James Madison University announced the 2026 Hall of Fame Class that will honor seven athletes, including softball standout Jailyn Ford.
Ford was a two-way star for the Dukes from 2013-2016, who changed the direction of the program and was one of many firsts. In her four seasons, the program was 185-48 (.794) compared to the previous decade of a winning percentage just above .500.
She was the first All-American in program history, earning National Fastpitch Coaches Association honors in 2014 (Second Team), 2015 (Third Team), and finally earning NFCA First Team recognition in her senior season. That same year, Ford was one of 25 finalists for the USA Softball National Player of the Year.
Her other accolades include 2014 Colonial Athletic Association Pitcher of the Year and Player of the Year honors back-to-back seasons in 2015 and 2016.
Ford’s numbers in the circle were unlike anything the Dukes had seen from a pitcher before. She has a career ERA of 1.51 and an 82-21 record, throwing 706.1 innings. The lefty’s opponent’s batting average was a measly .180.
But that wasn’t her only impact; Ford was a two-way player. At the plate, she recorded a career slash line of .339 AVG / .457 OBP / .644 SLG.
She set nearly every career pitching record, and her name is scattered across the JMU record books. Ford is in the top five in categories including ERA, opponent average, strikeouts, strikeouts per seven innings, wins, appearances, starts, complete games, shutouts and innings, career walks earned, home runs, total bases, triples, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and stolen bases.
The teams Ford was on made major program milestones. In her freshman year, they recorded their first 40-win campaign (42-17), and in her senior season, they achieved the 50 mark (50-6). The Dukes made their first NCAA Super Regional with Ford at the helm in 2016.
Ford and the six other inductees will be celebrated in a formal induction during the 2026 Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday, September 4, in JMU’s Atlantic Union Bank Center.
