lineup did come through for Duke throughout the invitational, though. Aside from getting upset by Boston College, the Blue Devils won their other three games and saw massive performances from senior D’Auna Jennings and graduate transfer Tyrina Jones. 

Big first weekend as a Blue Devil for @JonesTyrina 😈#Team9 pic.twitter.com/KqM7AvgGpD

— Duke Softball (@DukeSOFTBALL) February 8, 2026

Jennings led the offense in two games, going 4-for-7 with two runs scored, while Jones had a impactful debut going 2-for-6 with two RBIs. The team went on to take down Buffalo, 3-1, and then rolled past CSU Bakersfield 13-4 in five innings to close out the day.

Duke now sits at No. 22 in Softball America’s Top 25 Rankings after debuting in the preseason poll at No. 20. 

Recommended Links