February is here, and that means the start of spring sports. While the winter season prepares to transition into playoffs, softball, baseball, and lacrosse look to get off to a strong start. For the softball team, a new season also means adjusting to a major change: a new head coach. In January, longtime assistant coach Richard Spriggs was promoted after former head coach Krysti Maronski-Neufeldt departed for the head coaching job at Randolph-Macon College.
“It was an absolute privilege to work alongside Krysti. I have so much pride in what we were able to put together here at New Paltz. Much more importantly, I had someone who was obviously made to coach collegiately, yet was humble enough to recognize that she needed others to help her grow a program. She gave me the respect of allowing me to be a coach she didn’t try to control and I always knew she trusted me,” Spriggs said. “She always made me feel like I mattered and was her partner in this team every year. She was not just my head coach, but in the end, she became a dear friend and like a member of my family. I am so proud of her and what she has accomplished.”
Spriggs spent the previous four seasons as the lead assistant to Maronski-Neufeldt. During that time, the softball team won two regular season titles and their first SUNYAC Championship in 2024. That same year, he was honored as part of the SUNYAC Coaching Staff of the Year. This year, Spriggs will be in the driver’s seat as the team looks to continue their success.
“It was a relief and an honor to be given the head coaching position for this season. I’m very appreciative of the trust shown by the Athletic Department in me. This team went through a tremendous upheaval with the loss of Krysti and some very talented players,” said Spriggs. “College softball is always subject to change, however after our successes, this was not a typical situation. Believing in what we still have and not what was lost is important for our continued growth. I care a great deal about these players and hope we will continue our belief in each other.”
Softball will kick off their season on Feb 28 with back-to-back games against Rutgers-Camden. It will be followed by back-to-back games against Rowan University and a trip to Clermont, F.L for the annual PFX Spring Games.
“Our goals for the season are always the same: play as hard as we can and go as far as our efforts take us. The talent is here and I hope myself and the coaching staff can give the guidance and support this group deserves,” said Spriggs. “We have set a pretty high standard and just hope to live up to that. We want to maximize the talent we have and know we did all we could do whenever the season ends. Our goals are to be a competitive team throughout our season’s play, be a team that competes for a SUNYAC title and to hopefully ultimately qualify to play in the NCAA tournament at the end of the season.”