The State University of New York at New Paltz had a historic run in 2019 and surprised the conference as a title contender that season. The Hawks won more games — finishing 26-12 overall — in 2019 than any other in program history and earned the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. After the 2020 season was taken away before having the ability to build off their 2019 run, SUNY New Paltz enters 2021 not as underdogs, but one of the favorites to earn this spring's SUNYAC Championship.
 
"It's definitely great to be recognized as a preseason favorite. It shows that we earned a little bit of respect in the conference, but our goals and mindset are still the same," said Hawks coach Krysti Maronski. "We had a discussion with the team that preseason polls are great, but they don't really mean anything in the end. It is all about where you finish and not where you start. I really liked them to have the mentality that every time we go out to play a game it doesn't matter the opponent. We have to show up and play to our best potential, so keeping that 'we have nothing to lose' type mentality is going to be crucial to our success this year."
 
With the conference divided into two divisions — East and West — SUNY New Paltz will face defending SUNYAC Champions SUNY Cortland, along with SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Plattsburgh and SUNY Potsdam twice and come out as at least the top two teams to earn another spot in the postseason. SUNYAC coaches voted the Hawks to No. 1 in the East, over the Red Dragons who enter their second season under coach Molly O'Donnell after the retirement of Hall of Fame coach Julie Lenhart. For the first time in recent memory, SUNY New Paltz isn't entering the season as underdogs but favorites in a competative conference.
 
 
"I think it puts us in a different prospective starting the season, because maybe there are some expectations of us that hasn't been there before. But like I said, I really try to talk to the girls about staying level-headed," Maronski said. "Not trying to get too hyped up for one game against one team and then going out there lax against another team. We need to treat every team to the same level. And it doesn't matter what other people think of us. All that matters is that we stay within ourselves, play one pitch at a time and take it day by day."
 
The Hawks split their season series against three of the four teams in the East Division, only sweeping SUNY Potsdam in 2019. They battled on the road to earn a 4-1 9-inning win in game one against SUNY Cortland, before falling in game two in another tight battle, 2-0. Against SUNY Oneonta, they rode a stellar outing by then freshman Katie Quagliana who held down what was her fourth complete game shutout to a 1-0 victory, but the team couldn't muster enough offense in game two and fell to the hosting Red Dragons, 3-1. At home against SUNY Plattsburgh, SUNY New Paltz claimed the first game over the Cardinals, 6-4, but again dropped game two, 9-3.
 
Before their season came to a premature end in 2020, the Hawks opened up against strong non-conference competition, visiting Rowan University and Rutgers-Camden. They bounced back from a tough season-opening loss against the Profs and battled to a 2-2 tie in game two before the game was called in five innings. The team had a strong pitching outing from Emily Fox in game one against the Raptors, but struggled offensively and fell, 2-0. Their bats came alive in game two, however, and earned their first — and what turned out as their only — win of the 2020 season. 
Going into last season, Maronski added sophomore transfer Jillian Harrison to help with pitching depth behind Fox and Quagliana, but didn't get the chance to appear in a game in 2020. This season, the Hawks bolster their rotation even more with the addition of standout freshman Lindsay Roman who has impressed thus far during the preseason.

"Our pitching staff has worked really hard this preseason," Maronski said. "I am really excited to add Lindsay to the staff. On the recruiting trail, she caught my eye right away and we were lucky enough to get her to come here. I think she has the potential to be a really dominant pitcher in our conference and at this level. She's a lefty, spinny pitcher, something totally different that we don't have on the roster, so she definitely adds a really good component to our pitching staff.

"Another person who has looked really good is Jill [Harrison]. Last year she was new to the team, but last season we didn't really get to have one so she didn't get any opportunities, but in preseason this year she is throwing hard. She gets some good movement on her ball and she adds another arm to our staff that strengthens it overall in addition to Katie and Emily."

Although the Hawks graduated a strong senior class, which included starters along the infield and outfield, they bring in a talented freshmen group along with three transfers in Kiley Besko (SUNY Cortland), Lauren Shambo (Adelphi University), and Sydney Bonewit (East Stroudsburg). SUNY New Paltz returns its top pitchers in Fox and Quagliana with both being named to the All-SUNYAC Second Team in 2019.

"It's awesome to see Jill and Lindsay succeeding in both practice and bullpens," Fox added. "They help push me and Katie 100 percent in everything we're doing. That friendly competition to make each other better, but also to be ready to play against other really good teams. When we're throwing in scrimmages we face our hitters that are really good and getting to see that competition and getting to see that we have support on the mound in possibly closing positions, and just starting in other games is really great. They've shown a lot of their skills and it's been awesome to see everyone develop as preseason has gone on."

Fox had a breakout year in 2019 and got better as the season went on. The team relied on the then sophomore in the postseason, as the Commack, NY native threw a combined 19 innings during the SUNYAC Tournament and totaled just five walks and 14 strikeouts. She ended 2019 10-6 overall with an ERA of 2.25 after leading the team with 11 complete games and 116 innings pitched. Fox started hot last season, pitching two complete games in two starts with an ERA of 1.91. She hopes to continue that type of production during her last year as a Hawk and be a catalyst in a potential conference title run.
"My personal goals are to just do my best and put my team in a position to be winning," she said. "I'd love to have an ERA under two – that's definitely a goal for this year. To maybe have some all-conference recognition again like I did two years ago, but ultimately it's the team effort that I'm concerned about and I want our team to be in the best position in our side of the conference to win a SUNYAC  title."
 
In four games last season, Nina Simms and Ashley Puig were two of the Hawks' top hitters, batting .364 and .286, respectively. They both were vital in the team's 2019 run with Puig leading the team in hits (36), RBI (27), doubles (14) and total bases (52), and Simms pacing the program in batting average (.446) in 56 at-bats, while adding 25 hits, 13 runs and 15 RBI.
 
"So far preseason has been great... We are working on communication with one another and just really focusing on getting comfortable with one another," Puig said. "We have a lot of new freshmen, a couple new transfers [and] we're just working on getting comfortable. I was looking forward to this season, coming back and having one last go around with my best friends on the team and being able to do what I love. Based on the 2019 season, I am ready to give it my all and leave everything out on the field. I'm super excited."

Puig has had a strong preseason thus far and has the potential to emerge as a top player in the SUNYAC. She has set that standard for herself as well, ready to put the conference on notice with her power at the plate.

"One huge personal goal that I keep to myself is that I want to be Athlete of the Year. That is something that I am really striving for," she said. "Other than that, just being on the all-conference team. That is something I am really looking forward to."
 
If SUNY New Paltz comes out of the East, it will face one of the top two teams of the West, which includes No. 22 nationally ranked SUNY Geneseo, The College at Brockport, Oswego State, Fredonia State and Buffalo State. The Knights were voted No. 1 in the SUNYAC coach's preseason poll to come out of the West and are just two years removed from an NCAA Super Regional appearance. The Hawks split their battle in the regular season against SUNY Genseo, defeating the then defending conference champs, 2-0 in game one, before falling, 4-0 in game two. The Knights got the best of SUNY New Paltz, however, in the 2019 SUNYAC Tournament after overcoming a 3-0 Hawks lead in the top of the fifth to come back and earn a tight, 4-3 victory.

"I think that this team definitely has a lot of depth and talent," Maronski added. "Skill wise, all of our incoming rookies this year have definitely increased our level of play and pushed our returners to increase their level as well. The competition value has gotten a lot better. This is definitely the best team we've had since I've been here and absolutely we can contend for that conference title. Our team chemistry is going to be important in that with COVID not being able to get together outside and in the fall, right now is really the time that they're coming together and getting to know one another, so we are going to continue to work on that this season and grow in that aspect."
 
The two teams will not face each other in the regular season, but have the potential for a matchup in postseason play. The 2021 SUNYAC Tournament is slated to begin May 8 through May 15. The top two teams from each division will compete in a best of three series in the semifinal and championship rounds.

Regardless where they stack up in the division, the Hawks have their sights set on history once again, but this time around eyes will also be on them. 

"Our team goal is ultimately winning a SUNYAC Championship," Fox said. "That has never happened in New Paltz history and that's something that we have our hearts set on 100 percent. We know we have to take everything one game at a time because we're playing some really great teams, but we have confidence in the skills that we're bringing to the table with all of our new transfers, freshmen and the returning players that we have. We're confident in our ability to win."
 
SUNY New Paltz opens up its SUNYAC campaign April 7 in a road double-header against SUNY Cortland. Its non-conference doubleheader recently scheduled for Saturday was postponed with details to follow. To view the updated softball schedule, click here.



To stay up to date with everything #NPHawks be sure to follow us on Twitter at @nphawks,Instagram and Facebook at @newpaltzhawks, and subscribe to our Youtube channel, New Paltz Hawks.